There are 39 universities and specialist higher education colleges in Sweden, of which 24 currently offer Bachelor’s degrees taught in English.
All institutions are typically referred to as universities and they all have the ability to award Bachelor-level qualifications.
Currently, you can find around 70 Bachelor's degrees taught in English at Swedish universities. This number has remained relatively static for the last ten years or so. The universities with the most English-taught options are Lund University, Malmo University and Jonkoping University.
Completion of secondary education at advanced level, equivalent to passing the exam at the end of Swedish upper secondary school, is the basic requirement for entry to Swedish universities and university colleges. If you have A levels, you should be eligible for entry to a Swedish university although each university is free to determine its own entry requirements and you will need to contact each university directly to find out what these are. In some cases, the combination of subjects expected by Swedish universities can be surprising. For example, Lund University' BSc in Physical Geography & Ecosystem Science requires maths, physics, chemistry and biology at A level. Geography is not required.
The legal minimum for entry to a Swedish university can be difficult to define because all A’ level and GCSE grades will be converted into a Swedish Grade Point Average. This will be based on 3 GCSEs and 2 A’ levels even though most applicants are likely to have more than this. As long as mathematics and English language are represented within the five subjects, students only have to supply the best available grades. So, if you have three 9s at GCSE plus A*A* at A’ level (including maths and English) you should be able to achieve a perfect GPA. Your grades at GCSE and A’ level will be accorded the same importance. However, this is only the minimum for entry to Swedish university because you will probably also need to meet subject requirements for each degree programme. These will often be defined by a direct comparison to a Swedish equivalent qualification. As these requirements can quickly become quite complicated, please have a look at this example from Stockholm School of Economics and this more general explanation from Universityadmissions.se.
BTECs and Access to Higher Education diplomas can also be used to meet the general education requirements but might not be considered suitable for all universities.
Admission to all undergraduate education is limited. All study programs and courses have a fixed number of places, which are usually exceeded by the number of applicants. Every university and university college has its own procedure for selecting among eligible applicants. The criteria applied include: grades obtained, results from previous courses, assessment of work samples, interview results, special admission tests and work experience. These criteria vary from institution to institution.
Swedish universities utilise a centralised application organisation called www.universityadmissions.se. This means that you only have to submit your documentation once and it will then be passed on to the universities. You can apply to up to 8 Bachelor’s programmes at a time and you will be asked to rank them in accordance with your preference.
There are two application windows in Sweden but only the first should be used by international (non-EU) applicants. This window opens in mid-October and closes on 1st February for degrees starting in August. International students are not forbidden from applying in the second round, but it is possible that English-taught programmes will already be full by then. Students applying in the second round will only be notified of their success in July, giving insufficient time to secure a visa if required.
Students applying in the first round will receive offers or rejections in April. University Admissions recommends that students in the final year of high school, who do not yet have their final grades, should not apply until after they have completed their studies and received their results. It seems that individual Swedish universities may not be of the same opinion as shown in the document from Stockholm School of Economics that we linked to above.
There is one Swedish university, Jonkoping University, that has its own direct application system. In this case, the deadline for applying is extended to 2ndMay. However, you could still choose to apply via universityadmissions.se to this university.
There is an application fee of SEK 900 for non-EU nationals. This covers all your applications. EU nationals are not required to pay this but will have to prove their status by submitting their passport/identity card details.
Once your application is complete, the details will be passed to your chosen universities who will then evaluate your application based on the specific pre-requisites each degree programme might have. You will be updated on the progress of your application in the University Admissions portal and not by the individual universities.
Swedish universities do not charge tuition fees for EU students. Even private universities such as Jonkoping University do not charge tuition fees.
Tuition fees for non-EU nationals vary for every degree programme but are usually in a range between SEK 90,000 and SEK 200,000 per year.
Living costs in Sweden depend largely on your individual lifestyle. A sample monthly budget is as follows:
Food | SEK 2,700 |
Accommodation | SEK 4,700 |
Local travel (bus only) | SEK 500 |
Telephone/internet | SEK 400 |
Insurance, medical care and hygiene | SEK 500 |
Hobby/leisure, miscellaneous | SEK 2,000 |
Total | SEK 10,800 (GBP 800) |
These figures are based on information published on the official Study in Sweden website. Accommodation is presented as an average. Big cities such as Stockholm and Gothenburg are likely to be significantly more expensive.
British nationals will need to obtain a residence permit and a student visa. This process is relatively straightforward but can take some time to arrange.
If you have an EU passport you can work while you are a student.
There are also no restrictions on non-EU nationals, in contrast to many other countries. However, the practicality of fitting work around your studies means that you are unlikely to earn enough to cover all your living costs.
Once you arrive register at your local Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) and they will issue a 10-digit personal identity number (personnummer) if your course is longer than a year, or a coordination number (samordningsnummer) for a 1-year stay.
Student accommodation in Sweden is not managed by universities. However, most universities have information about local student housing companies and organisations and give students advice on how to sign up with them. You might find some private options on housing websites run by student unions.
Monthly rent ranges between SEK 2,500 and SEK 6,500 (£190 - £501).
Swedish bank SEB has a special offer allowing international students to open a bank account without a Swedish personal identity number. You only need to present a certificate from your university and your passport at a SEB local branch office.
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A Star Future provides information and guidance to British students looking to pursue their undergraduate studies abroad.
Through our presentations in schools and our websites we aim to ensure that British-educated students are well informed about their choices.
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