ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship (ESOP)
Offered by ETH Zurich (with the ETH Foundation)
About this scholarship
The Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) is ETH Zurich's flagship merit scholarship for outstanding students entering a master's degree at the university — one of the world's leading institutions for science, engineering, and technology. Beyond money, ESOP offers mentorship and access to the network of the ETH Foundation. Financially, it covers living and study costs with a scholarship of CHF 12,000 per semester plus a full tuition-fee waiver, for the regular duration of the master's programme (three or four semesters). ESOP is highly selective: eligibility requires very strong bachelor's results — broadly the top 10% of your bachelor's cohort (grade A, self-assessed at application). The scholarship application is integrated with admission via ETH's eApply system: you apply for both the master's programme and ESOP together, and if your programme does not already require references, you must name two professors who will upload reference letters. The application window is around 1–30 November for a start the following autumn, with decisions communicated at the end of March.
Eligibility
- Have very strong bachelor's results (broadly the top 10% / grade A)
- Apply for admission to an ETH Zurich master's programme
- Submit the ESOP application via eApply alongside your master's application
- Provide two academic (professor) references if your programme doesn't already require them
- Be a new master's student (not already enrolled at ETH)
Always verify amounts and deadlines on the official site; they change each cycle.
Last verified by us: 2026-06-01.