History, Affiliations and Rankings

Founded in 1833 as Universitas Turincensis, the University of Zurich (UZH) was the first university in Europe to be established by the democratic State, rather than by the Church or the monarchy. From welcoming its first woman student from Russia in 1867 to having 1000 enrolments for the first time in 1905, and getting its University status in 1912, UZH has emerged Europe’s leading research universities, and a foremost institution in the German-speaking world. In its rich history, the University has produced 12 Nobel Laureates and won international repute for its research in Medicine, Genetics, Physics, Neuroscience and Economics. Albert Einstein, the theoretical physicist who developed the Theory of Relativity was once a PhD student at the University of Zurich. The University is affiliated with the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and Universitas 21 (U21). A top 100 world University, UZH ranks #70 in QS World University Rankings, #75 in THE World University Rankings, and #64 in USN Best Global Universities Rankings for the year 2022. 

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

The University of Zurich has four campuses across Zurich, namely the City Campus, the Irchel Campus, the Oerlikon Campus, and the Schlieren Campus. Being situated in the dynamic metropolis of Zurich, the UZH campus is surrounded by first-rate cultural institutions and nature at its doorstep, while having the ultra-modern learning infrastructure on the campus. There are 7 Faculties and 150 Institutes at UZH, offering the widest spectrum of academic disciplines from Arts and Social Sciences to Law, Business, Economics, History, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics, Theology and more. Degrees at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral level in over 100 study areas are offered. Also, there are more than 100 academic continuing education degrees and courses. As a student at Zurich University, you can participate in the Mobility program that allows you to study at another Swiss university during the course of your enrolment with UZH. Further, studying at the University of Zurich, you will be trained to develop independent, critical thinking with ample space to contemplate, experiment and carry out independent research. 

Accomplishments and Alumni

The University of Zurich is Switzerland’s largest and the most comprehensive research University that recently received institutional accreditation by the Swiss Accreditation Council. UZH is an institution with an international outlook. It has research and academic partnerships with 500+ institutions in over 100 countries worldwide. Because of its research prowess, the University has proudly been securing a research patent every two weeks and a spin-off every two months. There are over 27 alumni organizations in Switzerland, with a growing number of international alumni chapters. Some of the famous graduates of the University of Zurich include the likes of, Rosa Luxemburg (German Revolutionary and Marxist Philosopher), Marcel Grossman (Swiss Mathematician and a friend, classmate of Albert Einstein) and Josef Muller-Brockman (Swiss Graphic Designer and Principal at Muller-Brockman and Co. Design firm) among others.

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

A fertile crossroads of diverse perspectives, the University of Zurich has a student population of over 26,400 students. Out of this, nearly 13,900+ are undergraduates, 6,400+ are postgraduates and 5,500+ are PhD students. 20% of the total student enrollment constitutes international students, while women students comprise the major component of the student population with 15,300+ female enrolments. Further, more than 500 exchange students come to UZH every year, fostering multicultural interactions on the campus. There are 100+ student organizations to get involved in and socialize with peers from other backgrounds and nationalities outside the classroom. Some of the leading recruiters visit the University of Zurich for student placements, including Roche, Credit Suisse, UBS, EY, PwC Switzerland, Julius Baer and other academic and corporate organizations.