Tuition Fees of Universities in Sweden: Application Process and Cost of Living

You should choose to study on cheap tuition in Sweden, and you will find yourself living in a nation which has always exceeded expectations. Infact, it was the center of an empire in the 17th century, and later on became the home and birthplace of the Nobel Prize- its influence has long spread well beyond its borders, despite not having a total population that is bigger than a large city. Popular Swedish businesses such as Ikea and Volvo are renowned the world over, and its contributions to popular culture range from bouffant-haired 70s pop aristocrats ABBA to the groundbreaking films of director Ingmar Bergman.

Modern-day Sweden is known for its sense of social justice and fairness. It has the highest level of wealth equality in the world, one of the world’s lowest gender pay gaps, publically funded healthcare for all, and equal rights for homosexual and heterosexual couples. Add on striking northern European beauty, and free tuition for EU students (fees for non-EU students were introduced recently), and the appeal of studying in Sweden is pretty strong.

Swedish university admissions

For Swedish university admissions, you will have to use the centralized University Admissions application portal known as, Universityadmissions.se. University studies is free for Swedish citizens and citizens from EU countries. However, fees were recently introduced for non-EU citizens. These are determined individually by each university, and you should expect to pay fees between SEK90,000 and 150,000 (around US$10,560-17,595) depending on your courses. Non-EU students will be required to pay an application fee of SEK900 (US$106) – this remains the same no matter how many courses or programs you apply for.

Student visas for Sweden

If you do not hail from the EU/EEA:

You will need a residence permit to study in Sweden, which you can obtain from your local Swedish embassy. The application cost for both student residence permits and a permit to seek employment after finishing your studies in Sweden is SEK1,000 (US$117).
For you to obtain a study permit, you will have to prove you have been admitted onto a program that you have comprehensive health insurance and that you can take care of yourself for the duration of your program. Presently, you are expected to have SEK8,010 (around US$940) a month for at least 10 months for every year of your intended stay, in addition to your fees (the first instalment of which has to be paid before you’ll receive your student permit). You should have enough money for the whole period of study at the time of your initial application. The required amount is reduced if you are receiving free lodging or food, or if you have a scholarship funding.
Finally, you will be required to renew your permit annually.

Universities in Sweden

Lund University

Lund University is one of the oldest and most coveted universities in Northern Europe, and ranks joint 78th in the world. With a total student body size of 42,000, students constitute almost half the population of the city of Lund, 20% of whom hail from outside Sweden. The university works with 600 universities in more than 70 countries, both in research and in student exchange programs such as Erasmus.

KTH, Royal Institute of Technology

KTH is Sweden’s largest, oldest and most international polytechnic university and regarded as one of the best institutions in Europe. Based in the capital, Stockholm, it ranks joint 98th in the world, and is responsible for a third of Sweden’s research and engineering education, and has consistently ranked as one of the top 40 universities for engineering and technology subjects.

Uppsala University

Founded sometime in 1477, Uppsala University is the oldest tertiary institution in both Sweden and all Nordic countries. It came 112th in the QS World University Rankings of 2018 and houses 43,591 students. The university has a long history of prestigious education and explains why its a member of the Coimbra Group, an association of longstanding institutions of high repute.