Sweden is highly ranked on several important indices for students and residents. Some highlights include:
There are three main kinds of Higher Education Institutions in Sweden:
Together, these Institutions offer first, second, and third cycles of higher education to their students. The shortest long term degrees are one year long, and the longest degrees are usually professional in nature, and last five years.
University Colleges in Sweden offer two-year Diploma programs for students who have completed a course of secondary high school education. These are designed to give students the professional qualifications needed to join a full-time job in the industry, while still giving them enough academic exposure to rejoin the higher education system at a later stage. Higher Education Diplomas in Sweden require the completion of 120 credits, as compared to Bachelor’s degrees, which normally have 180 credits.
The most common undergraduate program in Sweden leads to the award of a Bachelor’s degree. They normally last three years, though students can choose to complete their 180 credits early or take up additional courses to earn Honours degrees. Bachelor’s degrees focus on fundamental coursework and an appreciation of the overall context of the chosen undergraduate major. The Swedish higher education system is highly flexible; which means that many students only choose their major in their junior undergraduate (third) year. They are therefore able to make informed choices about their Bachelor’s thesis once they know more about their subject and have completed more than 15 courses.
Professional Bachelor’s degrees may last between 3 and 5 years and include a practical training component where students spend at least one semester working with a company.
Master’s degrees in Sweden can last either one or two years. The one-year postgraduate degree acts as an extension to the undergraduate qualification and is either a Thesis year that fits on top of an existing Honours degree, or a program that focuses on coursework rather than guided research.
Master’s degrees in Sweden that last two years are very similar to postgraduate degrees in other countries. The coursework is carefully chosen to ensure specialisation in one area of the overall discipline, and the Master’s Thesis introduces the student to basic research techniques and data analysis.
There are two kinds of degrees in the third cycle of University education in Sweden. The Licentiate degree is intermediate between Master’s and Doctoral qualifications; it lasts two years and its graduates are ready to start full-time research towards a PhD.
Doctoral degree programs in Sweden either last 4 years for Master’s graduates or 2 to 3 years for Licentiate degree holders. PhD candidates in Sweden are expected to carry out original research leading to a Thesis defence. There are almost 18,000 Doctoral students studying in Swedish universities, carrying out cutting-edge research in several different fields of science, technology, the arts, and the humanities.
The country has various universities that offer approximately all the disciplines of study. Some of the popular disciplines available in Sweden are-
Product Design | Renewable Energy | Graphic and Computer Aided Design |
Peace and Conflict Studies | Artificial Intelligence | International Relations |
Textile Design | Communication Technology | Analytical Finance |
Chamber Music | Data Mining | Game Design |
Landscape Management | Visual Communication | European History |
Tourism Management | Industrial Engineering | Fashion Design |
Here are some popular cities that have the most universities in Sweden.
The Name of the City | No. of Universities |
Stockholm | 8 |
Uppsala | 3 |
Gaevle | 2 |
Gothenburg | 1 |
Umea | 1 |
Linkoping | 1 |
Solna | 1 |
Karlstad | 1 |
Malmo | 1 |
Orebro | 1 |
Ostersund | 1 |
Vaxjo | 1 |
Monthly living costs vary widely based on the city in which the student is based and on the type of accommodation. On average, student housing costs between 350 and 500 Euros per month, with monthly rents in smaller cities setting 20% - 30% below this amount. Food costs add up to approximately 200 Euros per month, and transport, phone, internet, and shopping costs rarely exceed 250 Euros per month.
When applying for a Residence Permit, students must show records of a bank account with a balance equivalent to 850 Euros per month to meet the average living costs in a Swedish city.
Tuition fees in Swedish Universities are substantially higher than those in many other highly-ranked European Universities. They vary widely by type of course, but the average annual tuition fees for undergraduates are usually above 4,000 Euros per year, and certain Master’s programs are associated with tuition fees that are above 10,000 Euros per year. Most international students in Sweden need to apply for scholarships to pay all or part of their tuition fee.
Applications for long-term Swedish student visas are normally submitted online, through the Study in Sweden Government website. However, they can also be submitted physically to the nearest Swedish embassy. The following forms and documents must be uploaded as part of the process.
The status of the online student visa application can be tracked via the website; upon receiving an email if the application is successful, students can travel to the nearest Swedish Embassy or Consulate and collect the visa and Residence Permit. After reaching Sweden, the student must visit the Swedish Migration Agency to submit biometric information and be photographed. Resident Permits are usually issued for a year at a time and have to be renewed annually.