Studying at ETH Zürich with the IB

• Higher Level: maths (AA or AI); physics, chemistry or biology; one Language A. Standard Level: three more from physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, economics or business management, one further language, computer science.

Direct online application via eApply, for applicants with a non-Swiss upper secondary school-leaving certificate. Only one Bachelor's programme may be applied for. An application fee is charged and is non-refundable. Admission is either without an entrance examination, or contingent on passing a reduced entrance examination (4 subjects) or a comprehensive entrance examination (8 subjects).

• German. A C1 certificate is due by 31 March unless German is your mother tongue; the IB itself does not count as proof, even with German at a high level.
• The main teaching language in all Bachelor's programmes is German, although some individual courses may be taught in English or French.
• Applicants must meet the ETH language requirements to be admitted, which may mean submitting a German language certificate.
• The German language requirements must be met by the application deadline of 31 March.
• Applications with invalid, insufficient or missing language certificates are rejected after 31 March on formal grounds.
• ETH offers no language courses for applicants; acquiring the necessary language skills is the applicant's own responsibility.

• Application period for applicants with non-Swiss school-leaving certificates: 1 December to 31 March, 23:59 Central European Time.
• Bachelor's studies can only be started in the Autumn Semester.
• Registration for the entrance examination (if required) in eApply: 15 September to 15 October.

• Published IB benchmark: 38 points, not counting the 3 core points (TOK and EE).
• Admission requirements are country- and certificate-specific and are published on the swissuniversities website; the page says the International Baccalaureate requirements are listed there under 'Ausländische Vorbildungsausweise'.
• ETH can only determine whether an entrance examination is needed after receiving the complete application in eApply.
• ETH does not discuss personal chances of admission before receiving a complete application.
• The requirements are updated annually and are valid only for the current application period.
• ETH plans changes to the entry requirements for all Bachelor's programmes from autumn semester 2028, probably affecting the subject composition and the subjects covered in the final examination; details are not yet final and are expected from spring 2027.
• Applications are expected to take up to eight weeks to process.
• Letters of motivation, distinctions, portfolios, employment references and internship certificates should not be uploaded and are not considered for Bachelor's admission.
• If the requirements are not met: the reduced ETH entrance exam in German (maths, biology, chemistry, physics; held annually in the third and fourth weeks of the year; CHF 550), with study starting a year later. For IB results in 2027 that means the exam in January 2028 and a start in autumn 2028, when ETH's revised entry requirements apply.