TTokyo (SCCIJ) – The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) has maintained its place in the global top 10 of the latest QS World University Rankings. The Swiss university also secured the global top spot in 3 subjects.
Twelve years among the world’s elite
ETH Zurich ranks 8th in the world in the new annual global ranking by the higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). QS evaluated 1,500 universities from 106 countries out of over 8,808, based on factors such as international faculty, reputation among scientists, and faculty-student ratio.
The 2027 QS rankings mark the twelfth consecutive year ETH Zurich has ranked among the world’s top ten universities. After three years in 7th place, it now shares 8th place with University College London. It also reaffirms ETH Zurich’s status as the top-ranked university in continental Europe. The slight drop from 7th place in 2026 reflects intense competition at the top of global rankings rather than a decline in performance.
ETH Zurich’s overall score remains strong at 96.3 out of 100, a slight drop from last year’s 96.7. The university outperforms 99.5 percent of universities globally. It continues to score highly for academic reputation, research impact (faculty citations), and employer recognition, which account for most of the ranking.
Switzerland’s leading university
The Swiss university remains the country’s leading institution overall. It ranks first nationally across most major indicators, including Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Employment Outcomes, Sustainability, and International Network. Its sister university in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), stayed in 22nd place. University of Zurich (UZH) placed 98th, and the universities of Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, and Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI) rank among the top 500.
The 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, an earlier published ranking, show that three disciplines at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) have topped their respective fields for the seventh time: Earth and Marine Sciences, Geology, and Geophysics. A total of 16 subject areas rank among the top 10.
#7 for Data Science and AI
For the first time, ETH Zurich received rankings in “Data Science and Artificial Intelligence” (7th worldwide), “Education” (51st), and “Business & Management Studies” (61st). While the university did not obtain an official rank this year for the broad subject area of Arts and Humanities, it ranks 4th in the world for “Architecture and Built Environment” within this category.
The broad subject categories also made significant progress in the rankings. “Engineering and technology” moved up one place to 6th, “Natural Sciences” held steady at 8th, “Life Sciences and Medicine” rose 19 places to 51st, and “Social Sciences and Management” climbed 17 places to 54th.
Text: SCCIJ with material from ETH Zurich
