Just across the road from the University of Zurich is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich). As Albert Einstein’s early academic stomping grounds, ETH Zurich was ranked as the best school in continental Europe in the 2008-2009 academic year by QS, and the 20th best school in the world. The university specializes in physics, science, mathematics and engineering.
École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Paris is considered one of the best schools in the world. Founded in 1794, the university specializes in mathematics and boasts 12 Nobel Prizes among its alumni. Ninety-seven percent of École Normale Supérieure graduates were employed in their field of study as of 2010. ENS was ranked the second-best school in continental Europe and was ranked as the 28th best university in the world in 2009.
Ranked at third in continental Europe and 36th in the world in 2008-2009, École Polytechnique focuses on science and technology. Its graduates include Nicolas Leonard Sadi Carnot, the founder of the field of thermodynamics, and Nobel Prize-winning economist Maurice Allais. École Polytechnique boasts major projects such as France’s high-speed train and nuclear reactor systems, and Airbus planes.
With a focus on biomedicine, life sciences, engineering and IT, the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne was ranked by QS as the fourth-best school in continental Europe and 42nd in the world in the 2008-2009 school year. The school also boasts one of the best architectural programs in Europe. The school was founded in 1853 and is a part of the University of Lausanne. The campus overlooks the Swiss Alps and Lake Geneva.
With more than 30,000 students, the University of Amsterdam has a broad academic program that supports most fields of study, from arts and humanities to engineering and IT. The university came in fifth on the QS list of best universities in continental Europe in the 2008-2009 academic year and 49th-best university in the world. Originally specializing in trade and philosophy, the University of Amsterdam has students and staff from more than 80 countries around the world.