Applying for a Bachelor’s degree in Sweden (2026)
Sweden is home to some of the world's leading universities - free of charge for EU/EEA citizens
Stockholm by Magnus Johansson, CC BY-SA 2.0, modified
 |
|
|---|---|
| 19 | universities offer Bachelors in Sweden in English |
| 71 | Bachelors are available |
Located in Northern Europe, Sweden is a great choice for international students interested in pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English. Its universities are known for their strong academic standards and global reputation, while the study experience emphasises creativity, critical thinking, and independence.
Sweden’s admissions process is clear and well-organised, which makes it a great option if you’re looking to study your Bachelor in a modern, international environment.
The official Study.eu database lists nearly 100 Bachelors in Sweden that are fully taught in English. Find yours today!
Study.eu is the recommended platform to prepare for your application to Bachelors in Sweden.
First things first: If you're not a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you can usually only apply if you already finished school.
Here's why: There are two application rounds; one in January and one in April. Universities cannot give a conditional offer (meaning: under the condition that you finish school with certain grades) to anyone who applied in the January round, with very few exceptions. But citizens from outside of the EU/EEA/Switzerland need to apply already by the mid-January deadline. And that means they usually cannot start a Bachelor in Sweden in the same year that they finish school.
That situation is different for citizens of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, because if you're from these countries, you can apply in both rounds, and if you apply in the second round (in April) you can be given a conditional offer. We provide details on the deadlines below.
Before applying, it’s important to check whether you need to pay tuition fees and how much to budget for your studies.
If you’re a citizen of the EU, EEA, Switzerland, or another Nordic country, you won’t have to pay tuition fees for a Bachelor’s programme in Sweden.
For students from outside these countries, tuition fees do apply. For Bachelor’s degrees, they usually range from around SEK 80,000 to 250,000 per year (approximately €8,000 to €25,000), depending on the university and programme.
In Sweden, Bachelor’s applications are normally handled through the national portal Universityadmissions.se, where you can submit one application for multiple programmes at the same time.
There are only few private universities in Sweden, and their process may differ: They may use their own application system and/or follow different deadlines. Check the university websites or ask admissions staff if you are unsure what’s correct.
To complete your application, you’ll generally need:
You are able to pick up to eight Bachelor programmes to apply to, at the same time. You are supposed to rank these, and the order of your choices matters! The system first checks if you meet the requirements for your top choice; if there’s a place available, that’s the offer you’ll get, and it's also the only one you will get! If you don’t qualify for your top choice, it moves on to your second choice, then your third, and so on. In other words: Put your most-wanted choice at the top, and your “safety schools” lower.
Once you’ve chosen and ranked all Bachelors, it’s time to submit your application. There are two separate application rounds for an autumn semester start:
You then usually have two weeks to upload any missing documents. If you’re not a citizen of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you now also need to pay the application fee of 900 SEK (ca. €80).
There are scholarships to study in Sweden in English that cover tuition fees in full or in part, but they are rare. Ask the university admissions staff to learn about the options you have. The Swedish Institute (Si) may also grant access to government-funded scholarships for living costs, but getting one of these is difficult.
Almost all scholarships are only available to fee-paying students (= those from outside the EU/EEA) and not those that can study tuition-free.
If you’re from the EU, EEA, Switzerland, or another Nordic country, you don’t need a visa or residence permit to study in Sweden.
For students from other countries, you’ll usually need a student residence permit to study a Bachelor’s degree. In some cases, you may also need a visa to enter Sweden. You can apply for the permit after receiving an acceptance letter from a Swedish university. As part of your application, you’ll need to show that you can support yourself financially during your studies.
For guidance on the process, check with your university’s admissions office or the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket).
In Sweden, student housing is usually organised separately from the universities, though most institutions have a housing office or support team to assist international students.
Common options include a single room in a student corridor with a shared kitchen or a room in a shared student apartment. You can also look for private rentals, but in many Swedish cities such as Stockholm or Malmö, finding a place can be competitive, so it’s a good idea to start your search early. Make use of the resources and advice offered by your university to make the process easier.
After you’ve secured your place at a Swedish university, the next step is getting to Sweden. Most international flights arrive in major airports such as Stockholm Arlanda or Gothenburg Landvetter; and for university cities in Southern Sweden, you may also consider flights to Copenhagen (Denmark) and then continue via train.
From the airport, it’s usually quite easy to get to different cities, since there are trains or buses connecting most airports to student areas. Don’t forget to check the schedules ahead of time and plan how you’ll get to your accommodation, especially if you’re arriving late or have a lot of luggage.
It’s also a good idea to familiarise yourself with local transport options, weather conditions, and cultural norms, so you can settle in smoothly.
Bachelor’s programmes in Sweden typically take three years of full-time study.
Fees for Bachelor’s in Sweden range from around 80,000 to 250,000 SEK per year (ca. €8,000 to €25,000) for non-EU/EEA students, while EU/EEA and Swiss students study for free.
Ready to study in Sweden?
