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By Olami, AbroadPilot · Reviewed September 2026
ETH Zurich — one of the world’s top science and technology universities — funds outstanding international master’s students through its Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP). ESOP is fully funded by the ETH Foundation and combines money with mentorship and access to ETH’s network. Around 60 ESOP scholarships are awarded each year across all eligible master’s programmes.
What ESOP covers
- A living & study grant of CHF 12,000 per semester
- A full tuition-fee waiver
- Mentorship and ETH Foundation network access
- Awarded for the regular duration of the master’s (3 or 4 semesters)
Who is eligible?
- Open to all nationalities (national and international students from any university).
- A very good bachelor’s result — top ~10% / grade A equivalent (self-assessed at application).
- You must be applying for an eligible ETH master’s programme (MAS programmes are excluded).
- Not already enrolled in an ETH master’s and not already holding a master’s degree.
- Be reachable by phone for a possible February interview.
Documents you’ll need
- The full ETH master’s admission application (via eApply)
- A self-developed pre-proposal for your master’s thesis, with proper scientific citations (a distinctive ESOP requirement)
- Academic transcripts and bachelor’s results
- CV with a reachable phone number
- Two reference letters from professors (if your programme doesn’t already require references, you must name two referees who will upload letters)
- English-language proof as required by your programme
How to apply: step by step
- Choose an eligible ETH master’s programme. If applying to more than one, submit a separate application for each.
- Apply via eApply in the first application window. ESOP is integrated into the master’s application — there’s no separate portal. The window is 1–30 November (e.g. 1–30 Nov 2026, 11:59 MEZ for a Master’s start in autumn 2027).
- Upload the thesis pre-proposal and ensure your referees submit their letters after the system emails them.
- Interview: shortlisted candidates may have a phone/video interview around February.
- Decision: awards are decided by the admissions committees and the Rector, and communicated by the end of March.
How competitive is it?
Very competitive — ESOP is a flagship merit award with only about 60 scholarships a year across all programmes, and the top-10% bachelor’s threshold sets a high bar before the committees even compare candidates. The master’s-thesis pre-proposal is where strong applicants stand out: a focused, well-cited research idea that fits an ETH group signals genuine research potential.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a separate ESOP application form?
No. ESOP is applied for through ETH’s standard master’s application (eApply) during the first application window — you tick the scholarship option and add the extra ESOP documents.
What bachelor’s grade do I need?
A “very good” result — roughly the top 10% of your bachelor’s cohort, equivalent to a grade A.
Does ESOP fund PhD or undergraduate study?
No. ESOP supports master’s study only; it doesn’t fund bachelor’s or doctoral degrees.
Apply / verify on the official site: ETH Zurich ESOP (ethz.ch). The application window and award numbers change each year — always confirm on the official page.
Free tools for this
- Scholarship Odds Estimator — real award-to-applicant ratios where funders publish them
- Scholarship Eligibility Checker — which of our tracked scholarships you can actually apply for
- Scholarship Deadlines Calendar — never shows a deadline that already passed
- How to Verify a Scholarship Is Real — the red flags that separate real funders from scams
Explore more on our Scholarships hub.
Olami is the founder and lead writer at AbroadPilot. He started the site after going through the visa process himself — a German student visa in 2019 and a Canadian work permit in 2023 — and learning first-hand how confusing official immigration language can be, how often rules change, and how easy it is to lose money to bad advice. He spent three years as an international education and travel consultant, helping people source and verify the information that landed their visas and planned their trips. Every guide on AbroadPilot is built from official sources — embassy pages, government immigration portals, and .gov fee schedules — and reviewed as requirements change. AbroadPilot does not sell visas or applications; it is a free resource to help readers apply with confidence.
