The 20 best universities in Scandinavia - 2025 rankings

Author: 50�Ȼ� Team — Last update: 13 January 2025

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. Ready to learn more?

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🌍 Why you should study in Scandinavia:

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.

Seven 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.

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.

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🏆 The best universities in Scandinavia in 2025 - world rankings:

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 University World ranking, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities ( or “Shanghai Ranking”).

University	Country	QS	THE	ARWU
KTH Royal Institute of Technology	Sweden	74	95	201-300
Lund University	Sweden	75	95	101-150
University of Copenhagen (KU)	Denmark	100	97	32
Uppsala University	Sweden	103	130	88
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)	Denmark	109	124	151-200
Aalto University	Finland	113	196	401-500
University of Helsinki	Finland	117	107	99
University of Oslo	Norway	119	116	72
Stockholm University	Sweden	128	191	101-150
Chalmers University of Technology	Sweden	139	201-250	401-500
Aarhus University	Denmark	144	110	80
University of Gothenburg	Sweden	194	201-250	101-150
Norwegian University of Science and Technology	Norway	264	301-350	151-200
University of Bergen	Norway	291	251-300	201-300
Linköping University	Sweden	304	201-250	301-400
Aalborg University (AAU)	Denmark	306	251-300	401-500
University of Southern Denmark (SDU)	Denmark	324	251-300	301-400
University of Oulu	Finland	344	251-300	401-500
University of Turku	Finland	375	301-350	401-500
Umeå University	Sweden	456	351-400	501-600

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

💸 Typical tuition fees for international students:

Tuition fees for international students in Scandinavia can vary depending on the country and the specific university or programme, with some tuition-free options available for mainly European students. Here is an overview:

Denmark:

Universities in Denmark are free for students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Non-EU/EEA students are required to pay tuition fees, which can range from €8,000 to €18,000 per year.

Finland:

Finland does not charge tuition fees for students from EU/EEA countries.
Tuition fees in Finland for non-EU/EEA range from €6,000 to €20,000 per year, depending on the level of study and programme.

Iceland:

Tuition fees at public universities in Iceland are generally free for students from the EEA.
Non-EEA may need to pay tuition fees of approximately €7,000 to €25,000 per year.

Norway:

For a long time, studying in Norway used to be free for all students regardless of nationality.
Since autumn 2023, that only applies to citizens of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, while all others have to pay tuition fees.

Sweden:

If you have a passport from a country of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you are eligible to study in Sweden for free.
Sweden introduced tuition fees for non-EU/EEA students in 2011. These can vary widely, ranging from €8,000 to €18,000 per year.

It's important to double check with each university and programme for the most recent information, since prices tend to change every year. Additionally, some universities in Scandinavia may provide tuition waivers or scholarships to international students.

💬 English requirements to study in Scandinavia:

For English-taught programmes, students are typically required to demonstrate English proficiency through standardized tests such as TOEFL or IELTS. The exact scores are different not only between universities, but also can differ between programmes.

50�Ȼ� Tip: Some institutions may accept alternative tests or consider previous education if it was in English, so make sure to contact the admissions department to have all documents ready.

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