ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship

One Window Only — Miss November and You Cannot Apply in April

Start here, because this single rule eliminates more candidates than any eligibility criterion:

The ESOP application window is 1–30 November 2026 at 11:59 AM CET. This is the only window for ESOP applications submitted in the April 2027 window will not be considered for ESOP.

ETH Zurich runs two Master’s admission windows each year. Only the November one carries ESOP. If you apply in April, ETH may still admit you to the Master’s but you forfeit the scholarship entirely, with no route back.

The next application window is open Nov, 1 – Nov, 30 2026, 11.59h, MEZ for a start in the Master programme in HS27.

What ETH Actually Gives You

The Excellence Scholarship/ESOP consists of a scholarship covering living and study expenses (CHF 12’000 per semester, from HS27 onwards 13’500 CHF) as well as a tuition fee waiver. ESOP is awarded for the regular duration of the Master’s programme (three or four semesters).

CHF 13,500 every semester, plus ETH waives your tuition completely, for the entire Master’s.

For a 4-semester Master’s programme, this totals CHF 54,000 in scholarship payments plus the full tuition fee waiver. For a 3-semester programme, the total is CHF 40,500 plus tuition waiver.

That makes ESOP one of the most generous Master’s-level awards in continental Europe.

The Rate Rises for 2027 — Do Not Quote the Old Figure

Many scholarship sites still list CHF 12,000. ETH’s own page confirms the increase:

CHF 13,500 per semester, starting from Autumn Semester 2027 (HS27) confirmed from the official ETH Zurich ESOP page. This is an increase from the previous rate of CHF 12,000 per semester.

If you start in autumn 2027, you receive the higher rate.

How ETH Pays You

Grant is paid in 3 or 4 instalments at the beginning of each semester, to a Swiss bank or post office account.

ETH transfers the money at the start of each semester, not monthly, so you receive CHF 13,500 as a lump sum, then budget it across roughly six months. Open a Swiss bank or Post Finance account soon after you arrive.

More Than Money

The Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) supports students with a scholarship, mentorship and a network of the ETH Foundation.

Faculty mentorship in your chosen Master’s programme. Networking with fellow ESOP scholars and ETH Zurich’s alumni network. Eligibility for additional ETH Zurich research and project opportunities.

ESOP scholars join the ETH Foundation network and receive faculty mentorship meaningful at an institution whose alumni include Einstein and more than twenty Nobel laureates.

Eligibility — The Top 10% Bar

1. Very good result in Bachelor’s degree programme (top 10% of Bachelor’s degree programme = grade A; this is based on self-assessment).

⭐ “Self-Assessment” Deserves Explanation

ETH asks you to judge whether you rank in the top 10% of your Bachelor’s cohort. Many universities in Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya and India do not publish class ranks, so ETH accepts your honest judgement.

Assess yourself accurately. If your university issues a rank or percentile, use it. If not, work from your CGPA against your department’s grading distribution, and ask your programme coordinator for a supporting statement where possible.

Overstating your standing helps nobody, the Admissions Committee reads your transcript alongside your claim.

⭐ ETH Bachelor’s Students — One Special Provision

Only ETH Bachelor students may start the ESOP with a leave of absence.

If you completed your Bachelor’s at ETH itself, you may begin ESOP after a leave of absence. Everyone else must start directly.

⭐ The Master’s Thesis Pre-Proposal — ESOP’s Distinctive Demand

This requirement separates ESOP from almost every other Master’s scholarship in this series.

In addition to the documents required for Master’s admission, you must submit a pre-proposal for your master’s thesis.

The pre-proposal for the master’s thesis must be developed by yourself and use established scientific citation practice.

You must outline the thesis you intend to write — before you have even started the Master’s.

What ETH Expects

How to Write One That Works

Identify a genuine research gap. Read recent papers from the ETH research groups in your target department. Name the problem precisely rather than describing a broad topic.

Connect it to ETH specifically. Reference the labs, professors and facilities that make this thesis possible at ETH rather than anywhere else. The Admissions Committee consists of academics in your own field, they recognise whether you have read their work.

Cite properly. ETH states this explicitly. Use consistent, standard academic referencing throughout.

Keep it your own work. ETH requires you to develop the pre-proposal yourself.

⚠️ Applying to multiple programmes multiplies the work. You can apply for multiple Master’s programmes, but each requires a separate application and pre-proposal. Two programmes means two complete, tailored pre-proposals, start in September, not November.

References

If your study programme does not ask for references, you must name two reference persons for your ESOP application.

If your study programme does not require references, you must name two (professors) as references for your ESOP application.

Contact your referees in September or October. A November deadline gives them almost no notice otherwise.

⚠️ Keep Your Phone Reachable in February

Please make sure to be reachable under the telephone number specified in your CV as the selection process might include a phone/VC interview in February. If your are not available during that time, please inform the study programme.

Shortlisted applicants may be invited for a phone or video interview (often in February). Be sure the phone number on your CV is current and you are reachable.

