The University of Zurich (UZH) is a public research university and, by its own description, Switzerland’s largest university.[1][2] At the start of the 2026 fall semester 29,037 students were enrolled (provisional figure), 19.6 percent of them from abroad.[3]
Tuition is CHF 720 per semester. Foreign students who did not live in Switzerland or Liechtenstein when they gained their entrance qualification pay a surcharge of CHF 500 per semester in Bachelor’s programmes and CHF 100 in Master’s, doctoral and teaching programmes, which makes CHF 1,220 and CHF 820.[4][5] Bachelor’s programmes are taught in German and need level C1.[6] We could not confirm a QS 2027 position; UZH’s own page lists 100th for QS 2026.[7]
Key facts
| Official name | Universität Zürich (UZH)[2] |
| Location | Zurich, Switzerland (main address Rämistrasse 71, 8006 Zurich) |
| Type | Public research university[2] |
| Founded | 29 April 1833; the first university in Europe founded by a democratic state rather than a monarch or the Church[1] |
| Students, fall 2026 (provisional) | 29,037, of whom 59.3 percent women and 19.6 percent from abroad; 5,129 newly matriculated[3] |
| Students, 2025 | 28,785 at Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD levels[3] |
| Faculties | Seven faculties and over 150 departments and institutes[8] |
| Study offer | More than 60 Bachelor’s programmes; over 100 major subjects across Bachelor’s and Master’s[9] |
| Nobel Prizes | Twelve Nobel Prize winners have taught and conducted research at UZH[10] |
| QS World University Rankings | 100th in QS 2026 (UZH’s own page); QS 2027 position could not be confirmed[7] |
| Languages of teaching | German in all Bachelor’s programmes; most Master’s programmes in German or English[9] |
| Tuition per semester | CHF 720; plus CHF 500 (Bachelor’s) or CHF 100 (Master’s, PhD, teaching) for foreign students; PhD students CHF 150[4] |
| Mandatory semester contributions | CHF 59 per semester[4] |
| Official website | uzh.ch |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About the University of Zurich
UZH celebrates its founding on 29 April 1833. It was the first university in Europe founded by a democratic state, not by a monarch or the Church.[1] It has seven faculties: Theology and the Study of Religion; Law; Business, Economics and Informatics; Medicine; Veterinary Medicine (Vetsuisse); Arts and Social Sciences; and Science.[8]
UZH names law, human medicine and psychology as the fields with the most students.[3] Twelve Nobel Prize winners have taught and conducted research there.[10]
How is the University of Zurich ranked?
UZH’s own rankings page lists these QS World University Rankings positions: 91st (2024 edition), 109th (2025) and 100th (2026).[7] We could not confirm UZH’s position in the QS 2027 edition from a source we read, because topuniversities.com blocks automated access and the QS table we read does not reach UZH.
UZH’s rankings page carries a note on the university’s withdrawal from the Times Higher Education ranking;[7] Wikipedia dates the announcement to 2024.[2] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at the University of Zurich?
UZH offers more than 60 study programmes for undergraduates, from astrophysics and business administration to social anthropology and theology. Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes together cover over 100 major subjects, and the university describes this as the largest and most comprehensive offer in Switzerland.[9] Within a degree programme you study either one subject (single major) or combine a major and a minor.[6]
Subjects sit in seven faculties: Theology and the Study of Religion, Law, Business, Economics and Informatics, Medicine, Vetsuisse, Arts and Social Sciences, and Science.[8] Medicine and the Vetsuisse Faculty have restricted places.[6] PhD studies are organised in doctoral programmes and a central Graduate Campus.[9]
How much does the University of Zurich cost?
| Level | Standard per semester | With foreign-student surcharge per semester |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s | CHF 720 | CHF 1,220 (720 + 500) |
| Master’s and teaching programmes | CHF 720 | CHF 820 (720 + 100) |
| PhD | CHF 150 | CHF 250 (150 + 100) |
The base tuition and the surcharges come from the UZH fees page; the sums in the last column are ours.[4] The fees page carries no date and a footer year of 2023.[4]
Who pays the surcharge?
The fees page does not define “foreign students”. The cantonal ordinance on additional fees (dated 1 February 2012, in force 1 May 2012) says foreign students pay the additional fee if they did not have their legal residence in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein when they gained their university entry qualification. The university’s Executive Board can waive part or all of it in special cases.[5] The ordinance text is an English translation for information only; only the German original is binding.[5]
Other costs
- Mandatory semester contributions: CHF 59 (scholarship fund 6.50, libraries and collections 15, Academic Sports Association 35, student concerns 2.50).[4]
- Voluntary contributions: CHF 7 (loan association foundation), CHF 5 (solidarity fund for foreign students) and CHF 14 (student association VSUZH).[4]
- Application fee: CHF 100, or CHF 150 for Bachelor’s and Master’s applicants with foreign qualifications (from 1 January 2025). It is not refunded.[4]
For rent and living costs, see our Switzerland guide and the Study in Switzerland guide.
