Specify which Maturité
This article concerns a federally recognised gymnasial Maturité/Matura. A vocational or specialised Maturité is a different qualification with different routes to ETH or EPFL.
Under current rules, the recognised gymnasial qualification provides an examination-free admission route to ETH and entry to EPFL’s first bachelor year without the same capacity selection applied to relevant foreign qualifications. Students must still earn the qualification and prepare for the university’s language and academic demands.
IB can also provide admission without an entrance exam
| Requirement | ETH Zurich | EPFL |
|---|---|---|
| IB score | At least 38/42 across six subjects, excluding core bonus | At least 38/42, excluding core bonus; mathematics and physics each at least 6/7 |
| Key Higher Level subjects | Mathematics, one of physics/chemistry/biology, and a Language A | Mathematics, physics and one of chemistry/biology/computer science |
| Other subjects | Must fit the officially accepted combination | Include first and second modern languages and the required humanities/social-science coverage |
| After requirements are met | Examination-free admission if the complete conditions are met; otherwise ETH assesses the examination route | Eligibility followed by selection according to capacity and results |
| Study language | Bachelor teaching primarily in German; check proof requirements | French B2 required, C1 recommended for study; check proof requirements |
Both currently accept HL Mathematics AA or AI in the relevant conditions. The 38-point threshold is out of the six-subject 42, not the full 45 including core points. From 2025 for at least four years, EPFL limits first-year bachelor intake; relevant foreign qualifications, including IB, face selection.
Keeping ETH and EPFL open needs early subject planning
ETH’s HL combination includes Language A, whereas EPFL requires mathematics, physics and another specified science at HL. A conventional three-HL package does not automatically satisfy both.
Some students may need to discuss four HL subjects, their workload and the remaining subject requirements with the school. LEP can bring the intended university conditions to school discussions and check actual timetable availability and support before the IB begins.
A French-speaking school does not close the door to ETH
The qualification and German preparation matter, rather than the school’s location alone. A French-speaking environment may connect more directly to an EPFL goal. A student coming from an English-language curriculum also needs to cost the time required to prepare for a Maturité route.
If that transition demands too much time or exceeds the family’s budget, an IB with carefully chosen subjects may be more appropriate. Both qualifications can support applications abroad under the relevant university requirements.
Turn the university goal into a school decision
Among schools we visited, ENSR and Saint-Charles merit discussions about IB and Swiss Maturité; Lémania offers an English IB option, and Wikon is currently considered for IB. LEP checks the exact course, examination arrangements, entry stage and subject provision.
ENSR’s campus and boarding management impressed me. A recommendation to an individual family must also consider French, mathematics and the intended degree. Choosing the opportunities to preserve, then a route the student can complete, is more useful than choosing a diploma name first.
See the school-to-university budget comparison when planning the complete period.
Discuss a plan with LEP
LEP provides school-fit assessment, school liaison, application assistance and family campus-visit bookings. Schools pay for this application support; students and parents pay no LEP service fee for it.
Tell us the student’s age, current curriculum and results, languages, intended start date, budget and the two questions that matter most to your family.
Sources
Checked 27 October 2026. School schedules retain their stated academic year; visit observations are by James Liu.
ETH — Swiss matriculation qualification; ETH — foreign qualifications; swissuniversities — IB admission requirements; EPFL — bachelor admission