The University of Zurich
Facts & Figures
University of Zurich (UZH)
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faculties provide outstanding opportunities for research and teaching in more than 100 subject areas. As Switzerland’s largest and most diverse university, UZH offers state-of-the-art infrastructure as well as access to top-tier university networks around the globe.
28,785
students at Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD level benefit from the inspiring environment at UZH. Covering a wide range of subjects, we offer more than 200 study programs, including a number of unique transdisciplinary programs in fields such as digitalization and health.
165
spin-offs were founded at UZH between 1999 and 2025. UZH is committed to academic freedom and independent research – and to making our findings available and accessible to all. We provide researchers with access to the latest technologies and support the transfer of knowledge from our innovative research and education to industry and the wider society.
Data from 2025
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Nobel Prize winners, including Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, reflect UZH’s international standing as a top research university. We are proud of the many renowned academic distinctions that are conferred upon our members year after year.
1833
marks the founding year of UZH. At the time, it was the first university in Europe to be founded by a democratic state. In 1866, UZH became the second university in Europe after the Sorbonne in Paris to admit women.
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popular university museums and collections showcase the latest findings, bringing science and research closer to the wider population through interactive, hands-on experiences. UZH also shares knowledge through its libraries, the Botanical Garden, numerous public lectures and events, including Switzerland’s largest science festival. In addition, we offer a wide range of continuing education programs for people from all walks of life.
Cutting-Edge Research
Setting the Bar High
As one of Europe’s leading research universities, UZH sets international standards and attracts top talent by offering comprehensive support for excellence in research. Conducting high-quality research is only possible with cooperation, interaction and communication at all levels. UZH therefore maintains numerous interdisciplinary research programs and networks.
Research Priorities and Networks
UZH is currently funding five University Research Priority Programs (URPPs) to create and promote outstanding interdisciplinary networks and support promising early-career researchers in areas that benefit society:
Development and Learning
Adaptive brain circuits in develop-
ment and learning
Digital Religion(s)
Communication, interaction and transformation in the digital society
Equality of Opportunity
Economic and social causes of
inequality
Human Reproduction
Legal, medical and social requirements of parenthood
Rare Diseases
Development of new therapies for treating rare diseases
UZH is also the home institution of the three National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCR) Evolving Language, Children & Cancer, and MuoniVerse (muon research). Our research is further boosted by a range of Centers of Competence, the TRANSFORM funding line, and numerous funding opportunities for PhD candidates, postdocs, and experienced researchers.
A Hub for Medical Excellence
UZH carries out first-rate medical research and teaching in close cooperation with the four university hospitals and ETH Zurich. These six institutions combine to form a unique knowledge and health hub where research, teaching and healthcare provision converge. One example of this cooperation is precision medicine in oncology. Four centers – the Tumor Profiler Center, the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich, the Operating Room X and The LOOP Zurich – are advancing research together in this field.
Discover
What Makes Us Stronger
New insights into stress and resilience, innovative treatments for cancer and rare diseases, effective ideas for combating poverty, calculated environmental risks and healthy longevity: find out how research at UZH finds answers to the challenges of our time and helps build a resilient society.
Read more online
Teaching and Learning
On the Pulse
UZH offers students an excellent environment full of opportunities and a level of diversity that is unprecedented in Switzerland. We are also constantly advancing our teaching methods in line with the evolving needs of a society in flux – creatively, innovatively and on a wide variety of levels. The Future of Teaching at UZH initiative was launched to further bolster this approach.
Quality Standards in Teaching Development
UZH promotes innovative teaching ideas and fosters a lively teaching community. By introducing the UZH Curriculum, we established university-wide quality standards for developing attractive academic programs. According to these criteria, the future of teaching at UZH is research-based, goal-oriented, engaging, individualized, transdisciplinary and international.
An International Environment
The UZH community is diverse and international. Almost half of our professors, 45 percent of employees and one-fifth of students are from abroad. Most of our international students come from Germany, China and Italy.
Student Exchanges
UZH has agreements on student exchanges with over 250 partner universities around the world. We also offer various joint-degree and double-degree programs with selected partner universities and promote international short programs such as summer schools, winter schools and internships abroad. In 2025, 622 exchange students studied at UZH, while 580 UZH students went on a stay abroad.
Studying across Disciplines
Established in 2021, the School for Transdisciplinary Studies offers interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary courses in forward-looking topics such as sustainability, digitalization and innovation to students across all faculties.
Shaping Business and Society
Zurich is at the heart of one of Europe’s most innovative regions thanks to its close-knit network of leading educational and research institutions as well as robust knowledge and technology transfer processes. The city ranks first in the Smart City Index issued by the World Competitiveness Center.
Innovative findings and developments from UZH serve to advance politics and society. With a strategic focus on life sciences, space and aviation, digitalization, artificial intelligence and healthy longevity, UZH innovations stimulate futureoriented industries such as biotech, medtech and ICT. University research, in turn, benefits from the many opportunities for cooperation in a dynamic environment.
