The Zurich University of the Arts (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, ZHdK) is a public arts university on the Toni-Areal campus in Zurich, formed on 1 August 2007.[1] ZHdK reports about 2,100 Bachelor and Master students (figure from a November 2022 press release).[2] Admission runs through a registration and a subject-specific aptitude test, not through grades alone.[3]
For students whose permanent residence is outside Switzerland, ZHdK’s fee guidelines of 19 December 2024 give CHF 1,287 per semester, and its February 2026 cost guide repeats that figure.[4][5] Students living in Switzerland pay CHF 787 per semester.[4] The language level required is generally B2 in German or English, depending on the programme; Bachelor Film needs C1 German.[6]
Key facts
| Official name | Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK); English: Zurich University of the Arts |
| Location | Zurich, Switzerland (Pfingstweidstrasse 96, CH-8005 Zurich); campus in the Toni-Areal since autumn 2014[7] |
| Type | Public arts university; its fees follow the Federal Universities of Applied Sciences Act, so it is part of the Swiss university-of-applied-sciences sector[4] |
| Founded | 1 August 2007, by merging the Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Zürich (HGKZ) and the Hochschule Musik, Theater und Tanz (HMT); the HGKZ goes back to the Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich of 1878[1] |
| Students | About 2,100 Bachelor and Master students and 650 lecturers (press release of 14 Nov 2022)[2] |
| Departments | Music; Performing Arts and Film; Design; Fine Arts; Cultural Analysis (Wikipedia list, may not match the current structure)[1] |
| Overall world ranking | Not confirmed. We found no QS World University Rankings 2027 position in the sources we read. |
| Semester fee, living in Switzerland | CHF 787: CHF 720 tuition + CHF 35 ASVZ sports + CHF 32 student association (optional)[4] |
| Semester fee, permanent residence abroad | CHF 1,287: CHF 787 + CHF 500 additional fee for international students[4] |
| Admission | Online registration (CHF 100) and a subject-specific aptitude test (CHF 200 examination fee for those invited to the second part)[3] |
| Language of instruction | German, English, or both, depending on the programme; level generally B2 (C1 German for Bachelor Film)[6] |
| Official website | zhdk.ch |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About the Zurich University of the Arts
ZHdK was created on 1 August 2007 from two predecessors: the Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Zürich (HGKZ) and the Hochschule Musik, Theater und Tanz (HMT).[1] Since autumn 2014 students and teachers have been based at the Toni-Areal in Zurich-West, a former dairy building, instead of dozens of separate sites.[1] The university is one of four universities in the Zürcher Fachhochschule.[1]
Wikipedia lists five departments: Music, Performing Arts and Film, Design, Fine Arts and Cultural Analysis.[1] ZHdK’s own pages we read refer to Bachelor and Master programmes in music, composition and sound design, among others.[3][8]
How is the Zurich University of the Arts ranked?
We could not confirm a position for ZHdK in the QS World University Rankings 2027 from the sources we read, and none of the ZHdK or Wikipedia pages we used gives a ranking. We therefore show no rank. The earlier table entry “Top in Art & Design” could not be traced to a source and is not repeated here.
Rankings differ by publisher and year, and arts schools are often compared by subject, not as a whole. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at ZHdK?
ZHdK offers Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in the arts. The programme pages we read show, for example, a Bachelor in Music with a composition-for-film-theatre-and-media route[3] and Master’s programmes in Composition and Theory and in Sound Design.[8] Wikipedia names the departments Music, Performing Arts and Film, Design, Fine Arts and Cultural Analysis.[1]
The main language of instruction depends on the programme and can be German, English, or both.[6] The Bachelor in Music page we read says the language of instruction there is German.[3] Check the study regulations of your programme for the current list of majors.
How much does ZHdK cost per semester?
| Item | Living in Switzerland | Permanent residence abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition per semester | CHF 720 | CHF 720 |
| ASVZ sports contribution | CHF 35 | CHF 35 |
| Student association (optional) | CHF 32 | CHF 32 |
| Additional fee for international students | none | CHF 500 |
| Total per semester | CHF 787 | CHF 1,287 |
These are the amounts in ZHdK’s fee guidelines dated 19 December 2024, which apply to the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes.[4] The fee page on the ZHdK website shows the same amounts and does not carry a date.[9] The cost guide of February 2026 says tuition currently amounts to CHF 1,287 per semester for students without a legal domicile in Switzerland.[5] The student association contribution is optional, so without it the total is CHF 755 (CHF 1,255 for students abroad); this is our arithmetic from the listed items.[9] With two semesters a year, the international total is CHF 2,574 a year, again our own calculation.
