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Universities in Sweden

If you want to find out more about universities in Sweden, we have compiled a list of some of the top universities and higher education providers in Sweden to browse in the list below. Click on universities you are interested in below to read more and to see what courses are available for international students.

Located in the Northern European region of Scandinavia, Sweden has a lot to offer international students, from its beautiful landscapes, high standard of living and education, the chance to study in English and relatively affordable tuition fees.

See also: Study in Sweden

The types of university

There are two main types of university in Sweden:

  • Universities (universitet). These include Lund University, Stockholm University and Linköping University. Universitet are public universities, with a focus on research output.
  • University colleges (högskolor). These include the Royal Institute of Art, Halmstad University and Linnaeus University. Högskolor tend to be more focused on the studies of applied sciences, and are restricted in their ability to award doctoral degrees.

The majority of Sweden’s universities are publicly funded, whilst there are also several private universities in Sweden such as the Stockholm School of Economics.

Popular Swedish cities for international students

There are several fascinating cities in Sweden that offer international students a range of different experiences. These include:

  • Stockholm – The capital city of Sweden, located in the south east of the country, Stockholm is a major European city and is host to several universities and university colleges.
  • Lund – Well located to explore Europe in the south in Sweden, Lund is dominated by the prestigious Lund University. 
  • Gothenburg – Located in the south east of the country, Gothenburg is highly multicultural and the second largest city in Sweden. It is known for its network of canals and is home to the University of Gothenburg.
  • Uppsala – Just north of Stockholm on the east of the country, the main draw for students is Uppsala University, which is highly prestigious and often well ranked in world university rankings.
  • Linköping – Located in central southern Sweden, Linköping is host to the prestigious Linköping University.
  • Malmo – If you are looking for a multicultural experience, Malmo is a city full of many nationalities. Located across the Øresund Bridge to Denmark, students will be interested in studying at Malmö University.

The top universities in Sweden

For one of the least populated countries in Europe, Sweden can boast of having excellent educational standards, with several highly ranked universities. 5 of Sweden’s universities feature in the top 200 in the Times Higher Education university rankings, including Karolinska Institute, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Lund University.

Table of the top ranked universities in Sweden

UniversityTimes Higher Education World University Ranking 2024Best Global UniversitiesQS World University Ranking
Karolinska Institute5051
KTH Royal Institute of Technology9724073
Lund University10611285
Uppsala University140127105
Stockholm University185127118
University of Gothenburg201-250146187
Linkoping University251-300330268
Chalmers University of Technology189337129
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences301-350356
Umea University401-500366465

We have compiled a list of some of the top universities and higher education providers in Sweden to browse below. Click on universities you are interested in below to read more and to see what courses are available for international students.

Highlighted courses in Sweden

Innovation and Design MSc

Mälardalen University Sweden

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Smart Mobility Data Science and Analytics MSc

EIT Urban Mobility Master School Sweden

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Software engineering and Management Bachelor's Programme Bachelor Degree

University of Gothenburg Sweden

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Tourism Studies, 1 year MA

Mid Sweden University Sweden

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Purchasing Logistics with a Global Perspective Summer Course

Jönköping University Sweden

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Study Programme in Mechanical Engineering Bachelor Degree

Karlstad University Sweden

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