UZH Innovation Hub
The UZH Innovation Hub plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation at the university. It actively supports junior researchers and UZH students from the initial idea phase to prototype development right through to testing and practical implementation. We provide hands-on assistance to researchers, helping them transform their scientific discoveries into marketable products and services. Our support encompasses customized coaching and entrepreneurial skill training at various levels, along with early-stage financial assistance programs. Additionally, we offer guidance to researchers eager to launch their own startups.
165 Spin-Offs
Spin-off companies are a key instrument when it comes to translating university research into business practice. A total of 165 UZH spin-offs have been founded since 1999. As a sign of our strong affiliation and support, we have been awarding our UZH Startup label to spin-offs and startups since 2017.
Students
28,785
Total Students
By Faculty
6,115
Total Degrees
By Study Level
282 Faculty of Theology and the Study of Religion
3,977 Faculty of Law
4,651 Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics
4,284 Faculty of Medicine
782 Vetsuisse Faculty
9,611 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
5,198 Faculty of Science
Most Popular Subjects
2,559 Bachelor 2,511 Master 217 Teaching Diploma 828 PhD
3,977 Law
3,695 Human Medicine
2,304 Psychology
1,772 Biology
1,450 Informatics
1,438 Business and Economics
1,313 Business Administration
1,021 Natural Sciences
906 History
788 Communication + Media Studies
Data from 2025
5,712
Total International Students (degree-seeking)
16 Australia/Oceania 67
3,853 Europe
1,386 Asia
255 North America
123 South America
79 Africa
Most Common Countries of Origin
19.8 %
Percentage of International Students
994
Students in Master of Advanced Studies Programs
1,665 Germany
782 China
396 Italy
224 Austria
158 USA
154 Liechtenstein
141 Spain
140 Turkey
131 France
127 India
Data from 2025
Discover
What Connects us
Analyzing complex problems from different perspectives and finding solutions together: Discover how students and instructors in innovative study programs build bridges between a variety of disciplines.
Finances
1,732 m (in CHF)
253 m Services and Other Operational Income 17 m Financial Yield Revenue
789 m Canton of Zurich
313 m Other Basic Financing and Operational Funds
360 m Third-Party Project Funding
1,731 m (in CHF)
1,100 m Staff Costs
629 m Other Operating Expenses
2 m Finance Expense
Federal Organizations in Switzerland
Private Sector and Individuals
and International Research Programs Other
Connected Across the Globe
UZH works hand in hand with universities and partners around the world to conduct impactful research and innovation, offer top-quality education and tackle complex, global challenges.
International University Networks
UZH is an active member of various international organizations and networks in research, teaching, innovation and other important areas of higher education.
The League of European Research Universities (LERU) is a strong advocate for upholding sound conditions for research – especially basic research – and teaching.
Una Europa aims to transform and innovate higher education and to draw on collective strengths to create a university of the future.
Universitas 21 is the leading global network of research-intensive universities with the aim to advance the internationalization of education and the exchange of experiences.
Strategic Partnerships with Universities
In addition to engaging in major international networks, UZH maintains strategic partnerships with select universities to address global challenges, create joint academic programs, foster dialogue with key stakeholders and learn from each other at an institutional level. In 2022, UZH introduced the UZH Global Funding Scheme, which helps researchers establish international connections within existing networks. Its aim is to maximize the benefits of collaborative synergies, bolster UZH's international network, and foster the global exchange of knowledge across international contexts.
Leading House Asia Pacific
As the Leading House Asia Pacific, UZH is mandated by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) to coordinate activities on behalf of the entire Swiss higher education sector for the 2025–2028 period. Through seed funding instruments and outreach activities, the program fosters partnerships with academic, policy, and innovation stakeholders across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Cooperation Across the Globe
Universitas 21 LERU
Una Europa incl. African Partners Strategic Partner Berlin–Wien–Zürich
Read more online:
Data from 2021/22–2025/26
Student Mobility
Top 10 Student Mobility Countries
Read more online:
By Employee Group (FTE)
By Organization (FTE)
721
7,882
Total Employees (FTE)
6,343
Total Teaching Staff
40.6 %
Percentage of International Teaching Staff
Data from 2025
73 Faculty of Theology and the Study of Religion
291 Faculty of Law
475 Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics
2,281 Faculty of Medicine
686 Vetsuisse Faculty
1,276 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
1,321 Faculty of Science
1,249 Central Services (incl. Internal Audit)
231 Strategic Programs
Organization Chart
Government
Cover Image
Scene with students in the foyer of the UZH City Campus
Publishing Information
Publisher
University of Zurich
Editors
UZH Communications, UZH Global Affairs
Design and Infographics
Linkgroup AG, Zurich
Photos
Sophie Stieger (cover, pages 10, 11)
Diana Ulrich (pages 4, 5)
Address
University of Zurich Communications
Pfingstweidstrasse 60B
8005 Zurich
office@kommunikation.uzh.ch
University of Zurich
Global Affairs
Rämistrasse 71
8006 Zurich office@global.uzh.ch
Website
www.uzh.ch/en
Read more in the University of Zurich’s annual report