Guide: How to study in Sweden in English

Author: Study.eu Team — Last update: 16 August 2022

Sweden is an attractive country to study abroad: There are around 40 universities where you can study in English, and they offer around 1,000 different study programmes in English. Every year, Sweden attracts nearly 40,000 students from abroad.

Study in Sweden for a full degree, or as an exchange student?

Studying in Sweden is possible both for a full degree, or - if you are enrolled in another country - as an exchange student for one semester. The English requirements (see below) usually apply to both full-degree and exchange students.

As a degree-seeking student, you need to choose the universities and study programmes you are interested in and then submit your application through the centralised Swedish admissions system. If you plan to start your studies in the autumn (i.e. September), the deadlines for the first rounds of applications are usually already in January.

The easiest exchange programme for most students is Erasmus+, which is available to all students in the EU or EEA as well as a range of partner countries. Other than that, your local university might have agreements with Swedish universities. Ask your local international officer for details.

Are there tuition fees at universities in Sweden?

Citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland do not have to pay tuition fees and can study in Sweden for free. Students who are coming to Sweden in a student exchange programme also do not have to pay tuition fees (unless their home university requires it).

However, citizens from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland may have to pay tuition fees. The amount depends on the university and programme. Annual tuition fees are typically in the following ranges:

between 80,000 SEK (8,000 EUR) and 110,000 SEK (11,000 EUR) for Social Sciences degrees,
between 120,000 SEK (12,000 EUR) and 150,000 SEK (15,000 EUR) for Technology and Engineering degrees,
between 190,000 (19,000 EUR) and 270,000 SEK (27,000 EUR) for Architecture and Design degrees.

What TOEFL or IELTS test scores do you need to study in Sweden in English?

Proficiency in English is an important admissions requirement when you plan to apply to university in Sweden. If English is not your mother tongue, you may therefore have to take an English test, and submit your English test score with your university application.

Luckily, the application process in Sweden is centrally organised, and the English requirements you will have to meet are easy to understand. Generally, all major English tests are accepted: IELTS Academic, TOEFL, Cambridge and Pearson PTE.

Most universities set their English requirements to levels they call “English 5”, “English 6” or “English 7”, which relates to how English is taught in the Swedish school system. “English 6” (sometimes also called “English B”) is by far the most common requirement to study in Sweden in an English-language Masters or Bachelors degree programme. If you know the level required by the university, you can easily find out the required English test scores.

“English 5” corresponds to at least:

an IELTS score of 5.5 (with no section below 5.0),
a TOEFL PBT score of 4.0 in the written test with an overall score of 530,
a TOEFL iBT score of 17 in the written test with an overall score of 72,
the Cambridge English First Certificate in English (“FCE”) grade A, B or C,
a Person PTE Academic score of 47.

“English 6” corresponds to at least:

an IELTS score of 6.5 (with no section below 5.5),
a TOEFL PBT score of 4.5 in the written test with an overall score of 575,
a TOEFL iBT score of 20 in the written test with an overall score of 90,
the Cambridge English Certificate in Advanced English (“CAE”),
a Person PTE Academic score of 62 (writing 61).

“English 7” corresponds to at least:

an IELTS score of 7.0 (with no section below 6.0),
a TOEFL PBT score of 4.5 in the written test with an overall score of 600,
a TOEFL iBT score of 20 in the written test with an overall score of 100,
the Cambridge English Certificate of Proficiency in English (“CPE”),
a Person PTE Academic score of 68 (writing 61).

With very few exceptions, almost all universities in Sweden require English test scores as listed above under “English 6”. The following overview shows examples of what TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic scores are required by some Swedish universities for their Master’s programmes:

University	Required IELTS score	Required TOEFL score
Chalmers University of Technology	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5	total of 90, with 20 in written test
Jönköping University	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5	total of 90, with 20 in written test
Karolinska Institutet	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5	total of 90, with 20 in written test
KTH Royal Institute of Technology	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5	total of 90, with 20 in written test
Linnaeus University	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5	total of 90, with 20 in written test
Lund University	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5 for some programmes; overall score 7.0 (no section below 6.0) for other programmes	total of 90, with 20 in written test for some programmes; total of 100, with 20 in written test for other programmes
Malmö University	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5	total of 90, with 20 in written test
Södertörn University	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5 for most programmes	total of 90, with 20 in written test for most programmes
Stockholm School of Economics	overall 7.0	total of 100
Stockholm University	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5	total of 90, with 20 in written test
Umeå University	overall score 6.5 (no section below 5.5) for some programmes; overall score 5.5 (no section below 5.0) for other programmes	total of 90, with 20 in written test for some programmes; total of 72 with 17 in written test for other programmes
University of Gothenburg	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5	total of 90, with 20 in written test
Uppsala University	overall 6.5, no section below 5.5 for most programmes	total of 90, with 20 in written test for most programmes

In some cases, you do not need to take an English test. Most notably, these exceptions are:

During your previous studies in the EU/EEA, you already attained at least 60 ECTS credit points in courses that were given in English; or you attained 60 credit points in English-taught courses in the United Kingdom, USA, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand, or the English-speaking parts of Canada.
Students from Africa - you have a 3-year Bachelor's degree from one of the following African countries: Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Students from India or Pakistan - you have a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science or Computer Applications, Medicine, Pharmacy, Natural Sciences or Technology - unless it is documented that the language of instruction was not English.

Where to find study programmes in Sweden?

You can find Bachelors, Masters or PhD programmes in Sweden with our search function.

Do you need to know or speak any Swedish?

No, you don’t need to! Swedish people are among the most proficient English-speakers in Europe: If you speak English, you will have absolutely no trouble communicating with locals in Sweden. In fact, many Swedes will be delighted if they can try their English on you. You can even find a job after graduation without speaking Swedish, especially in large cities like Stockholm or Gothenburg. That said, Swedish is a relatively easy language to learn, and if you spend a year or more in the country, you should give it a try!

835 Programmes in Sweden

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