Looking to study in one of Europe’s most advanced and beautiful countries—without the burden of high tuition fees? Switzerland offers fully funded scholarships for international students in the academic year 2025-2026, making it an ideal destination for those seeking world-class education, cutting-edge research, and a high quality of life.
Known for its top-ranked universities like ETH Zurich, University of Geneva, EPFL, and University of Lausanne, Switzerland welcomes talented students from around the world through generous government-funded and university-specific scholarships. These prestigious awards cover full tuition fees, monthly living stipends, health insurance, housing, and travel costs—providing financial relief while allowing students to focus on academic excellence.
Whether you’re aiming for a master’s degree, PhD, or postdoctoral research, scholarships such as the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships, ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarships, and EPFL Fellowships offer a fully funded path to studying in Switzerland.
In this detailed guide, we’ll explore the top fully funded scholarships in Switzerland for international students 2025-2026, complete with benefits, application requirements, and step-by-step instructions to help you succeed.
Dreaming of studying in one of Europe’s most scenic, innovative, and academically renowned countries? Switzerland offers fully funded scholarships for international students for the academic year 2025-2026, allowing you to earn a prestigious degree without worrying about tuition or living expenses.
With top-tier universities such as ETH Zurich, EPFL, University of Geneva, and University of Lausanne, Switzerland consistently ranks among the world’s best countries for higher education. Whether you're interested in engineering, science, social sciences, economics, or research, Swiss institutions offer world-class programs—many of which are taught in English.
In this article, we explore the best fully funded scholarships in Switzerland for international students, highlighting their benefits, eligibility criteria, and how to apply.
Best Scholarships in Switzerland for international Students 2025-2026
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2025–2026 (Fully Funded) - Start your academic journey in Switzerland
- ETH Zurich Scholarship 2026 (Fully Funded) - Begin your academic journey in Switzerland
- EPFL Excellence Fellowships 2026 Switzerland | Fully Funded - Pursue your higher studies in Switzerland
- University of Geneva Excellence Masters Fellowships 2025 - Pursue your studies in Switzerland
- University of Lausanne Scholarship 2026 | UNIL Scholarship - Start your academic journey in Switzerland
- IMD MBA Scholarships 2025–2026 Switzerland - Begin your study journey in Switzerland
- Geneva Academy Scholarship 2025-2026 (Fully Funded) - Start Your Master’s Studies in Switzerland
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The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are fully funded awards for outstanding international students and researchers at Switzerland’s top public universities. They cover living expenses, tuition, insurance, and travel, fostering high-level academic exchange and innovation.
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The ETH Zurich Scholarship is a fully funded opportunity for outstanding international students to pursue a master’s degree at Switzerland’s top-ranked university. It includes a tuition waiver and up to CHF 12,000 per semester for living and study expenses.
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The EPFL Excellence Fellowships 2025–2026 offer fully funded scholarships for outstanding international students to pursue master’s degrees in Switzerland. The fellowship provides up to CHF 10,000 per semester, housing support, and a certificate of excellence.
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The University of Geneva Excellence Masters Fellowships 2025-2026 offer fully funded scholarships worth CHF 10,000 to CHF 15,000 per year for outstanding international students. These fellowships support Master of Science programs in various disciplines at the Faculty of Science.
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The University of Lausanne Scholarship offers fully funded Master’s grants to top international students with outstanding academic records. It provides CHF 1,600 per month and a tuition fee exemption for 1.5 to 2 years of study in Switzerland.
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Apply for the IMD MBA Scholarships 2025–2026 in Switzerland. International students can receive up to CHF 85,000 to pursue a one-year Master of Business Administration.
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The Geneva Academy Scholarship offers fully funded master’s study in Switzerland, covering tuition and living expenses. Open to outstanding students in international humanitarian law, human rights, refugee law, and international criminal law.
Top Fully Funded Scholarships in Switzerland for International Students 2025-2026


Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2025-2026 are fully funded opportunities for international students. These scholarships are available for Master’s, PhD, and postdoctoral studies. Benefits include a monthly stipend, full tuition fee waiver, health insurance, airfare, and a housing allowance.
This prestigious program is managed by the Federal Commission of Scholarships (FCS) in partnership with the Swiss government and is offered to students from over 180 countries. Applicants from all nationalities are encouraged to apply. The scholarships target highly qualified postgraduate researchers across disciplines as well as young medical professionals.
The Research Scholarship is open to postgraduate candidates in all academic fields (with a Master’s degree minimum) who wish to pursue doctoral, postdoctoral, or research-based studies in Switzerland. Awards are valid at Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, and the two federal institutes of technology.
Scholarship Summary
Level of Study: Master’s, PhD, Postdoctoral
Institution(s): Swiss Government / Swiss Universities
Study in: Switzerland
Opportunity Focus Areas: See types below.
Program Period: Depends on the chosen degree.
Deadline: Country-specific. You can check from here


ETH Zurich Scholarship 2025-2026 is a fully funded scholarship for international students. This scholarship is only offered for master’s studies. This scholarship provides a grant covering living and study expenses (CHF 12,000 per semester) as well as a tuition fee waiver.
Two types of scholarships are offered: the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Program (ESOP) and the ETH-D Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded to bright international and national students. The prerequisite is a very good result in their Bachelor’s (top 10% of Bachelor’s program = grade A).
ETH Zurich Scholarship Summary
Level of Study: Masters
Institution(s): ETH Zurich
Study in: Switzerland
Opportunity Focus Areas: See the list below
Program Period: Three or four semesters
Deadline: November 30, 2025 (Applications will open from November 1, 2025)


The EPFL Excellence Fellowships 2025-2026 are prestigious, fully funded master’s scholarships for international students. Each fellowship offers up to CHF 32,000 in financial support, covering tuition fees, accommodation, and visa expenses.
EPFL awards a limited number of fellowships at the master’s level to exceptional students with outstanding academic achievements. Some fellowships are directly funded by EPFL, while others are supported through partnerships with foundations and industry sponsors. As one of Europe’s most international technical universities, EPFL hosts students, researchers, and staff from more than 120 countries. With a strong focus on education, research, and technology transfer, EPFL provides a truly global learning environment.
Through collaborations with partner universities, institutes of technology, secondary schools, industries, and policymakers, EPFL creates meaningful contributions to society while fostering innovation and leadership among its graduates.
Scholarship Summary
Level of Study: Masters
Institution(s): École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Study in: Switzerland
Opportunity Focus Areas: Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Engineering, Computer and Communication Sciences, Basic Sciences, Life Sciences, Management of Technology, College of Humanities and EPFL Middle East.
Program Period: 1.5-year Master’s program or 2-year Master’s program (according to the type of the program).
Deadline: March 31 or December 15 (annual)


University of Geneva Excellence Masters Fellowships are open for international students to pursue their masters degree in Switzerland. The Faculty of Science has established an Excellence Fellowship Program open to students of any university to support outstanding and highly motivated candidates who intend to pursue a Master of Science in any of the scientific disciplines covered by the Faculty. Candidate selection is based on excellence.
The Masters of the Faculty of Science constitute an ideal training base for an academic but also a professional development, opening on careers in industry, teaching, administration in sciences, communication and media… The programs Master’s degrees are either entirely in English, or in English and French.
Scholarship Summary
Level of Study: Masters
Institution(s): University of Geneva
Study in: Switzerland
Courses Offered: Master of Science degree in one of the disciplines offered by the Faculty of Sciences
Program Period: Three or four semesters
Deadline: February 28, 2025


The UNIL Master’s Grants are available for international students wishing to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland for the academic year 2025-2026. Each year, UNIL awards approximately ten scholarships to outstanding applicants.
These Master’s Scholarships for Excellence are reserved exclusively for students who have completed their undergraduate studies at a foreign university and have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement. Offered on a highly competitive basis, the UNIL Master’s Grants provide international students with the opportunity to study at one of Switzerland’s leading research universities.
Scholarship Summary
Level of Study: Masters
Institution(s): University of Lausanne
Study in: Switzerland
Opportunity Focus Areas: Please see list below.
Program Period: 2 years for students undertaking a Master
Deadline: The online application for the academic year 2025-2026 will open in September 2025 and the deadline will be 1 November 2025.


