ETH Zurich holds 12th place in 2027 Times Higher Education rankings
ETH Zurich placed 12th among 2,297 universities in THE's 2027 World University Rankings, remaining the top-ranked institution in continental Europe.
The story in focus
ETH Zurich placed 12th out of 2,297 universities in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, announced in September 2026. The university kept its position as continental Europe's highest-ranked institution, with its strongest score, 98.3, in Research Environment, where it placed 7th globally.
- ETH Zurich ranked 12th overall and scored 93.6, remaining first in continental Europe.
- Its highest mark was 98.3 for Research Environment, ranking 7th worldwide in that area.
- Tsinghua University rose from 12th to 11th, swapping places with ETH Zurich.
What the 2027 edition found
Times Higher Education published its 2027 World University Rankings with 2,297 participating universities from 118 countries. The University of Oxford took first place, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton University.
ETH Zurich finished 12th, trading positions with Tsinghua University in Beijing, which moved up to 11th. The Swiss university's overall score was 93.6.
Where ETH Zurich scored best
The institution's top mark was 98.3 for Research Environment, a category in which it ranked 7th globally. THE attributes that score to metrics covering research reputation, research income from grants and funding, and publication productivity in peer-reviewed journals.
ETH Zurich said most other assessed areas showed year-on-year improvement. It also cited strength in research quality and international outlook.
Other Swiss institutions
Nine other Swiss universities appear in the ranking. EPFL placed 36th, followed by the University of Basel at 111th, the University of Bern at 121st, the University of Lausanne at 129th and the University of Geneva at 163rd.
ETH Zurich noted that rankings capture institutional performance only partially, since methodologies and indicators differ between organizations and rely on measures such as citations, reputation surveys and international staff and student proportions.
How many universities took part in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings?
The 2027 edition assessed 2,297 universities across 118 countries. ETH Zurich ranked 12th overall and was the highest-placed university in continental Europe.
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