4 best universities in Zürich 2026

Quality of education

Zurich universities consistently occupy the first lines in international rankings: for example, the QS World University Rankings 2024 gives the Zurich University of Technology 18th, and its humanities counterpart 71st in the world ranking. In terms of profile rankings, the positions are even higher: for example, in the field of economics and business, the University of Zurich is in the top 30, while the Zurich Institute of Technology ranks 6th in the world in engineering sciences and 29th in technology. In the Times Higher Education, the University of Zurich ranks 91-100, especially the strong positions of the field of social sciences, medicine, as well as applied sciences such as biotechnology. Shanghai ARWU ranks it among the world's top tier 101-150 universities, also noting achievements in the field of medicine and humanities. The Zurich University of Technology ranks 9th and 20th in THE and ARWU, respectively; The compilers of both rankings note his exceptional results in the field of mathematics, engineering sciences and physics.

Research & Innovation

Zurich is known for innovation, scientific advancements, and technical breakthroughs. Local universities are actively involved in international projects and annually allocate billions of dollars in research in various fields, so higher education in Zurich opens up the opportunity for students to work on cutting-edge research (especially in areas such as physics, biotechnology, AI and sustainable development).

Career

Zurich is not only the academic, but also the financial and technological center of the country, so graduates have exceptional career opportunities: the offices of major international banks and financial and industrial groups, pharmaceutical and technology giants such as UBS, Credit Suisse and Novartis are located here. And, of course, city universities are closely related to business, so there will definitely be no problems with internships and jobs after graduation!

Multilingual and international environment

At least four languages are spoken in Switzerland: German, English, French and Italian. The international environment promotes the exchange of knowledge and experience among students from different countries and cultures. At the same time, up to a quarter of bachelor's programs and over 50% of master's programs are English-speaking, English, along with German, serves as the basic language of higher education here, which attracts students from all over the world.

Quality of life

Switzerland (and Zurich in particular) is known for its high standard of living, safety and clean environment. High-quality living conditions, sports facilities and cultural infrastructure within walking distance, a unique landscape, climate and nature - all this is of great importance for students who strive for harmony between study and personal life.

International Opportunities

Zurich is an international hub where significant international events, conferences and exhibitions are held. This gives students the opportunity to participate in international projects, establish connections and exchange experiences with experts from other countries.

Support for startups and innovations

Zurich actively supports startups and innovative projects. Higher education in Zurich, especially at ETH Zurich, is closely linked to the real economy: universities serve as hubs for the development of startups, and many startup incubators and accelerators are registered in the city, which creates opportunities for entrepreneurship and further business development.

Both universities are well-equipped, with laboratories providing access to the latest equipment, and ETH Zurich also has its own powerful supercomputer, allowing students and researchers to do time-consuming calculations and experiment without regard to resource constraints.

The University of Zurich includes 7 faculties, over one and a half hundred departments, centers, institutes and departments; More than two hundred programs of various levels are available to students here - from bachelor's to doctoral studies. More than 80% of bachelor's programs are German-language, but master's and doctoral programs are more often English-language or bilingual. About 30% of programs are related to the humanities, another 11% are related to natural sciences, and 4-5% each are in economics and business, law, medicine, information technology, and mass communications.

ETH Zurich offers more than 400 study programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. The training covers a wide range of areas, including architecture, engineering, science, mathematics, computer science and technology management. And again: the lion's share of bachelor's programs are in German, but English dominates at the next levels.

Structurally, the polytechnic university includes 16 departments and several dozen research centers, including such well-known ones as the Swiss Data Science Center, Energy Science Center, Robotics Systems Lab, AI Center ETH Zurich, and Quantum Center ETH Zurich.

The University of Zurich has several libraries containing literature on various disciplines published in Europe since the mid-17th century, and the ETH library is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest in the field of engineering and technical sciences. In addition, both universities provide access to countless electronic resources, from libraries and databases to online courses and specialized software designed to make a student's life easier.

Of course, universities have plenty of sports facilities (the University of Zurich has its own stadium and swimming pool), and there are clubs and venues to suit all tastes.

The University of Zurich and ETH Zurich offer their students dormitories or the possibility of renting rooms and apartments in residential complexes. However, if you are not entitled to a place in the residence, it is better to look for an apartment in advance: the demand for rent in the city is very high, so it is not easy to find affordable housing closer to the beginning of the school year.

The cost of studying at universities in Zurich depends on many factors - the program, the academic level, and even the citizenship and tax residency status of applicants are important.

For example, the cost of bachelor's programs for Swiss and EU citizens differs by more than three times: if a year of study for locals will cost 1500-2500  CHF per year, then foreigners, including Russians, need to mentally prepare for the fact that the tuition fee will be from 4 to 8 thousand CHF. The same applies to master's programs: from 4 to 8 thousand CHF at the University of Zurich and from 3 to 6 thousand CHF in ETH). But doctoral studies for everyone cost about the same, 1-1.5 thousand CHF annually; Many doctoral students receive scholarships or work as research assistants.

The cost of higher education in Zurich is not limited to this - students need something to eat (meals will cost 800-1500 CHF per month), use public transport (up to 200 CHF with a travel card), pay mandatory fees at the university, buy educational literature and stationery (from 300 to 1000 CHF annually). Finally, it is necessary to rent a house, and rent in the largest city of Switzerland is expensive: a modest apartment for a student will cost 800-2500 CHF per month (plus utility bills).