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Tuition fees at Swiss public universities are modest compared with many other countries, but living costs are high, so most Swiss scholarships help with living costs as well as fees. Below, scholars4dev.com lists the top 10+ scholarships in Switzerland for international students, from the Swiss government, universities and a business school. Each one covers at least half of the tuition or living costs, and several are fully funded.

Swiss Government Scholarships »

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are mainly for talented early-career researchers from 183 countries who have completed a Master’s degree, for a one-year research stay during their doctorate or a PhD in Switzerland of up to 36 months; art scholarships for a first Master’s are offered to applicants from selected countries. Since 2026 they pay CHF 2,450 a month, plus health insurance for non-EU/EFTA scholars, a CHF 600 housing grant, a Half-Fare Travelcard and a return flight allowance, but not tuition or semester fees. Applicants need a supervisor in Switzerland and apply through the Swiss embassy in their country, with deadlines around September to December depending on the country. The scholarships cover research in all academic fields at Swiss universities, universities of applied sciences, the federal institutes of technology and research institutes, plus Master’s study in music and the arts.

Swiss University Scholarships »

ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (Zurich)
ETH Zurich’s Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) supports outstanding students from Switzerland and abroad who rank in the top 10% of their bachelor’s programme. It covers full study and living costs with a grant of CHF 12,000 per semester (CHF 13,500 from autumn 2027) plus a tuition fee waiver, and about 60 scholarships are planned for 2027/28. Applications run from 1 to 30 November 2026 for Master’s programmes starting in autumn 2027. The scholarships cover Master’s programmes across ETH’s fields: architecture and civil engineering, engineering sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, environmental and earth sciences, and management and social sciences.

See also the ETH4D Doctoral Scholarships for researchers from low- and lower-middle-income countries, worth CHF 200,000 towards a four-year PhD at ETH Zurich

EPFL Master Excellence Fellowships (Lausanne)
EPFL offers a limited number of Master Excellence Fellowships to the most deserving students starting a Master’s programme, chosen on academic excellence, qualifications and motivation. Each fellowship pays CHF 10,000 per semester for up to four semesters, and external candidates also get a reserved room in a student residence; tuition and rent are not included. You apply with your EPFL Master’s application, for one programme a year, and only applications paid for and validated by 15 December 2026 are considered for the fellowship; students who already hold a Master’s degree or are enrolled in an EPFL Master’s are not eligible. The fellowships cover EPFL’s Master’s programmes in engineering, computer and communication sciences, the basic sciences, life sciences, architecture, civil and environmental engineering, and management of technology.

University of Lausanne Master’s Grants (Lausanne)
The University of Lausanne (UNIL) gives around ten Master’s grants a year to students who graduated from a foreign university with excellent results. Each grant pays CHF 1,600 a month for the minimum length of the Master’s programme, and recipients do not pay the course registration fees, only a small semester fee. One application covers both admission and the grant, and the deadline for 2027/28 was 1 November 2026. The scholarships cover most UNIL Master’s programmes, in fields such as law, economics and business, social and political sciences, the humanities, biology, and geosciences and the environment, but not the Master’s programmes of the School of Medicine.

University of Geneva Excellence Master Fellowships (Geneva)
The University of Geneva’s Faculty of Science, with several sponsors, offers Excellence Master Fellowships to outstanding students from any university who want to do a Master of Science at Geneva. Each fellowship is worth CHF 10,000 to 15,000 a year for the regular length of the Master’s (three or four semesters), as long as the student does well in the first semester. Applications open online at the beginning of January, and the last deadline was 28 February 2026 for courses starting in September 2026. The scholarships cover Master of Science programmes in the Faculty of Science, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, earth and environmental sciences, computer science and pharmaceutical sciences.

Geneva Graduate Institute Scholarships (Geneva)
The Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID) gives financial aid to admitted Master’s and PhD students based on academic excellence and financial need. Master’s students can receive a full scholarship of CHF 20,000 a year (normally for two years), a partial scholarship of CHF 10,000 a year and/or a tuition fee reduction, while PhD admission offers generally come with a four-year support package that includes a CHF 20,000 yearly scholarship. Master’s applicants apply for financial aid on the same form as their admission application, and only by the main deadline in mid-January 2027. The scholarships cover the Institute’s Master’s and PhD programmes in international relations and political science, international law, international economics, international history, anthropology and sociology, and development studies.

Geneva Academy Scholarships (Geneva)
The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, a joint centre of the University of Geneva and the Geneva Graduate Institute, offers a limited number of full scholarships each year for its one-year LLM–Master of Advanced Studies programmes, awarded on academic merit and financial need. Each full scholarship covers the CHF 18,000 tuition fee and living expenses in Geneva for 10 months, and it is only for citizens of eligible non-Western countries. Scholarship applications for 2026-27 have closed, and in recent years the next round has opened in November. The scholarships cover the LLM–MAS in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and the LLM–MAS in International Crimes, Justice and Human Rights.

University of St.Gallen Excellence Scholarships (St. Gallen)
The University of St.Gallen (HSG) awards Excellence Scholarships on merit to students enrolled in its Bachelor’s programmes, including foreign students. The scholarship equals the current Bachelor tuition fees for a total of six semesters. There is no application before you start: students with outstanding results in the first-year HSG Assessment Year are identified by the Advice Centre for Study Funding and invited to apply. The scholarships cover HSG’s Bachelor’s programmes in business administration, economics, international affairs, law, and computer science.

Business School Scholarships »

IMD BackPack-Excellence Scholarship for Women (Lausanne)
IMD Business School and the BackPack Foundation offer one full scholarship a year to a talented woman for IMD’s one-year, full-time MBA, including women who have faced major obstacles in their studies or careers. The scholarship is worth CHF 133,500 and covers tuition, fees and living expenses. You apply through the scholarship section of your IMD MBA application form; check the official page for the current deadline. The scholarship covers the IMD MBA in general management and leadership.

See also the IMD Hilti STEM Scholars Program for IMD MBA candidates with a science, technology, engineering or mathematics background, worth CHF 50,000 (roughly half of the MBA tuition)

See also the list of Top 20+ Foreign Government Scholarships for International Students