ETH may call you in February. Applicants who list an outdated number, or who travel without connectivity during that month, risk losing a shortlisted place.

Check the number on your CV before you submit. If February brings travel, exams or unreliable network access, tell the study programme in advance, ETH explicitly invites you to do so.

How ETH Selects

The applications are evaluated by the Admissions Committees of the respective Master’s programmes. The final decision for awarding scholarships in the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme rests with the Rector of ETH Zurich.

Your own department’s academics assess you first. That matters strategically: your pre-proposal should speak to the research interests of that specific department, not to ETH generally.

How Many Awards

For the start in the academic year 2027/28 there will be assigned approximately 60 ESOP scholarships.

The exact number of annual scholarships depends on the availability of funds.

Around 60 scholarships across all ETH Master’s programmes far more than Rhodes or Gates Cambridge, and competitive but not impossible for genuinely top-decile applicants.

Timeline for 2027 Entry

⚠️ Late or incomplete applications cannot be processed.

Note the Time Format

1–30 November 2026 at 11:59 AM CET.

Sources describe the cutoff as 11:59 CET. Treat it as a midday deadline rather than end of day, and submit at least two days early. Applicants in Pakistan, Nigeria and Kenya should convert the time zone carefully.

How to Apply

ESOP applications are supplied via eApply (online Master application). This also applies for ETH Bachelor students for a consecutive Master programme.

Step 1: Choose your eligible ETH Master’s programme. Check the entry requirements for that specific programme.

2: Draft your thesis pre-proposal. Begin in September. Read the department’s recent publications first.

3: Line up two referees if your programme does not already require references.

Step 4: Create your eApply account at ETH’s online application portal.

Step 5: Complete the Master’s application and tick the ESOP option within it.

6: Upload your pre-proposal, CV and supporting documents. Verify the phone number on your CV.

7: Submit before 30 November, 11:59 CET.

Step 8: Stay reachable through February for a possible interview.

Honest Cost Planning — Switzerland Is Expensive

Switzerland has among the highest living costs in Europe. Zurich ranks among the world’s most expensive cities.

With ESOP

ESOP largely covers Zurich. A frugal student can live on CHF 27,000 per year in Zurich, though comfortably rather than lavishly. Shared accommodation, student canteens and a transport pass make the difference.

⚠️ Swiss residence permits require proof of funds. Show your ESOP award letter alongside any additional savings.

Without ESOP

ETH tuition itself stays low by international standards around CHF 1,500 per year but Zurich living costs of CHF 22,000–28,000 make the city unaffordable for most self-funded students from South Asia and Africa. ESOP effectively decides whether ETH is possible for you.

The Second Option: ETH-D Scholarship

Two types of scholarships are offered: the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) and the ETH-D Scholarship.

ETH runs a second Master’s scholarship, the ETH-D Scholarship, alongside ESOP. Check ETH’s scholarship pages for its current criteria and value applicants who narrowly miss ESOP sometimes qualify there.

Who This Suits

✅ Strong fit if you:

• Genuinely rank in the top 10% of your Bachelor’s cohort
• Study science, engineering, mathematics, computing or a related field
• Can write a credible Master’s thesis pre-proposal with proper citations
• Can organize everything by 30 November
• Want one of continental Europe’s most generous Master’s packages

❌ Poor fit if you:

• Rank solidly but outside the top decile
• Already hold a Master’s degree
• Miss the November window, April does not carry ESOP
• Cannot produce an original, well-cited research pre-proposal
• Currently study a Master’s at ETH

Quick Reference

FAQ

How much does ESOP pay?

CHF 12,000 per semester, and from HS27 onwards CHF 13,500, plus a tuition fee waiver.

Does ETH waive tuition as well?

Yes. ESOP is awarded for the regular duration of the Master’s programme (three or four semesters). This also applies for the tuition fee waiver.

How many scholarships does ETH award?

Approximately 60 for the academic year 2027/28.

When can I apply?

1 November to 30 November 2026, 11:59 CET. This is the only window for ESOP applications submitted in the April 2027 window will not be considered.

What academic standard do I need?

Top 10% of your Bachelor’s degree programme (grade A), based on self-assessment.

Do I need a thesis proposal?

Yes. In addition to the documents required for Master’s admission, you must submit a pre-proposal for your master’s thesis.

Who decides?

The Admissions Committees of the respective Master’s programmes evaluate applications, and the final decision rests with the Rector of ETH Zurich.

When will I hear?

ETH communicates the decision at the end of March.

Will there be an interview?

The selection process might include a phone/VC interview in February. Keep the number on your CV current.

Free Application Tools

• Motivation Letter: Motivation Letter Generator
• SOP / Study Plan: SOP Generator
• CV: Free CV Builder
• Reference Letter: Reference Letter Generator
• MOI Certificate (if needed): MOI Generator
• Research Proposal (PhD): Research Proposal Generator