Scholarships in Switzerland

Scholarships

General situation in terms of scholarships

Switzerland offers scholarships from the federal government, the universities and a large number of private foundations, but there are fewer of them than the country’s reputation might suggest, and competition is strong. Most students who grew up in Switzerland rely on cantonal study grants, which are generally not open to people who come to Switzerland only to study. International students therefore mainly look to the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships, the merit scholarships of individual universities and private foundations. Because living costs are high, it is worth checking early what a scholarship actually covers. More background on fees, living costs and other sources of money is in our guide to financing your studies in Switzerland. Amounts are converted at CHF 1 = around EUR 1.07 (October 2026).

Type of scholarships and granting institution

The most important federal programme is the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships, awarded by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS). They are aimed at researchers and artists from 183 countries and come in three types: research fellowships of 6 to 12 months, PhD scholarships of 12 months that can be extended to 36, and art scholarships for a Master of Arts, which are open to applicants from only some countries. Since 1 January 2026 the scholarship pays CHF 2,450 (around EUR 2,630) per month, up from CHF 1,920, which had applied since 2006. From 2027/28 there are no more postdoctoral scholarships, and from 1 January 2028 PhD scholarships can run for up to four years.

Universities are the second big source. ETH Zurich, EPFL, the University of Lausanne, the University of Geneva and the Geneva Graduate Institute all have their own scholarships for master’s students, usually based on academic excellence. Not every university offers them: the University of Zurich has no support for international master’s students who do not hold a Swiss bachelor’s degree, and the University of Bern does not award scholarships itself.

The third source is private foundations. At the end of 2025 there were 13,782 charitable foundations in Switzerland, and many support education. The Swiss Study Foundation (Schweizerische Studienstiftung) supports especially talented students, mostly through mentoring and programmes rather than money. It expects an average grade of at least 5.3 on the Swiss scale of 1 to 6, an age of no more than 28 and knowledge of two national languages. The Ernst Göhner scholarships, part of the Swiss Study Foundation, pay CHF 1,650 (around EUR 1,535) per month for up to six semesters for future teachers. They also include an arts variant, which pays CHF 1,200 (around EUR 1,115) per month. Some foundations fund only specific situations: the Heyning-Roelli Foundation, for example, supports exchange semesters only. The foundation directory spheriq.ch (formerly StiftungSchweiz) helps you search.

Availability and conditions for getting a scholarship

Swiss scholarships are highly selective. The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships can fund 200 to 250 scholars per year in total, counting new and continuing awards. To apply you must be born after 31 December 1991, have completed a master’s degree by 31 July 2027 (30 June 2027 for ETH Zurich) and have a letter from a professor at a Swiss university who agrees to supervise you. You apply through the GO ESKAS portal or the Swiss embassy in your country.

There is no application fee for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships. These scholarships are only offered through the official Swiss diplomatic missions in your country. The Swiss authorities warn against fake scholarship offers sent by E-Mail or over social media, which try to get victims to transfer money for supposed visa or insurance costs. Do not reply to such E-Mails and never pay anyone who asks, in the name of the FCS, for processing, visa or insurance fees.

The call for 2027/28 opened on 20 August 2026, and each country has its own deadline between 6 October and 30 November 2026. The deadline for the USA (6 October) has passed. The remaining deadlines include Brazil on 27 October, India and Germany on 10 November, the United Kingdom on 13 November, Australia and Nigeria on 27 November, and China, Japan, Kenya and Mexico on 30 November 2026. There is no offer for 10 countries, including Canada. Decisions are made by the end of May at the latest. Check the deadline for your country on the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation website.

University scholarships usually require excellent grades, and you often apply together with your admission application, about a year before you start. Some are restricted by nationality or residence. The University of St. Gallen’s Best Talents scholarships, for example, are only open to EU/EFTA citizens or holders of a C permit.

Local scholarships for foreign students

Several universities have merit scholarships that are open to international master’s students:

• ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP): CHF 12,000 (around EUR 12,890) per semester, rising to CHF 13,500 (around EUR 14,500) from autumn 2027, plus a tuition fee waiver for the regular length of the programme. Around 60 are awarded for 2027/28. Applications run from 1 to 30 November 2026 through eApply.
• EPFL Excellence Fellowships: CHF 10,000 (around EUR 10,740) per semester for up to four semesters. You apply with your master’s application, which must be paid and validated by 15 December 2026 for entry in 2027.
• University of Lausanne Master’s Grants: CHF 1,600 (around EUR 1,720) per month for the minimum length of the programme, plus a tuition fee waiver (a semester fee of CHF 80 remains). Around 10 are awarded per year. The application fee is CHF 200 and the deadline is 1 November 2026, with results in early April.
• University of Geneva Excellence Master Fellowships: CHF 10,000 to 15,000 (around EUR 10,740 to 16,110) per year, for the Faculty of Science only. The 2027 deadline has not been published yet; the last one was 28 February 2026.
• Geneva Graduate Institute: the application deadline for master’s and PhD programmes is 14 January 2027, and it is also the only round for financial support. 10 to 15 % of admitted master’s students receive help.

Typical scholarships in Switzerland

Beyond the large university programmes, many scholarships are tied to a single degree. The Biozentrum of the University of Basel, for example, offers CHF 25,000 (around EUR 26,850) over three semesters for its MSc in Physics of Life. The University of Fribourg awards an LL.M. Excellence Scholarship of CHF 8,500 (around EUR 9,130), or CHF 13,150 for the dual LL.M., against tuition fees of CHF 16,500. Scholarships like these rarely cover the full cost of living in Switzerland. Even the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships do not cover tuition fees, which remain at CHF 600 to 2,000 per semester. They do, however, add health insurance for scholars from outside the EU/EFTA, a one-off CHF 600 towards a rent deposit, a half-fare travelcard and, for scholars from outside the EU/EFTA, the return flight. If you plan to study in Switzerland, it is therefore usual to combine a scholarship with savings, family support or part-time work.