Sweden

• No tuition fee at all if you are an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen.
• One application at universityadmissions.se covers every Swedish university.
• Your IB points convert to a Swedish merit value on a published, public table - you can work out your own score before you apply.
• If you take Swedish, Danish or Norwegian Language A and reach grade 4 or higher, you already meet the Swedish-language entry requirement, which opens Swedish-taught programmes too.
• Admission is score-based and transparent: no essays, no references, no interview for most programmes.

• English-taught bachelor's degrees are genuinely scarce. Lund lists ten, KTH lists one. Most English teaching in Sweden is at master's level.
• You almost certainly cannot use the January round. University Admissions says applicants without a completed IB Diploma should not apply to the first round, so a May 2027 candidate applies in round two (deadline 15 April 2027) - where some English-taught programmes are no longer open. Stockholm School of Economics is the exception: it runs its own January process and admits on predicted grades.
• Housing is a queue system you join years in advance in Stockholm. Register the day you decide Sweden is on your list.
• Non-EU students: from 11 June 2026 a study residence permit limits you to 15 hours of paid work per week, and new rules also tighten study-progress requirements.
• Stockholm School of Economics also demands an SAT, ACT or ITB-Business score on top of the IB - that is unusual for Sweden and needs a year's notice.

Accepted

Yes

Minimum

No national minimum points figure is published. A full IB Diploma awarded 2021 or later gives general eligibility (grundlaggande behorighet) in its own right; individual Course Results do not.

Subjects and levels

Specific entry requirements are met subject by subject. Minimum IB grade 4 is normally required, with grade 3 accepted for Biology, Chemistry and Physics at HL and, for a lower-level Swedish course, in some Mathematics courses. Published maths mapping: Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL maps to Swedish Matematik 3c; Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL maps to Matematik 4; Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL maps to Matematik 5; Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL maps to Matematik specialisering. Sciences: Physics/Chemistry/Biology SL or HL map to Fysik 2 / Kemi 2 / Biologi 2. History SL/HL maps to Historia 1b; the IB Diploma itself covers Samhallskunskap 1b; Economics or Global politics SL/HL maps to Samhallskunskap 2.

Score conversion

UHR publishes a fixed conversion table from IB total points to the Swedish merit value (meritvarde) on the 10.00-20.00 scale: 24 = 13.18, 25 = 13.94, 26 = 14.62, 27 = 15.21, 28 = 15.76, 29 = 16.26, 30 = 16.70, 31 = 17.11, 32 = 17.53, 33 = 17.92, 34 = 18.25, 35 = 18.57, 36 = 18.88, 37 = 19.17, 38 = 19.38, 39 = 19.54, 40 = 19.70, 41 = 19.79, 42 = 19.90, 43-45 = 20.00. Up to 2.5 extra merit points (meritpoang) can be added for qualifying courses in modern languages, English and mathematics taken outside the Diploma.

• IB English A (HL or SL), English B HL, and English B SL taught in English all meet the higher Swedish English 7 requirement. English B SL taught in a language other than English meets English 6, which is the level needed for general eligibility.
• The Swedish-language requirement for Swedish-taught programmes can be met with Language and Literature A or Literature A in Swedish, Danish or Norwegian at HL or SL with grade 4 or higher. Danish A counts.
• IB applicants sit in selection group BI if eligible on the Diploma alone. They move into BII if they add Swedish upper-secondary or adult-education courses afterwards. If you retake IB exams you are ranked in BI on the original score and in BII on the improved one.
• You raise your IB total only by retaking IB exams. Swedish upper-secondary or komvux courses are added to your merit value only when they complete a missing entry requirement or earn merit points; they do not replace IB grades.
• For a May session, ask your IB coordinator to release results to UHR through the IB Result Service (recipient code "UHR"). University Admissions' 2027 dates give IB students completing this spring until 5 July 2027 to document their completed studies in the second round.
• Rules differ by award year. The 2021-and-later ruleset is the one that applies to a May 2027 Diploma.

1. Work out your likely merit value from the UHR conversion table before you shortlist anything, because that number is what actually decides your place.

2. Check each programme's specific entry requirements and match them against your IB subjects and grades - grade 4 is the normal minimum, grade 3 for HL sciences.

3. Create an account at universityadmissions.se and rank up to a set number of programme choices in order of preference. Your ranking matters: you are only offered your highest-ranked eligible choice.

4. Upload your IB transcripts and, if you are an EU/EEA citizen, proof of citizenship so you are exempted from the 900 SEK application fee.

5. Ask your IB Diploma Programme coordinator to send your final results directly to UHR through the IB Result Service.

6. Reply to your offer by the stated date or you lose the place - Sweden is strict about this.

7. Register in a student housing queue in your target city as early as you possibly can, independently of the application itself.

Selection is almost entirely by number. A third or more of places on each programme go to the grade groups (BI/BII), where you are ranked on your converted merit value, and a further share goes to applicants ranked on the Swedish national aptitude test (hogskoleprovet), which is sat in Swedish. IB students normally compete in BI. A small number of programmes - art, design, music, architecture - add portfolios or auditions, and Stockholm School of Economics requires an SAT, ACT or ITB-Business score.

• 16 October 2026

  First admissions round opens

  Via Sweden

  Details

  The round aimed at applicants from abroad, carrying most English-taught programmes. The 2027 catalogue becomes visible here. University Admissions tells IB students who have not finished the Diploma not to apply in this round.

  This is the round aimed at international applicants. Most English-taught programmes are only offered here.

  Source

• 15 January 2027

  First round closes, and rankings lock

  Hard deadline Via Sweden

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  Also the last day to change how your choices are ranked. Not your round as a May 2027 IB candidate unless the programme admits on predicted grades (Stockholm School of Economics does).

