About This Opportunity

ETH Zurich is consistently ranked among the world's top universities in engineering, science, and technology — and its Excellence Scholarship and Opportunity Programme (ESOP) makes a Master's degree at this elite institution accessible to outstanding international students. The scholarship is awarded to the most academically excellent incoming Master's students across ETH Zurich's programmes and is one of the most valuable university-funded scholarships available globally.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Applying for a Master's programme at ETH Zurich in a qualifying field
  • Demonstrates outstanding academic performance — typically in the top percentile of your Bachelor's graduating class
  • Open to international applicants of all nationalities, including Ghanaian and African students
  • A separate Excellence Scholarship application must be submitted alongside your Master's programme application
  • Must complete your Bachelor's degree before the programme starts

What You Get / Benefits

  • CHF 12,000 per semester (approximately CHF 24,000 per year) as a scholarship payment toward living and study costs
  • A tuition fee contribution in some cases depending on the award
  • Study at one of the top 10 universities in the world in a city with exceptional quality of life

How to Apply

  • Apply for your chosen Master's programme at ETH Zurich through the standard admissions portal
  • Submit a separate Excellence Scholarship application through ETH Zurich's scholarship portal — available to qualifying programmes
  • Prepare a strong academic transcript, a letter of recommendation from a credible academic referee, and a scholarship motivation letter
  • Submit both your programme application and scholarship application before the December deadline
  • Scholarship recipients are notified before the academic year begins

    • Tips

    • ETH Zurich's Excellence Scholarship is highly competitive — applicants should aim for a Bachelor's GPA in the top 5–10% of their graduating cohort to be genuinely competitive.
    • The scholarship is available for most ETH programmes but not all — confirm your target programme's eligibility on the scholarship portal before applying.
    • Zurich has a very high cost of living compared to most African cities. CHF 12,000 per semester is generous but budget carefully for accommodation and living expenses beyond the scholarship.

    ⏰ Deadline: November 30 or December 15 depending on programme — check the exact date on ethz.ch and submit both your programme and scholarship applications simultaneously.