study in Sweden

What makes Sweden a leading study destination!

Sweden is known for its liberal culture, infrastructure, and its social system. People in Sweden enjoy an extremely high standard of living. The citizens enjoy many benefits and perks, which include free education, subsidized healthcare and a well built and well-maintained infrastructure that they use on an almost daily basis.

International Students

Sweden has been gaining popularity as a study destination for International students in the last decade. According to latest reports, the number of applications to study in Swedish universities has seen a steady increase in the last 10 years. The percentage of Non-EU students studying in Sweden has also seen a year-on-year increase.

Universities in Sweden

Science & Technology have been the driving forces of the Swedish economy. The Swedish economy has also witnessed the origins of some of the leading global brands such as IKEA, H&M etc. Most countries that can boast of such feats usually have one thing in common i.e. a high-quality education system. Sweden has some of the top ranked universities in the world, especially when it comes to the fields of science and technology.

The Swedish higher education space provides high-quality education across streams. The education sector in Sweden is known for its collaboration with both the industry and government. It places high emphasis on practical and applied learning.

Along with the public universities and the public university colleges, there are also independent private institutions that are known for their quality of education, particularly in the science and technology space. Universities and other educational institutions have a unique pedagogical system that ensures that the students not only gain subject expertise, but also develop other skills such as working in groups, solving real-life complex work issues, adapting to difficult situations and other soft skills that are essential for the global workforce of tomorrow.

Students pursuing their academic qualifications in Sweden also get the benefit of working part-time, as long as they are allocating 40 hours to their studies each week.

Due to these reasons, Sweden has seen a steady rise in the number of students looking to pursue higher education in Sweden.

Universities in Sweden feature consistently in the global university rankings that include the QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Given the diversity of courses, and the consistent high quality of academic rigour there are multiple options available for international students looking to pursue higher education in Sweden.

Some of the top universities in Sweden that feature prominently on the ranking and are extremely popular among students include Uppsala University, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University.

Other highly ranked universities include Lund University, University of Gothenburg, Örebro University and Chalmers University, the list goes on. These have been home to many Nobel Laureates and successful global entrepreneurs. Uppsala University alone has been associated with 15 individuals who have won the Nobel Prize. Universities in Sweden have always emphasized on developing skills that can help students meet and overcome the challenges of the world outside of the university. This offers an added incentive for international students to study in Sweden

The Universities in Sweden play a vital role in the development of the country, as they collaborate and participate in various research and projects with governments as well as with industries. This offers a student to get a lot of practical and first-hand experience of the job market.

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There are more than 40,000 international students studying a diverse range of courses in Sweden. According to the latest compiled data, courses in engineering, nursing and social sciences are among the top three choices of international students in Sweden pursuing higher education. Courses are taught in English and Swedish; it is not too difficult for international students to find the courses that they want to pursue being taught in English.

Engineering is a top choice among male students along with courses in Social Sciences, whereas courses in Medicine and Nursing are popular among female students.

Majority of the International students studying in Sweden are enrolled in Engineering courses. Universities spend a substantial amount in the research and development in their respective departments. These studies often contribute to both infrastructure and society in Sweden. Engineering courses in Sweden are recognized and valued globally by companies who are prospective employers. There are many areas within engineering that students can specialize in. Studying at a Swedish university that is featured in the top universities around the world almost guarantees world class facilities for international students.

The other popular area of study among International students are in the areas of social sciences and medicine. These courses have become a popular choice among international students because of its curriculum and teaching methodology.

Many universities in Sweden such as the KTH royal institute, Lund University, royal institute of technology, Stockholm university, Uppsala University offer a variety of these popular courses full-time, these are available in both Swedish and English and will have their own English Language or Swedish Language requirements

Once prospective international students have shortlisted their courses that they want to study along with the universities in Sweden, the students need to apply to the universities. Once a University accepts the student and shares the acceptance letter, the students can then start their student visa application process.

There are two kinds of study visas that are available for students looking to study in Sweden. The short stay visa is applicable when the program that an international student wishes to pursue is less than three months. For any program that can last for more than 6 months, the student needs to apply for Long stay Visa Type D, or what is known as the “residence permit for students”

When preparing the visa application for the student visa, international students need to ensure that a few conditions are met, these will include:

• There should be a minimum of 6 months validity left on the student’s passport.
• There should be evidence of the student being accepted into a full time program at a recognized Swedish university.
• The student should have adequate health insurance cover for the tenure of their stay in Sweden.
• There should be evidence that the applicable tuition fees has been paid to the Swedish university.

Most of these requirements are common for students looking to study abroad.

Sweden, like most developed countries, also has a shortage of skills in certain industries and sectors. It is important for prospective students to know about the prominent trends and the state of public employment of the job market in Sweden. It is important to identify the careers that have the best chance at Landing a job in the future. In the Swedish job market, Healthcare, education, construction, or engineering are some of the areas where there are good prospects. According to Sweden's public employment agency these areas will have high demand in the future as well.

With the growth in the Swedish economy most sectors are creating jobs that did not exist before. In Sweden there are not enough young people, or in other words, the local population that are going for vocational programs or to university, despite Sweden having some of the best universities in the world. This then creates opportunities for students who are looking for a job in Sweden.

According to the latest research published by the employment agencies in Sweden, healthcare and engineering will be the two areas that will have the greatest opportunities for students who aim towards working in Sweden.

The cost for Studying in Sweden is lower than a lot of other European countries. Sweden offers a variety of programs at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. These courses, which are available across streams, cost anywhere from SEK 80,000 to as high as SEK 270,000 per year. There are a few scholarships that can help reduce the fee burden for a student and a lot of international students try and avail of them. The application fee for these programs often range from SEK 800 to SEK 1000, in some cases the universities can waive off the application fees as well.

Other than the tuition fees there are other costs that a student would incur, these would include the cost of textbooks and other study material or resources. These could also range from SEK 750 – SEK 3500, depending on the area of study.

Students who look to study abroad are often advised to network and be actively engaged with different aspects of their university or college. There are many associations that students can be a part of, some of them offer free membership but in some cases, there is a membership fee that can range from SEK 50 to SEK 400 per semester. The living costs for international students studying in Sweden will vary according to the location and the type of accommodation. The costs can range between SEK 5,000 to SEK 12,500. Shared accommodations are usually cheaper in the bigger cities there can be a shortage of housing options due to the high demand and the rent will also be higher in these areas.

Apart from rent, international students can incur expenses of SEK 4,600 – SEK 10,000 a month depending on personal preferences.

The healthcare costs incurred by an international student also vary depending on whether the student is from a Non-EU country or from an EU/ EEA country.

Overall international students pursuing higher education in Sweden would find it value for money. The costs of education in Sweden is very reasonable compared to the quality of education that is offered by Swedish Universities.

International students looking to study in Swedish universities who hold a passport from the EU region can avail the benefit of a waiver in tuition fees. But for international students looking to who belong to regions outside of the EU are required to pay tuition fees in full.

Post the autumn of 2011 the Swedish government had introduced tuition fees in Swedish universities and colleges for international students. At the time Sweden became expensive for international students planning to study abroad along with the burden of the living costs. But today when compared with other destinations that are options for students planning to study abroad, Sweden is relatively more reasonable especially given the high quality of higher education that it has.

Despite international students outside of the EU not being able to avail the waiver of tuition fees, the undergraduate programs and the master’s programs still offer a lot of value. Even some Swedish Institutes that have vocational courses are reasonably priced and are of high quality. The undergraduate programs are much cheaper when compared with the master’s programs in Sweden.