The 20 best universities in Scandinavia - 2020 rankings

For many international students, studying in Scandinavia is a life-changing, highly rewarding experience - and they are sure to receive a notable, world-class education. The four Scandinavian countries - i.e. Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden - are known for their highly advanced educational systems.

In the table below, you can find the top 20 universities in Scandinavia, based on most recent data provided by the major international rankings: the Times Higher Education ranking (THE), the QS University World ranking, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU or “Shanghai Ranking”).

The best universities in Scandinavia - world rankings

University	Country	QS	THE	ARWU
University of Copenhagen (KU)	Denmark	72	116	29
Lund University	Sweden	92	98	101
KTH Royal Institute of Technology	Sweden	98	187	201
University of Helsinki	Finland	107	99	57
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)	Denmark	112	163	151
Uppsala University	Sweden	116	87	63
University of Oslo	Norway	119	121	62
Aalto University	Finland	134	181	301
Chalmers University of Technology	Sweden	140	201	201
Aarhus University (AU)	Denmark	145	123	65
University of Bergen	Norway	163	197	201
Stockholm University	Sweden	191	153	77
University of Gothenburg	Sweden	256	201	101
University of Turku	Finland	287	351	301
Aalborg University (AAU)	Denmark	324	194	201
Linköping University	Sweden	324	351	301
Umeå University	Sweden	340	301	401
University of Jyväskylä	Finland	346	401	601
Norwegian University of Science and Technology	Norway	359	351	101
University of Southern Denmark (SDU)	Denmark	372	251	301

Six of the twenty universities rank among the world’s top 100 in at least one ranking, and they are spread out across all four Scandinavian countries. Many of these top universities, such as Lund University, the University of Helsinki or Uppsala University, offer a large variety of programmes for many different areas of study. You are sure to find the study programme that suits your needs - and with a degree from these universities, you set the course for a great career in academics or business.

Find study programmes in Scandinavia

While not all universities in the list made it into the global top 100, their academic quality is notable, and you can expect some of the best educational offerings that you can receive around the world. The University of Oslo, for example, has a wide range of research programmes ranging from entrepreneurship to physics, and is known for the Nobel laureates it spawned over the years. As the second oldest university in Denmark, Aarhus University is known as a very international school with a large variety of programmes, hosting over 1,000 international students per year in both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

To study in Scandinavia does not only mean obtaining a world-class education at some of Europe’s finest universities. It also means being exposed to rich cultural influences in an exciting region. If you are hard-pressed on making a choice among so many attractive universities and cities, you should not fear to miss out: You can always explore the region with short train or boat trips and get to know the surrounding countries, as well.

You want to study in Scandinavia and learn more about their top ranked universities? Then check out the full rankings for Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

For the full global rankings statistics, read more on the official sites:

This article was last updated on 9 August 2019.

Our multi-national team has done extensive research to provide you with detailed and correct information. The content is regularly checked and kept up-to-date.