University Hospital Zurich

9.80

Zurich, Switzerland

User Score	Rating	Price Range	Media Files	Certificates	Founded In	Beds	Patients	Departments	Clinical trials	Is University Hospital	Age Group	Type of Care	Size	Online Consultations
91%	9.8/10	$$$	64	11	1208	900	844800	2 medical units	Conduct clinical trials	Yes	Kids, Adults	Inpatient, Outpatient	Large	No

Overview

Size & Capacity

Large, 900 beds

Type of care

Inpatient, Outpatient

Age group

Kids, Adults

Certificates

Features & Facts

Top-10 general hospital worldwide

Newsweek’s ranking places the clinic 10th in the world and first in Switzerland; USZ has been ranked repeatedly, including 7th place in the inaugural 2020 global top-10 and 10th place again in the 2025 list.

One of the largest hospitals in Switzerland

USZ operates around 900 acute care beds and almost 300,000 inpatient care days per year, making it one of the largest hospitals in the country.

Complex 24/7 operations every day

Operational data published by USZ’s CIO shows the scale of daily activity: about 1,700 patients treated per day, some 80 operations performed, roughly 13,000 surgical instruments used, 11,900 rooms cleaned, around 10 tonnes of materials transported, and 5,000 meals prepared.

Major employer and teaching site

USZ employs more than 8,400 staff from around 90 nations in over 120 professions, including roughly 1,800 physicians and about 2,900 nursing professionals. It plays a central role in undergraduate and postgraduate training.

Intense transplant center

The Transplantation Center is one of the Swiss national hubs for organ transplantation: more than 1,000 liver transplants have been performed there to date, and 2023 was a record year.

Long-term survival after organ transplantation

For liver and other visceral organ transplants, USZ reports 1-year survival rates of around 90% and 5-year survival of about 80% since 2000, which it explicitly describes as above average compared with international benchmarks.

Low heart surgery mortality

For a cohort of high-risk cardiac surgery patients, the actual mortality in the USZ cardiac surgery clinic was 12.5%. In another defined subgroup in the same report, the observed mortality was 0%, illustrating significantly better results than risk models would suggest.

Recognized excellence

USZ departments are ranked among the top Swiss departments in their respective specialties, underscoring the hospital’s position as a national reference center in several highly specialized fields (e.g., neurosurgery and other complex disciplines).

Stroke center quality

The Stroke Center scored 125 out of a possible 129 points in an external evaluation and performed 148 mechanical thrombectomy procedures.

About the clinic

University Hospital Zurich is a major public university hospital in Switzerland. It is located in the city of Zurich and mainly serves the canton of Zurich, but also treats patients from all over Switzerland and from abroad. The Canton of Zurich owns the hospital and works very closely with the University of Zurich. Together with the university and with ETH Zurich, it combines patient care, education, and research. Medical students, nurses, and many other health professionals receive training there. At the same time, researchers test new treatments and study diseases in real clinical settings. In its current form, University Hospital Zurich has developed over the course of more than a century from the former Cantonal Hospital into a modern university hospital. The main buildings are situated close to the old town and the university district on the Zürichberg hillside. Over time, new buildings and centers have been added, including specialized institutes, outpatient centers, and research facilities. Older wards have been gradually renovated, and several new projects are underway to modernize operating theatres, intensive care units, and diagnostic areas. It is one of the largest university hospitals in Switzerland. It has many beds and thousands of employees, including doctors, nurses, therapists, researchers, and technical staff. Most patients come from the Zurich region for general and specialized care. However, people with rare or very complex diseases are also referred from other cantons and countries, as the hospital offers highly specialized services that are not widely available elsewhere. Many departments run specialized centers, for example, in heart and vascular medicine, cancer, neurology and neurosurgery, transplantation, intensive and emergency care, and complex surgery. University Hospital Zurich covers nearly all primary medical specialties in adult medicine and offers a wide range of interdisciplinary centers. Several units serve as national or international reference centers for specific rare conditions or highly specialized procedures. Because of its size and its strong links to academic research, the hospital plays a key role in clinical studies, medical innovation, and international collaborations. New diagnostic methods and therapies are often introduced there early, before they become standard practice in other hospitals. Together with the University of Zurich and other partners, University Hospital Zurich helps develop new ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease, while educating the next generation of health professionals and providing comprehensive, highly specialized patient care.

Departments & Doctors

Visceral, transplant surgery

Prof. Dr. Pierre Alain Clavien

hepatobilliary surgery, pancreatic & visceral surgery, surgical oncology, Whipple procedure

Dermatology

Prof. Dr. med. Jürg Hafner

dermatology, venereology, dermatosurgery, Mohs surgery, angiology & phlebology

Gallery

Extra services

Language Assistance

Parking Space

Pastoral Care

Intensive Care Unit

On-Site Pharmacy

Location

Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland

FAQ

What makes University Hospital Zurich unique in Switzerland?

University Hospital Zurich is one of the country’s largest tertiary university hospitals and, for many highly specialized services, the only or leading provider in Switzerland. It serves as a national referral center in numerous fields and is repeatedly ranked among the best hospitals worldwide. As a university hospital of the Canton of Zurich, it combines teaching, research, and specialized care. For many of the 140 Swiss hospital planning service groups, USZ is the designated provider.

What kinds of specialized treatments are available?

University Hospital Zurich offers nearly all primary medical specialties, including cancer care, heart and vascular medicine, neurology and neurosurgery, transplantation, intensive care, and complex surgery. Many departments act as national reference centers for rare or highly complex diseases.

Can relatives be involved in care?

Yes. Relatives are generally encouraged to participate in discussions about diagnosis, treatment, and discharge planning, provided the patient agrees. Visiting times and possibilities to stay nearby are designed to support close contact between patients and their families.