International students are those whose permanent place of residence is outside Switzerland. The guidelines state that foreign students who come to Switzerland to study and take up residence here do not establish a civil-law residence in Switzerland.[4]
Other fees
- Registration for the admission procedure: CHF 100; subject-specific aptitude test: CHF 200; the registration fee is not refunded if you withdraw.[4]
- Propaedeutic studies in art and design have their own, higher fees (CHF 4,500 per semester full-time, plus CHF 1,000 for non-cantonal and international students).[4]
- Study materials depend on the course.[9]
- Living costs: ZHdK’s February 2026 guide estimates monthly expenses of about CHF 2,125 to CHF 2,301 for studying and living in Switzerland, and notes that rents in Zurich are very high.[5]
For more on Swiss costs, see our Switzerland guide and the Study in Switzerland guide.
How do you apply to ZHdK?
Admission is selective and places are limited. The Bachelor process we read has these steps:[3]
- Register online with a SWITCH edu-ID and pay the registration fee; the registration cannot be changed afterwards.
- Upload the application documents (letter of motivation, portfolio or dossier, identity document, CV, language proof). Use of AI must be declared.
- A jury reviews the documents and decides who is invited to the aptitude test.
- The aptitude test, with parts that depend on the programme.
The Master’s process we read (Composition and Theory, Sound Design) works the same way: a jury checks your documents, decides on the aptitude test, and only a few places are available. Applicants who pass the test but receive no place must repeat it when they reapply.[8]
The exact documents and tests differ by programme, so use the page of the programme you want. We give no deadlines here because they change each year and differ by programme. For insurance and the rules on part-time work (the cost guide says foreign students may work at most 15 hours a week, depending on their country of origin), see ZHdK’s student advice service.[5]
Which language level do you need?
The main language of instruction varies by programme: German, English, or both. The required level is generally B2 on the CEFR scale (the European scale from A1 to C2; B2 is upper-intermediate). The exception is Bachelor Film, which requires C1 German.[6]
Accepted proof is native-speaker status, German or English as a school subject on your transcript, or a recognised language certificate; certificates should not be older than five years.[6] The Bachelor in Music page we read teaches in German and does not state the level itself but refers to the programme’s study regulations.[3] The Master’s programme we read teaches in German or English.[8]
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are tuition fees at ZHdK for international students?
CHF 1,287 per semester for students whose permanent residence is outside Switzerland: CHF 720 tuition, CHF 35 sports, CHF 32 optional student association and CHF 500 additional fee.[4] That is CHF 2,574 for two semesters (our calculation).
Do I need to speak German to study at ZHdK?
It depends on the programme: instruction is in German, English or both. The required level is generally B2; Bachelor Film requires C1 German.[6]
How does admission to ZHdK work?
Is ZHdK a university or a university of applied sciences?
How is ZHdK ranked?
We could not confirm a QS World University Rankings 2027 position for ZHdK from the sources we read, so we show none.
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)
- University of Zurich
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)
Sources
[1] Wikipedia: Zurich University of the Arts (history, merger, campus and departments; student counts in the article differ (2,154 and about 2,500))
[2] idw (ZHdK press release): ZHdK information days (press release of 14 Nov 2022, so the student figure may be out of date)
[3] ZHdK: Registration and admission process, Bachelor (Music, Composition for Film, Theatre and Media) (page without a date)
[4] ZHdK: Tuition Fees at ZHdK, guidelines (fact sheet, English) (guidelines of 19 Dec 2024; the English text is not legally binding)
[5] ZHdK Student Advice Service: The Costs of Studying and Living in Switzerland (document dated February 2026)
[6] ZHdK: Languages (page without a date)
[7] ZHdK: Contact (page without a date; postal address)
[8] ZHdK: Registration and admission process, Master (Composition and Theory, Sound Design) (page without a date)
[9] ZHdK: Tuition fees (page without a date)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.