Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2026-2027 to Study for Free in Switzerland
Good news for aspiring researchers and artists! The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for the academic year 2026-2027 are just around the corner, offering incredible opportunities for international exchange and research collaboration in Switzerland.
These prestigious scholarships, awarded by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), are primarily designed for talented early career researchers (ECRs) who have already completed their Master’s degree or PhD. If you’re an artist looking to pursue an initial Master’s degree in an artistic field, there are also opportunities for you, though these are open to students from a limited number of countries.
What’s on Offer?
The scholarships mainly fall into two categories:
- Research Scholarships: These are for postgraduate researchers in any discipline who wish to conduct research at a Swiss university, federal institute of technology, or one of the four research institutes within the ETH Domain. A key requirement is having an academic supervisor in Switzerland willing to guide your research. This includes Research Fellowships, PhD Scholarships, and PostDoc Scholarships.
- Art Scholarships: If you’re an art student aiming for an initial Master’s degree in an artistic field in Switzerland, this could be for you.
Important Application Details
The application period kicks off on August 4, 2025 here. The specific types of scholarships available and the application deadlines will vary depending on your country of origin. You can find detailed information for your country by checking the A-Z list of countries and territories, or by navigating to your continent (Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania, Europe, North America, South America) on the official scholarship website. The links to these PDF documents, with details for each region, were updated between late June and early July 2025.
Selection Process and Timeline
Once you apply, your application will be submitted to Swiss diplomatic representations. The FCS evaluates applications based on three key criteria: your candidate profile, the quality of your research project or artistic work, and the potential for future research cooperation. Decisions on scholarship awards for the upcoming academic year are typically announced by the end of May.
