ETH Zurich Excellence Masters Scholarships (ESOP)

ETH Zurich offers the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) to strong students who want to complete a Master's degree at the university. The award combines a scholarship, mentorship and access to the ETH Foundation network. It is aimed at candidates with outstanding academic records, whether they come from ETH Zurich or another university.

• Host: ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• Level: Master's degree
• Study destination: Switzerland
• Deadline: 30 November 2026
• Applications open: 1 November 2026
• Open to: national and international students
• What is covered: living and study expenses of CHF 12,000 per semester, plus a tuition fee waiver

ETH Zurich in Switzerland

Eligible Master's degree programmes offered by the University

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

National and International Students

The Excellence Scholarship (ESOP) is made up of a grant that covers living and study expenses, paid at CHF 12,000 per semester, together with a tuition fee waiver.

The award runs for the regular duration of the Master's programme, which is three or four semesters. The tuition fee waiver follows the same duration.

The scholarship programmes are open to excellent students both from the ETH and from other universities (national and international) wishing to pursue their Master's degree at ETH Zurich.

You must have very good result in their Bachelor's (top 10% of Bachelor's programme = grade A). You also need to 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.

Applications open 1 November 2026.

To be considered for the scholarship, you must apply for a Master's degree programme at ETH Zurich online via eApply. In addition to the documents for the Master admission you will need to upload a pre-proposal for your master thesis. The scholarship application form and supporting documents must be submitted online before 30 November 2026.

It is important to visit the official website (link found below) to access the online application system and for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

This award suits students who finished their Bachelor's near the top of their class and now want to take a Master's degree at ETH Zurich. Both ETH graduates and students from other universities, in Switzerland or abroad, can apply.

You need a Bachelor's result in the top 10% of your programme, equal to grade A, and a phone number in your CV that you can be reached on, since a phone or video interview may be part of the selection process in February.

• Who can apply for the ESOP? Excellent national and international students who want to pursue a Master's degree at ETH Zurich, whether they come from ETH or another university.
• What does the scholarship cover? Living and study expenses of CHF 12,000 per semester, plus a tuition fee waiver.
• How long does the award last? For the regular duration of the Master's programme, three or four semesters, and the tuition fee waiver lasts the same time.
• When is the deadline? Applications open 1 November 2026 and the scholarship application form and supporting documents must be submitted online before 30 November 2026.
• How do I apply? Apply for a Master's degree programme at ETH Zurich online via eApply, and upload a pre-proposal for your master thesis along with the Master admission documents.

• Read the official scholarship guidelines before you start, so you know exactly which documents are required.
• Prepare your Master admission documents and your pre-proposal early, since both go into the same online submission.
• Check whether your programme has language or other admission requirements and meet them before the deadline.
• Keep the phone number in your CV current in case the selection process includes an interview.
• Submit well before the closing date so you have time to fix any missing item.