Application and tuition fees

Application and tuition fees apply to students who are not citizens of a EU country, EEA country or Switzerland. The fees apply only to bachelor’s and master’s programmes and courses, while PhD programmes are tuition-free. Universities set their own fees, and these vary between SEK 80,000–140,000 per academic year for most subjects. However, programmes in the fields of medicine and art have notably higher fees. The fee for the Universityadmissions.se application to Swedish universities for fee paying students is SEK 900.

Scholarships are also available for studies in Sweden. The Swedish Institute (publisher of Studyinsweden.se) administers several of these. More information is available in our section Scholarships. Additionally, Swedish universities themselves also offer scholarships directly to non-EU/EEA students.

Please note: The above fees only apply to citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, and if these students are not part of a bilateral agreement or exchange between universities. You can read more about in which cases fees are applicable at Universityadmissions.se.

Insurance

If you are a fee-paying student (see above), the university to which you are accepted may provide you with free insurance during your enrolment in a study programme. Furthermore, if your study programme is longer than one year, you are entitled to the same health benefits as Swedes. See our article on Medical insurance & care for more information.

Student union fees

Students usually join the local student union and pay a membership fee. Fees range from SEK 50–350 per semester, depending on the union.

Literature and textbooks

The required reading is often extensive and students usually have to buy their own books as library copies are limited. Teachers also prepare and hand out their own compendiums.

On average, students can expect to spend SEK 750 per month on books in an academic semester. With some subjects such as law and natural sciences, this figure is likely to be higher. Many student unions organise book sales where students can buy used textbooks cheaply.

Living expenses

In addition to university fees, you will need to cover your living expenses during your study period, which amount to approximately SEK 7,300 per month. This is a requirement for acquiring a residence permit.