ETH Zurich publishes two tuition groups for bachelor’s and master’s students: CHF 730 or CHF 2,190 per semester. The useful budget question is which group ETH assigns to your circumstances, not which number appears first in a search result.
The tuition amount is also only one part of study costs. Compulsory semester fees, possible programme-related charges and living expenses need separate lines. Use the official information checked on 16 October 2026 below as a classification checklist; it is not a personal fee decision or a guaranteed future price.
Read the criteria before choosing a rate
ETH’s tuition-fees page says the two-group regulation has applied since autumn semester 2025. It lists Swiss and Liechtenstein citizenship among the criteria for the simple tuition fee. It also includes students resident in Switzerland or Liechtenstein when they obtained their university entrance qualification, regardless of nationality.
That residence test refers to the university entrance qualification, with examples such as Matura or Abitur. Do not silently replace that date with the date you move to Switzerland for a master’s. Keep the relevant qualification and residence evidence distinct from the bachelor’s transcript used for academic admission.
The page lists additional qualifying circumstances for some other foreign students, involving specified citizenship, family or residence-status conditions. Students who do not meet the simple-fee criteria are assigned the threefold fee. ETH says it checks the assignment as part of admission.
Nationality alone therefore does not settle every case. Equally, possessing a permit with a particular letter does not establish that every condition in a fee category is met. Use the complete official criteria and the university’s assignment; this article does not determine residence status or recommend changing it.
Resolve a possible reallocation before the relevant deadline
If you have been assigned group 2 but believe you meet group 1’s conditions, ETH describes a request for reallocation. The published deadline is the Sunday before semester start, and the complete request must include the qualifying residence permit where required.
Do not invent a calendar date for a future intake or assume a permit still being processed is accepted evidence. Check the actual semester and current instructions, obtain the required form through the relevant official office and establish what a complete submission requires. A belief that you qualify is different from a successful reallocation.
The page emphasises assignment before studies and restricts later reallocation. It also contains specific wording about progression from bachelor’s to master’s studies and criteria already met before the bachelor’s began. If you are already an ETH student, ask which provision applies to your actual progression rather than assuming a new degree creates a fresh opportunity to qualify.
Keep transitional rules attached to the original programme
ETH’s published transitional provisions concern students enrolled before autumn 2025. They describe protection for the earlier bachelor’s or master’s programme, subject to the stated conditions. Do not borrow an older student’s fee as evidence for a new applicant’s rate, or assume the old amount continues through every later degree.
For a current student, record the original programme, enrolment dates, any additional degree and the university’s applicable classification. For a prospective student, retain the assigned rate and evidence for any accepted reallocation. Where the answer is unresolved, show the uncertainty in the comparison rather than selecting the cheaper rate by default.
Separate tuition from the rest of the invoice
The linked Tuition, semester and other fees schedule lists regular bachelor’s and master’s enrolment, including the master’s thesis, under semester tuition. Finishing taught classes does not by itself establish that tuition charges have ended while regular enrolment continues.
The schedule separately lists compulsory semester charges, voluntary contributions, one-off charges and possible material or excursion costs. Do not treat the headline CHF 730 or CHF 2,190 as the complete semester invoice, or apply the bachelor’s/master’s figures to continuing-education programmes with different charging rules.
The linked schedule states its regulatory reference date, while the student portal contains later updates to the explanatory criteria. Save both the document version and check date. Recheck current charges and your actual invoice before a consequential payment or commitment; this article does not freeze the published amounts for a future intake.
Build the funding comparison around evidence
Use five fields in your budget record:
- Programme and period: the exact degree, intake and semesters you expect to remain enrolled.
- Classification: ETH’s assigned fee group, the evidence and any unresolved reallocation request.
- Tuition basis: the semester rate and the current official source date.
- Additional costs: compulsory charges, required programme costs, living period and payment timing.
- Funding: confirmed funds separately from applications, possible awards and hoped-for earnings.
If the fee group is unresolved, keep both tuition scenarios visible and identify whether the higher cost would change the decision. This is contingency planning, not a prediction of the university’s classification.
Use the full-budget guide to connect tuition to housing and upfront cash. The ESOP preparation article explains a separate scholarship process; a possible award is not confirmed funding. Do not subtract an assumed assistantship, internship or future salary from the amount you need to finance.
Your next step is to replace an assumed headline price with the applicable classification, current charge basis and complete funding record. That makes affordability a decision you can explain before committing.