How do you apply to the University of Zurich?
- Bachelor’s with a non-Swiss certificate: the certificate must correspond to a Swiss maturity certificate in aim, content and duration; for example at least 90 percent of upper secondary education must be general education, with six separate subject areas taken continuously in the last three school years. A minimum overall grade can apply. A certificate from a country that has not signed the Lisbon Recognition Convention normally also requires the Complementary Examination of the Swiss universities (ECUS), held once a year in August, so those applications are possible for the fall semester only. Country-specific rules are on the swissuniversities website.[6] Some programmes, such as Business and Economics and Informatics, cannot be started in the spring semester.[6]
- Master’s: you need a Bachelor’s degree of at least three years (180 ECTS credits) from a state-accredited university that entitles you to a consecutive Master’s programme there, plus the academic requirements of the programme. Missing knowledge can lead to conditions or additional requirements of up to 60 ECTS credits. Checking a complete application takes up to three months.[11]
- Doctorate: UZH has a separate admission and application section for PhD candidates; see its doctoral programmes pages.[9]
We give no deadlines here because they change every year. UZH does not assess qualifications in advance by phone or e-mail without a complete application.[11]
Which language level do you need?
Foreign-language applicants (those whose first language differs from the main language of instruction) must prove level C1 or higher on the CEFR scale (the European scale from A1 to C2; C1 is advanced) in that language. For Bachelor’s programmes that language is German.[12] Exempt are, among others, holders of a Swiss maturity certificate, a UZH Bachelor’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree completed entirely in the language of instruction in a region where it is the official language, and applicants who spent the last three years of upper secondary school in that language.[12]
Recognised German certificates include Goethe-Zertifikat C1 and C2, DSH2 and DSH3, DSD II, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule, TestDaF (average TDN 4, at least TDN 3 in every part) and ÖSD C1 or C2.[12] Most Master’s programmes are taught in German or English. For English the page lists IELTS Academic (score 7, at least 6.5 in Speaking and Writing, not older than two years), TOEFL iBT (from tests after 21 January 2026: 5 on the new 1-6 scale, at least 5 in Speaking and Writing; before that date: 100, with 25 in Speaking and 26 in Writing) and Cambridge C1 Advanced (grade B) or C2 Proficiency.[12]
Applicants who need a visa must hand in the certificate by the deadline for visa applicants; others can submit it after admission, up to one week before teaching starts.[12]
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the University of Zurich cost for international students?
Tuition is CHF 720 per semester. Foreign students pay a surcharge of CHF 500 (Bachelor’s) or CHF 100 (Master’s, PhD, teaching), so CHF 1,220 or CHF 820 per semester, plus CHF 59 in mandatory contributions.[4] The surcharge applies if you did not live in Switzerland or Liechtenstein when you gained your entry qualification.[5]
Do I need German to study at the University of Zurich?
How is the University of Zurich ranked?
UZH’s own page lists 100th in the QS World University Rankings 2026; we could not confirm a QS 2027 position.[7]
Is the University of Zurich the same as ETH Zurich?
No. They are separate universities in Zurich with separate admission and fees. ETH Zurich is a federal institute of technology; the University of Zurich is a comprehensive university with seven faculties.[8]
Can I start a Bachelor’s degree in the spring semester?
Only in some programmes. Business and Economics and Informatics cannot be started in spring, and many other programmes allow it only to a limited extent; all Bachelor’s programmes can start in the fall semester.[6]
More about studying in Switzerland
- Switzerland: best universities
- Study in Switzerland: complete guide
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Switzerland
- Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH)
- EPFL
- ETH Zurich
- FHNW
- Franklin Switzerland
- Geneva Graduate Institute
- HES-SO
- IMD Business School
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)
- University of Basel
- University of Bern
- University of Fribourg
- University of Geneva
- University of Lausanne
- University of Lucerne
- University of Neuchâtel
- University of St.Gallen (HSG)
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)
- Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK)
Sources
[1] University of Zurich: Profile (page without a date; “193 Years of UZH” item refers to 2026)
[2] Wikipedia: University of Zurich (name and type)
[3] University of Zurich: Figures (page without a date; provisional 2026 figures as of 14 Sep 2026)
[4] University of Zurich: Fees and Contributions (page without a date; footer © 2023)
[5] University of Zurich: Ordinance Governing Additional Fees for Foreign Students at UZH (English translation) (dated 1 Feb 2012, in force 1 May 2012; translation without legal force)
[6] University of Zurich: Admission to a Bachelor’s Program (page without a date)
[7] University of Zurich: UZH in International Rankings (page without a date; QS table covers the 2024 to 2026 editions)
[8] University of Zurich: Faculties and Institutes (page without a date)
[9] University of Zurich: Study at UZH (international students and scholars) (page without a date)
[10] University of Zurich: Excellence (page without a date)
[11] University of Zurich: Admission to the Master’s Program (page without a date)
[12] University of Zurich: Language Requirements (page without a date; includes TOEFL scale change of 21 Jan 2026)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.