The Government of Switzerland is inviting applications for the 2026-27 Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship Program from interested international students
The Swiss Government Scholarship offers a full scholarship opportunity and a living stipend of CHF 3’500 per month for successful applicants to pursue a Master’s or PhD degree in institutions situated in Switzerland
Requirements:
To be considered for the Swiss Government Scholarship 2026, you must:
- Hold a university degree (Bachelors/Masters) on commencement of the scholarship
- Be able to demonstrate their academic abilities and what they aim to achieve
- Be under the age of 35 (born on or after 1 January 1990)
- Be suitably proficient in the language of instruction (French, German, Italian, or English)
- The research scholarship: Available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (who hold a master’s degree as a minimum) who are planning to come to Switzerland to pursue research or further studies at doctoral or post-doctoral level (research fellowship, PhD, Postdoc).
- Art scholarships: Open to art students wishing to pursue an initial master’s degree in Switzerland (arts)
Duration and Reward
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships will run throughout study with
- Full Tuition Fee
- CHF 3’500 Monthly Stipend.
- Accommodation
Selection Criteria
Applications are subject to preliminary selection by the relevant national authorities and/or the Swiss diplomatic representation. The short-listed applications are then assessed by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), which takes the final decision.
The FCS assesses scholarship applications according to three criteria:
- Candidate profile
- Quality of the research project or artistic work
- Synergies and potential for future research cooperation
The FCS is composed of professors from all Swiss public universities. Scholarship awards are decided on the basis of academic and scientific excellence.
The FCS will select scholarship holders for the 2025-26 academic year by 2027.