Additive manufacturing can enable the fabrication of hierarchical, geometrical, and thin-walled ceramic objects. Zirconia has high thermal stability, good resistance to corrosion and chemicals and found use in several applications, such as dental and surgical implants, and composite cell scaffolds, that necessitate biocompatibility. To produce high density, good accuracy, and low shrinkage zirconia-based structures, we have studied the colloidal stability of aqueous suspensions of 3% mol yttria stabilized zirconia nanoparticles (ZNPs) in the presence of a single additive. This additive, a grafted poly(carboxy ether)(PCE)-based copolymer, was specifically tailored for ZNPs to harness electrostatic stabilization and steric hindrance to optimize the loading of ZNPs and the use of this suspension in extrusion-based 3D printing. We synthesized a matrix of PCE-based copolymers with different comonomer ratios and side chain density to determine the optimum copolymer for a stable dispersion. We have carried out rheological characterization to realize an ink formulation with highest purity.