Study in Sweden: Costs, Visa Process, Top Universities, Application & Interview, Job Opportunities

Do you wish to study in Sweden? Climbing up the ladder of study abroad destinations, Sweden observed a rise in the number of international admissions by 13% despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 27,329 international students took admission in Swedish Universities for the year 2020-21 while in 2019-20, this number was around 24,099. Sweden is one of the pioneer European countries for switching up to English-language education and offers over 1000 courses.

Alongside offering quality education, Sweden welcomes students from all across the world to enroll with 39 universities. The cost of studying in Sweden is around 80,000-200,000 SEK, depending on the choice of program and university. Check: Scholarships to Study in Sweden.

Top Colleges to Study in Sweden

Some of the top colleges to study in Sweden as per QS 2021 rankings are:

Popular Programs to Study in Sweden

Some of the most popular programs among international students studying in Sweden include:

Why Study in Sweden?

Choosing to study in Sweden, the land of trendsetters can be based out on the following reasons:

• Low visa rejection: The student visa rejection rate for Sweden is as low as 9.7%. If you fulfill the eligibility criteria for a student visa for Sweden, the chances of visa denial are extremely low.
• Innovation-centric: Sweden is highly recognized as the second most innovative country in the world by the 2020 Global innovation index.
• Research and development: With the highest research index among the European countries of 3.33%. The allocated budget for R&D by the Swedish government was around 37 billion SEK, making 3.6% of the total government budget.
• Standardized Education System: The education system for Sweden is in accordance with European standards, following the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). One year of education is equivalent to 60 ECTS.
• Work Opportunities: Students get to work while studying for up to 20 hours a week, which is much higher than in other European countries. Residence permits can be easily extended for up to 6 months after completion of studies.
• Global career opportunities: Home to brands like H&M, Ericsson, IKEA, Tetra Pak, Volvo, and AstraZeneca, Sweden has one of the largest numbers of MNCs in Europe.

How to Apply to Study in Sweden?

To get admissions with Swedish universities, international students are not required to go through stringent admission criteria and complex procedures. The admission process is simple and begins in mid-January for the Autumn term. Only a few English-taught programs start in the spring semester, admissions for which must be completed by mid-August. Admissions can be made through universityadmissions.se. Check: Exams required to study in Sweden. 

Requirements to Study Bachelor Programs in Sweden

• Successful completion of upper secondary school qualification.
• Fulfill ELP requirements by submitting either of the following scores
• Indian students must submit these documents when applying- HSC Education certificate/Intermediate examination certificate/AISSCE certification/CVE/ISC, copy of passport page

Some bachelor's programs require you to submit specific scores in certain subjects like mathematics, sciences, social sciences, and modern languages. Applicants must make sure that they go through the details of the requirements mentioned on the program page of the chosen university.

Requirements to Study Masters at Swedish Universities

To get admissions to masters programs at Swedish universities you must fulfill the following criteria and submit the given documents:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline.
• You must have a four-year bachelor's degree or equivalent to apply to Swedish Universities.
• Submit transcripts from previous educational qualifications.
• Fulfill English language requirements
• Proof of meeting course-specific requirements, which varies depending on the choice of course.

English Language Requirements to Study in Sweden

Student Visa for Sweden

If you are planning to study in Sweden and stay there for more than 3 months, you will need to apply for a residence permit. There are certain things that a student has to follow if he wishes to study in Sweden and get a residence permit in Sweden. They are:

• A student ought to apply for only a full-time university program
• Must have proof of admittance to a Swedish university
• If a student stays less than a year, health insurance cover is needed.
• Passport validity needed: 6 months

Documents Required for Student Visa for Sweden

• Passport with a 6 months validity. Should not be issued not earlier than 10 years before the time of application.
• Letter from the university stating that the student has paid the first fee installment
• Proof of financial funds.
• Evidence of health insurance if the stay is less than 10 months
• Previous universities/schools mark sheets
• 150-word essay on – Why do you want to study in Sweden?

Extending Residence Permit

For the students who wish to study in Sweden, a residence permit is granted for a duration of one year. Those students who wish to stay longer in the country and pursue further education, need to apply for a residence visa extension 6 months prior to the visa expiry date.

In such cases, students need to apply for an extension well on time as it takes a few months to get the decision from the Swedish migration agency. If the duration of study for a student is lesser than a year, the residence permit in Sweden will still be valid for a year. If it is a continued full-time course that extends a year, students need to apply for a residence permit extension.

Cost to Study in Sweden

Moving or planning to study abroad is a huge investment of time and money. Planning ahead is always beneficial for international students. The details of various expenses involved when you think of studying in Sweden are detailed below:

Accommodation when Studying in Sweden

Living in student accommodation is cheaper and easier to find. The two major types of student accommodations offered include student flats and corridor rooms. Monthly rents usually range between 2500 to 6500 SEK. The monthly budget to keep in mind when planning to move to Sweden are:

Also Check: Travelling Essential to Study Sweden.

Scholarships to Study in Sweden

There are a lot of scholarships that international students can apply for study in Sweden. Let us dive into the details of some of the popular scholarships offered by Swedish universities are:

Work-Study in Sweden

Students can work for up to 20 hours while studying in Sweden. Part-time work can earn students around 7730 SEK to 10,370 SEK a month. Organizations like AIESEC, IAESTE, are popular in Sweden for offering internships to students.

Jobs in Sweden

Home to names like Oatly, Spotify, IKEA, jobs in Sweden is easily available to international students in Sweden. To work in Sweden you will need a work permit at the Swedish Migration Agency. Documents required for applying for a work permit are:

• Have a valid passport
• Offered terms of employment that are at par set by collective agreements.
• Salary offered must be at least 13,000 SEK per month excluding taxes.
• The employer must provide insurance.

How to Find a Job in Sweden?

There are plenty of ways to find a job in Sweden after you have finished your studies. Some of the websites that are job banks are:

• Swedish Public Employment Services
• Eures
• Platsbanken (Job Bank)

Salaries in Sweden

Applying for MNCs, start-ups, and other popular firms is easy to crack when you are in Sweden. Just like getting admissions getting a job does not require much effort.

Points of Ponder

Student Visa for Sweden

• Passport with a 6 months validity. Should not be issued not earlier than 10 years before the time of application.
• Letter from the university stating that the student has paid the first fee installment
• Proof of financial funds.
• Evidence of health insurance if the stay is less than 10 months
• Previous universities/schools mark sheets
• 150-word essay on – Why do you want to study in Sweden?

English Language Requirements for Studying in Sweden

• Bachelors: IELTS-6.5, TOEFL-90
• Masters- IELTS-7.0, TOEFL: 100
• PTE scores are also accepted

Cost of Studying in Sweden

• Tuition fees for bachelors- 6- 36 Lakhs
• Tuition fees for masters- 6 to 20 lakhs
• MBA in Sweden- 6 t 40 lakhs
• Architecture and Design courses- 15-24 lakhs

Sweden has a long and proud historic academic excellence with a predominantly English-speaking population. Planning to study in Sweden pays off for students by ensuring a higher return on investment, lower tuition fees, and better scholarship opportunities when compared to other European countries.