What ETH Zurich Excellence Masters Scholarship Programme 2027/2028 actually covers.
The ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship and Opportunity Programme funds outstanding master's candidates at one of continental Europe's strongest science and technology universities, and it is open to African applicants without any country restriction. ETH's tuition is comparatively low by international standards, but Zurich's cost of living is among the highest in the world, which is precisely the gap this award is designed to close.
The financial package is unusually clear. Scholars receive a grant of CHF 12,000 per semester towards living and study expenses, plus a full tuition fee waiver, for the regular duration of the master's programme, which is three or four semesters depending on the degree. Over a two-year programme that amounts to a substantial sum, and unlike many European awards it is stated as a per-semester figure rather than an unspecified contribution, so applicants can budget against it accurately.
The eligibility standard is the main filter. ETH asks for a very good bachelor's result, which it defines concretely as the top 10 percent of the bachelor's programme, equivalent to a grade A. There is no development-status criterion, no age limit and no financial need test; this is a pure academic-merit scheme, and applicants whose transcripts do not clearly place them in the top decile are unlikely to progress regardless of other strengths.
All eligible master's programmes at ETH qualify, which covers the full breadth of the university's engineering, natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, architecture and systems subjects.
Applications go through the ETH eApply portal together with the master's admission application, and the scholarship is assessed after admission, so candidates must independently satisfy ETH's ordinary entry requirements. One practical detail African applicants should not overlook: shortlisted candidates are interviewed by telephone in February, and the university states that applicants must be reachable by phone. A reliable international number should be supplied with the application, and candidates should watch for calls in that window. The deadline is 30 November 2026.
Who can apply.
Open to masters applicants seeking to study in Switzerland.
Open to applicants from across the African continent. Confirm specific nationality eligibility on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
From here to submitted.
Scholar Africa helps you discover, shortlist, and track. The application itself is submitted on the provider's site.
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Save itAdd this to your shortlist so we can recommend similar scholarships and remind you of the deadline.
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Prepare your documentsMost providers ask for the same set - transcripts, references, a personal statement, ID. Use the checklist below to track progress across all your applications.
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Apply on the provider's siteSubmit on the provider's site before November 30, 2026 · 81 days left.
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Track the outcomeAdd to your tracker so you can update the status as the provider responds (shortlisted, interview, decision).
Document checklist
Checks are local to this device - they're not stored. Always confirm exact requirements on the provider's official application page.
What we checked, when we checked it.
Scholar Africa runs a link-liveness check on every listing before it goes live and an admin manually reviews every scholarship submitted by providers. ETH Zurich Excellence Masters Scholarship Programme 2027/2028 has been reviewed and verified by our team. Five deeper checks (contact, organisation, winners, third-party, formal audit) are on the roadmap.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.