ETH Zurich facts for kids
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Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
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ETH Zurich at twilight
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Other names
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(Swiss) Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, German: Polytechnikum (colloquially) |
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Former name
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Eidgenössische polytechnische Schule |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1855 |
| Budget | CHF 1.896 billion (2021) |
| President | Joël Mesot |
| Rector | Günther Dissertori |
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Academic staff
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6,612 (including doctoral students, excluding 527 professors of all ranks, 34% female, 65% foreign nationals) (full-time equivalents 2021) |
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Administrative staff
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3,106 (40% female, 19% foreign nationals, full-time equivalents 2021) |
| Students | 24,534 (headcount 2021, 33.3% female, 37% foreign nationals) |
| Undergraduates | 10,642 |
| Postgraduates | 8,299 |
| 4,460 | |
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Other students
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1,133 |
| Address |
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Zürich
47°22′35″N 8°32′53″E / 47.37639°N 8.54806°E |
| Campus | Urban |
| Language | German, English (Masters and upwards, sometimes Bachelor) |
| Colors | Black and White |
| Affiliations | CESAER, EUA, GlobalTech, IARU, IDEA League |
| Website | ethz.ch |
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ETH Zurich is a top public research university in Zürich, Switzerland. It's also known as the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. It was started in 1854 to teach engineers and scientists. The university mainly focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
ETH Zurich is part of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain. This group includes other universities and research places. As of 2023, over 25,000 students from more than 120 countries study here. About 4,400 of them are working on their doctoral degrees.
Many famous people have studied or worked at ETH Zurich. These include 22 Nobel Prize winners, like Albert Einstein. It's also a founding member of important university groups like the IDEA League.
Contents
History of ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich was founded on February 7, 1854. It started teaching its first classes on October 16, 1855. Back then, it was called a polytechnic institute. It had six main study areas, including architecture, engineering, and chemistry.
People in Zurich still call it Polytechnikum or just Poly. This comes from its original name, which means "federal polytechnic school." ETH Zurich is a "federal" school, meaning the Swiss government runs it directly.
In the early 1900s, ETH Zurich became more like a full university. It gained the right to give out doctorates. The first doctorates were awarded in 1909. In 1911, it got its current name, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule. Today, it has 16 different departments.
ETH Zurich works closely with other research institutes. Together, they form the "ETH Domain." They often team up on scientific projects.
ETH Zurich's World Rankings
| University rankings | |
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| Global – Overall | |
| ARWU World | 20 (2023) |
| QS World | 7 (2025) |
| THE World | 11 (2024) |
| USNWR Global | 29 (2023) |
| Regional – Overall | |
| THE Europe | 4 (2023) |
| USNWR Europe | 5 (2023) |
ETH Zurich is known as one of the best universities in the world. It is usually ranked as the top university in Europe. It is also often in the top 3 to 10 universities globally.
Historically, ETH Zurich is famous for its work in chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Many Nobel Prize winners have connections to ETH Zurich. Albert Einstein is probably the most famous person who studied there.
Overall University Rankings
ETH Zurich is ranked 7th worldwide by QS World University Rankings (2025). It's 11th worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2024). It also ranks 20th worldwide in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (2023). In Europe, it was ranked 2nd in the 2024 QS Europe rankings.
Top Subjects at ETH Zurich
In 2024, ETH Zurich was ranked among the top 10 globally for subjects like architecture, engineering, and natural sciences. It was ranked first worldwide in earth and marine sciences, geology, and geophysics. The university is also a top choice in Switzerland for all ranked subjects.
Campuses of ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich has two main campuses: Zentrum and Hönggerberg. The Zentrum campus is in the heart of Zurich city. It grew around the main building, which was built between 1858 and 1864.
As the city and university grew, ETH Zurich needed more space. So, a new campus was built from 1964 to 1976. This new campus is on the Hönggerberg, a hill outside the city. The last big expansion there finished in 2003.
Zentrum Campus
The Zentrum campus has many buildings spread across the city. It is home to several departments. These include mathematics, computer science, and mechanical engineering. Other departments here are environmental systems science and earth sciences.
Main Building at Zentrum
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The main building of ETH Zurich was designed by Gottfried Semper. He was a professor of architecture at ETH Zurich. The building was constructed from 1858 to 1864. It has a grand, classical style.
The main building is right across from the University Hospital of Zurich. It's also next to the main building of the University of Zurich.
Hönggerberg Campus
The Hönggerberg campus is more like a traditional university campus. It has many university buildings and places for students to live. This campus houses departments like architecture, civil engineering, and physics.
There is also a sports center called ASVZ. All students and staff can use it. It has a gym, a beach volleyball court, and a football field.
Science City Project
In 2005, ETH Zurich started a big project called "Science City." The goal was to make the Hönggerberg Campus an attractive and sustainable area. This project was launched during the university's 150th anniversary.
