Many students are eligible for free postgraduate tuition in Sweden. However, all students can be expected to incur some costs for administration and course materials.
Below you can read about criteria for free tuition, as well as typical expenses you may encounter during your studies.
Tuition fees
There are no fees in Sweden for:
- Domestic (Swedish) students
- Students from other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway)
- Other EU, EEA and Swiss students
These policies apply to full-time and part-time students. However, if you undertake a joint degree you may incur costs if part of the award takes place in another county.
Other international students can expect to pay between €7,000 and €25,816 per academic year (the average is €11,289). Exact fees will be determined by your university.
Application fees
Domestic, Nordic, EU/EEA and Swiss students do not have to pay application fees when applying to Masters programmes in Sweden.
International students outside of the EU/EEA will have to pay an application fee of around €82 for each semester that they submit an application in.
The number of courses you apply to does not affect the cost of your application fee.
Student union fees
Though this varies across universities, you can generally expect to pay €5-35 per semester.
Textbooks
Again, this will vary depending on your course and university. Generally you can expect to pay around €75 per month.
Many sites online sell books at a lower cost second-hand. Student unions and universities also often organise book sales where you can purchase books from others at a lower rate.
Cost of living
The average monthly student budget in Sweden is €826.
Cities such as Stockholm, Lund, Gothenburg and other urban areas have a higher cost of living than more rural parts of Sweden.
Swedish universities are not responsible for providing accommodation, so it’s best to research housing options early.