How to Study in Denmark

Denmark has more than 5,800,000 inhabitants and is one of the smallest European countries. Situated in the northern part of Europe, Denmark has many islands and a beautiful landscape. However, not only the landscapes make Denmark a great country to study in; Denmark also has progressive and innovative cities like Copenhagen.

The Danish Higher Education System

Due to the Bologna reforms, the higher education system is structured three-tiered for the majority of subjects and programmes: bachelor, master and doctoral degrees.

Currently, there are 31 higher education institutions in Denmark, of which almost all are public institutions. In 2018, approximately 260,000 students were enrolled at Danish universities and universities of applied sciences. It becomes apparent that Denmark is quite internationally orientated since more than every tenth student is an international student.

Denmark’s Higher Education System in International Comparison

In this section, we highlight the overall performance of Danish universities on the institutional level per U-Multirank dimension. The table below shows the national breakdown of Danish universities and how they stand across the spectrum of above average (receiving a score of ‘A’ (very good) or ‘B’ (good)), versus below average (receiving a score of ‘D’ (below average) or ‘E’ (weak)). In doing so, U-Multirank offers a clear picture on the country’s strengths and areas for improvement. It becomes apparent that in general Denmark’s HEIs perform strongest in U-Multirank’s international orientation, knowledge transfer and teaching & learning dimensions.

How much does it cost to study in Denmark?

As an EU/EEA or Swiss student, you do not have to pay tuition fees for your studies in Denmark. Under certain conditions, it is even possible to participate in the Danish educational grant. All students, who are not from the EU/EEA or Switzerland, will need to pay tuition fees ranging from 6,000 and 16,000 EUR per academic year. For detailed information about the fees, check the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

What are the entry requirements for Danish Universities?

If you are an EU citizen, or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, and if you have a school-leaving certificate that qualifies you for higher education, it will usually allow you to study in Denmark, too.

As a Non-EU, EEA or Swiss applicant you will have to prove that your school-leaving certificate qualifies you to start a higher education degree. Additionally, you are required to prove your English language skills. Some universities may have their own additional regulatory terms, which you should study at the individual university pages. 

How to get a Scholarship in Denmark?

A scholarship database can be found here.

Do I need a Student Visa for Denmark?

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are not required to obtain a visa. For a stay longer than three months you have to request a residence permit prior or after your arrival.

Generally, all non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens need to obtain a visa. Also, you must have a residence permit prior to your arrival in Denmark. For a Danish residence permit, you will have to prove that you have been accepted as a student at a university, that you can support yourself financially and that you can speak and understand Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German as a language of instruction. For further information, click here.

How do Danish Universities fare in U-Multirank?

1. In a global perspective, the higher education institutions in Denmark perform strongest in U-Multirank’s International Orientation dimension, followed by the Knowldege Transfer and Research dimensions.
2. The Technical University of Denmark is part of the ‘Top 25 Performers’ in the 2020 edition of U-Multirank in terms of co-publications with industrial partners, whereas University College Lillebaelt shows a strong commitment to regional joint publications.
3. The Danish institutions with the highest number of overall top (‘A’) scores are the Technical University of Denmark (14) and the University of Copenhagen (11).
4. The Technical University of Denmark achieved its top scores (‘A’) across the three (3) dimensions of Research (5 ‘A’ scores), Knowledge Transfer (4 ‘A’ scores) and International Orientation (4 ‘A’ scores). Five (5) out of seven (7) Danish universities excel in the indicator Co-publications with Industrial Partners.