EPFL Master's Excellence Fellowships 2026: Deadline, Eligibility, Benefits

EPFL's Master's Excellence Fellowships support a limited number of outstanding students admitted to any master's programme at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, regardless of field. Anyone applying to an EPFL master's programme is eligible to be considered, including students changing field between bachelor's and master's, but candidates who already hold a master's degree or are currently enrolled in one are excluded, and each student may apply to only one programme per year. Selection is based on academic excellence, prior qualifications and motivation, since the number of fellowships awarded each round is limited to the most deserving candidates. The fellowship is worth CHF 10,000 per semester, for a maximum of four semesters, and external candidates coming to EPFL from another institution also receive a reserved room in EPFL student housing. To keep the fellowship beyond the first year, recipients must achieve an average grade of at least 5.0 and earn a minimum of 50 credits. The award cannot be combined with other substantial scholarships, and applicants must declare any other scholarship support they receive. External and field-changing candidates apply by 15 December for the first round or 31 March for a second round; EPFL's own students applying within the same field have slightly later internal deadlines of 31 January and 15 April.