To study in Sweden without worrying about tuition fees, you have to look in the right place, especially if you’re an international student. Some Sweden universities indeed offer tuition-free programs, but not all students are eligible to study for free in these universities.
If you are looking for the best free higher institution in Sweden, you need to first keep in mind that the European country is a member of the EU and so, the tuition-free rules for nationals apply to citizens from the EU/EEA, other Nordic countries, and Switzerland.
For this reason, Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in most of the public universities in Sweden a free for only EU/EEA & Switzerland citizens. However, Ph.D. programs, are free for all students irrespective of origin.
We have reviewed some of the best universities in Sweden that are currently offering tuition-free education to EU/EEA & Switzerland citizens and then scholarship and tuition waiver programs for international students.
List of the best free universities in Sweden
The average tuition cost in a Sweden university for a non-EU/EEA student is roughly between 7,500 – 25,500 EUR/year for a Bachelor’s or Master’s program while specialized courses, such as MBAs, can cost 31,000 EUR/year. So it varies by the university and disciplines you choose.
But if you want to study without worrying about tuition expenses, here are the best Sweden universities to look at:
- Lund University
- Jönköping University
- The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Uppsala University
- Örebro University
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Lund University
Tuition at Lund University is free, however only students from non-EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens are required to pay tuition fees which, by the way, is incredibly affordable (between SEK 80,000 and SEK 140,000 per academic year for most subjects) bachelor’s and master’s programs as well as courses.
In other words, the doctoral programs at Lund University are free of tuition to both local and international students.
Meanwhile, the university is one of Sweden’s oldest and most prestigious. Graduates from this university move on to secure high-paying jobs or internships in their respective fields of study.
Jönköping University
Another fantastic higher institution option for students looking to study for free in Sweden is Jönköping University or JU for short.
The Swedish university college does not charge any tuition fee for its doctoral programs. However, if you’re a non-EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen, you will be required to pay tuition fees for some subjects per academic year.
The school also has an application fee but students eligible for free tuition are not required to pay these.
Meanwhile, to get admission into JU, you need to first register as a member of the university’s student.
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Admission Requirement Page
- The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Free tuition Page
The only tuition fees paid at The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences are for the bachelor’s and master’s programs and they are for only non-EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens. The doctoral programs are offered free as other courses.
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences or SLU for short is one of the prominent universities in Sweden with its headquarters in Ultuna, Uppsala,
SLU has different campuses around the country and is known for its academic facilities and strong reputation in research of Agriculture and technology. Despite being a tuition-free university for Swedish students, the university requires an application fee.
Uppsala University
Uppsala University isn’t just iconic for its free education. The university is the oldest operating higher education institution in all the Nordic countries.
Sitting among the top 100 universities of the world, Uppsala University offers free education for its doctoral programs while non-EU students pay tuition for bachelor’s and master’s programs. While the fees are affordable, there are also scholarship programs for overseas students that allow them to study for free.
Uppsala University also accepts application fees, despite being tuition-free.
Örebro University
Tuition at Örebro University is free but non-EU, EEA or Swizz citizens are fee-paying students and required to afford the cost of bachelor’s and master’s programs but the doctoral program is free for both local and international students.
The Örebro University is a popular higher education option in Sweden and it’s one of the best operating currently. We would recommend this university for international students looking to pay little fees for tuition or stand a chance to win a scholarship that helps them settle the financial cost of education here.
Meanwhile, the scholarship opportunities are for high-performing applicants.
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology Admission Requirement Page
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology Free tuition Page
If you are looking to study in the Stockholm part of Sweden, then the KTH Royal Institute of Technology might be what you are looking for.
It is a public university that offers free education for its doctoral programs while fee-paying students settle the cost of master’s and bachelor’s programs.
The university accepts admission application fees also.
Final thoughts
Remember that tuition-free education in Sweden is only expressly available for students who possess travel documents from the European Union/European Economic Area or Switzerland.
Since more than a decade ago, the Swedish government has levied tuition fees on students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland who hold a passport from a country other than Sweden, Finland, Norway, or Iceland.
So international students looking to study in Sweden without worrying about tuition fees have limited options. The silver lining is that they only have to look at universities that offer financial aid or scholarship opportunities that settle the education cost.
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