ETH Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics
The ETH Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics (LIB) is a special lab at Science City. It uses ion beams to study things like ancient artifacts and materials. They also work on new ways to detect rare elements.
Getting Between Campuses
ETH Link Bus
The ETH Link is a free bus service for students and staff. It connects the two campuses. During the school week, the bus runs three times an hour. The ride takes about 15 minutes. In 2020, a new electric bus, the eLink, was introduced.
Bike Sharing
Since 2018, there's also an electric bike sharing system. Students can rent bikes to travel between campuses. The university helps pay for yearly subscriptions.
Student Life at ETH Zurich
Tuition and Financial Help
ETH Zurich is a public university. This means the Swiss government helps pay for it. Tuition fees are low, about CHF 730 per semester. This fee is the same for all students, no matter where they are from.
The university also offers scholarships. These can be based on good grades or financial need. The Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) helps master's students with excellent grades.
Student Groups and Events
ETH Zurich has over 100 student groups. The VSETH is the main student organization. It connects all the smaller groups. These groups organize many events throughout the year.
The Polymesse is the biggest career fair on campus. It helps students find jobs. Many student groups also host their own career fairs.
The Polyball is a huge annual dance event. It takes place in the main building of ETH Zurich. It's known as the biggest decorated ball in Europe. Students and former students organize it.
ETH Juniors is another student group. They offer consulting services. They help connect students with companies.
Sports at ETH Zurich
The Academic Sports Association of Zurich (ASVZ) offers over 120 sports. The biggest sports event is the SOLA-Stafette. This is a relay race that covers 140 kilometers. In 2009, over 760 teams took part.
Innovation and New Ideas
Student Project House
In 2017, ETH Zurich created a "Student Project House." This place helps students work on their own projects and come up with new ideas. It has "makerspaces" with tools for woodworking, metalworking, and electronics. There are also 3D printers for students to use.
Students manage and staff these makerspaces. They can earn shop credit for their work. A new space is planned to open on the Hönggerberg campus in 2024.
Spin-off Companies
ETH Zurich encourages students and researchers to start their own companies. These are called "spin-offs." As of 2022, over 527 spin-off companies have been created from ETH Zurich research.
Competition Teams
ETH Zurich has three well-known competition teams. They do research in popular fields and compete globally. Most of these teams are based near Dübendorf.
ARIS (Spaceflight Initiative)
ARIS stands for the Swiss Academic Spaceflight Initiative. This group at ETH Zurich works on space technologies. They build sounding rockets that compete yearly at the Spaceport America Cup. ARIS also works on projects like hybrid rocket engines.
ARIS Achievements
- ARIS won 2nd place at the Spaceport America Cup 2019.
AMZ (Motorsports Association)
AMZ is the Academic Motorsports Association. This team designs electric and driverless race cars. They compete in the Formula Student competition.
AMZ Achievements
AMZ is one of the most successful teams in Formula Student history. They have won 13 overall victories. In 2015 and again since 2016, their car grimsel set a Guinness world record. It was the fastest electric car to go from 0 to 100 km/h. In 2023, AMZ broke this record again, reaching 100 km/h in just 0.956 seconds!
Swissloop (Hyperloop System)
Swissloop is the newest competition team at ETH Zurich. They are working on developing a Hyperloop system. This system aims to transport people at very high speeds in special pods.
Traditions at ETH Zurich
The annual Polyball is a very famous event at ETH Zurich. It has been a tradition since the 1880s. In late November, about 10,000 people come to the beautifully decorated main building. It's the biggest decorated ball in Europe.
There's also a friendly competition between ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. Since 1951, they have had an annual rowing match on the Limmat river.
ETH Zurich also hosts many conferences. One notable event is the annual Wolfgang Pauli Lectures. These lectures honor a former ETH Zurich professor. Many famous scientists, including Nobel laureates, have given talks at this conference since 1962.
Famous People from ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich has been home to many famous scientists. These include Albert Einstein and John von Neumann. More than twenty Nobel laureates have either studied or worked at ETH Zurich. Other alumni have won top awards like the Fields Medal and Pritzker Prize. Many Olympic medalists have also studied here.
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John von Neumann, a brilliant thinker
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Wernher von Braun, rocket pioneer
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Philippe Kahn, Inventor and Entrepreneur
Related Organizations
Swiss National Supercomputing Center
The Swiss National Supercomputing Center is part of ETH Zurich. It's located in Lugano. It provides powerful computing services for scientists in Switzerland.
Images for kids
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HPT Tree in Winter
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Hönggerberg Campus
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ETH–Universitätsspital tram stop
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Main building
See also
In Spanish: Escuela Politécnica Federal de Zúrich para niños
- EPFL
- Engineering
- List of universities in Switzerland
- Science and technology in Switzerland