The IMD MBA Scholarships 2025-2026 are fully funded awards for international students pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration. Each recipient can receive up to CHF 85,000 in financial support.
This full-time MBA program, recognized among Europe’s best, is designed to strengthen leadership abilities in today’s digital, entrepreneurial, and global business environment. It offers a transformative one-year learning experience in Lausanne, Switzerland, with unmatched opportunities for career growth, international exposure, and professional networking.
The IMD MBA Scholarships are intended to support outstanding candidates worldwide who may lack the financial resources to apply but demonstrate strong potential, ambition, and passion to succeed in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving business landscape.
Scholarship Summary
Level of Study: MBA
Institution(s): IMD
Study in: Switzerland
Courses Offered: Master’s in Business Administration
Deadline: Throughout 2025 (available until allocated)


Exciting news for aspiring human rights and law professionals! Applications are now open for the Geneva Academy Scholarship 2025-2026. In this article, we outline the scholarship’s benefits, eligibility, and the complete step-by-step application process.
The Geneva Academy Scholarship is a fully funded master’s program for international students, covering tuition fees and living expenses in Geneva. Full scholarships are reserved for citizens of non-Western countries.
These scholarships support students pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights at the Geneva Academy, Switzerland — one of Europe’s most innovative and academically rigorous programs in international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights.
This one-year postgraduate degree offers advanced, practical training in IHL, international human rights law, international refugee law, international criminal law, and their interconnections. Students can tailor their learning through core courses in public international law and specialized electives in areas such as the conduct of hostilities, enforced disappearances, and Islamic law of armed conflict.
Scholarship Summary
Level of Study: Master’s
Host Institution: Geneva Academy
Location: Switzerland
Fields of Study: International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law, International Law, International Refugee Law, International Criminal Law
Program Duration: 1 year
Application Period:
Opens: 4 November
Closes: 15 January (including scholarship applications)
Why Choose Switzerland for Higher Education?
Top-ranked universities in the world
Strong focus on research, innovation, and science
International student-friendly policies and English-taught programs
Breathtaking natural landscapes and a high quality of life
Centrally located in Europe for travel and networking
Fully funded scholarships for deserving global students
How to Apply for Scholarships in Switzerland?
Choose your preferred university and program
Visit the official websites of Swiss universities or the FCS portal.
Check specific eligibility criteria
Requirements vary by scholarship and institution (GPA, language, research plan, etc.).
Prepare your documents
CV, statement of purpose, academic transcripts, recommendation letters, language proof, and research proposal (if required).
Apply through the correct channel
Either directly through the university or via the Swiss embassy in your country for government scholarships.
Track and respect deadlines
Deadlines usually fall between September and December of the previous year.
Scholarship Application Deadlines (Typical Range)
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship: September – December
ETH Zurich ESOP: November – December
EPFL Excellence Fellowships: Mid-December – January
University of Geneva Fellowships: January – March
UNIL Master’s Grants: Deadline: November 1
Switzerland isn’t just a beautiful country—it's a hub of innovation, education, and global research. With its fully funded scholarship programs, it’s now more accessible than ever for international students to study in a world-class environment without financial stress.
If you have a strong academic background and a passion for research or advanced studies, Switzerland could be your next academic destination. Explore these scholarships, prepare early, and start your journey toward a prestigious European degree—with most or all of your expenses fully covered.