  Closes at midnight CET, and it is also the ranking deadline. University Admissions' IB guidance page says "If you haven't yet completed your IB Diploma programme, do not apply to the first admissions round", because University Admissions "will not be able to evaluate your application in time for admissions decisions in late March/April" without a completed transcript and diploma (https://www.universityadmissions.se/en/apply-to-bachelors/provide-application-documents-bachelors/ib-studies/). A May 2027 candidate therefore normally cannot use this round — the second round, below, is yours.

  Source

• 1 February 2027

  First round — supporting documents, and your proof of fee exemption

  Hard deadline Via Sweden

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  Also the deadline to document EU/EEA/Swiss citizenship for fee exemption. Five months before IB results are published, which is the problem to solve early rather than in January.

  One day, three things. As an EU/EEA citizen you pay no application fee and no tuition, but you do not get the exemption automatically — you have to document your EU/EEA citizenship by this date, and University Admissions handles that on the same deadline it uses to collect the fee from everyone else. All supporting materials are due the same day.

  Source

• 15 March 2027
  2027 entry

  Second admission round opens

  Details

  This is the realistic round for a May 2027 IB candidate. Fewer English-taught programmes are open here.

  Source

• 8 April 2027

  First round bachelor results published

  Via Sweden

  Details

  Bachelor's results. Master's results come a week earlier, on 1 April. If you applied in this round at all, this is your day.

  Source

• 15 April 2027

  Second round closes, and rankings lock

  Hard deadline Via Sweden

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  The round University Admissions tells a May 2027 IB candidate to use. Many English-taught programmes are no longer open in it, so check your programme is before you plan on it.

  Also the final ranking day: the order you put your choices in on this date is the order that is used. The fee-exemption date (23 April), the document date (21 June) and the deadline for your IB results (5 July) are entries of their own.

  Source

• 23 April 2027

  Second round — document your EU/EEA citizenship (fee exemption)

  Applies to: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

  Hard deadline Via Sweden

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  Eight days after the application deadline. An application whose fee exemption is not documented is not processed.

  Eight days after you apply, and easy to miss because it lands after the part that feels like the deadline. As an EU/EEA citizen you are exempt from the application fee and from tuition, but you must document that exemption by this date; non-EU/EEA applicants pay the fee by the same date. An application whose exemption is not documented is not processed.

  Source

• 21 June 2027

  Second round supporting documents

  Hard deadline Via Sweden

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  Everything except the IB results themselves, which have until 5 July.

  The general document deadline for the second round. It is not the date for your IB results: University Admissions gives IB students completing their studies this spring until 5 July 2027 for that (next entry). Anything else you need - an ID copy, other transcripts - goes in by 21 June, and University Admissions asks you to upload documents you already have with the application.

  Source

• 5 July 2027

  University Admissions needs your IB results (recipient code UHR)

  Hard deadline Via Sweden

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  University Admissions gives IB/EB students completing their studies this spring until 5 July. Your coordinator releases your results through the IB Result Service. IB results day is expected just after this date, so ask University Admissions now how a late result is handled.

  Published on the autumn 2027 key-dates page: applicants completing an IB/EB programme this spring "have until 5 July to submit documentation of your completed upper secondary studies". For a May 2027 Diploma that means your coordinator releasing your results to recipient code "UHR" through the IB Result Service. IB results day is expected just after this date, so ask University Admissions now how a late result is handled.

  Source

• 6 July 2027

  IB results released

  Via Sweden

  Details

  After every first-round date. In the second round University Admissions wants your IB results by 5 July, so ask them how a late result is handled; second-round results come on 9 July.

• 9 July 2027

  Second round results published

  Via Sweden

  Details

  The first notification of selection results for the round a May 2027 IB candidate actually uses. What you must do next has its own entry, one week later, and it is the date on this page most worth putting in a calendar now.

  Source

• 16 July 2027

  Reply to your second-round offer

  Hard deadline Via Sweden

  Details

  After this the door closes.

  You have seven days from the 9 July notification to reply, and a place you do not reply to is a place you lose — including a place you have been offered while still waiting on a higher choice. Set this one before you apply, not after you are offered.

  Source

• 22 July 2027
  2027 entry

  Second notification of selection results

  Details

  This is where a place you were waiting on can arrive, after the 16 July replies have cleared the lists. No reply is required to this notification — which is precisely why it must not be confused with the 9 July one, where a reply is required.

  Source

• 30 August 2027
  2027 entry

  Semester start

  Details

  Date given by Stockholm University; other universities start in late August or early September.

  Source

English-taught bachelors

Limited but real. Lund and Gothenburg each list ten English-taught bachelor's programmes, Uppsala eight, Stockholm and Jönköping seven, Malmö six, Umeå and Luleå four; KTH, Linköping, Karolinska and SLU one each, and Chalmers none. Most Swedish bachelor's degrees are taught in Swedish; English dominates at master's level.

Proving your English

You need Swedish English 6 / English Level 2. An IB English A (HL or SL), English B HL, or English B SL taught in English exceeds this and meets the higher English 7. English B SL taught in another language meets English 6. Without an IB English course, IELTS Academic 6.5 with no section below 5.5, or TOEFL iBT total 90 with 20 in writing (for results up to 20 January 2026) / total 4.5 on the new 1-6 scale with no section below 4 (for results from 21 January 2026), are accepted.

Local language needed?

Not for English-taught programmes

• Swedish-taught programmes need Swedish 3 level. Swedish, Danish or Norwegian Language A or Literature A at HL or SL with grade 4 satisfies it, which is a real advantage if you take one of them.
• The national aptitude test (hogskoleprovet), which fills part of every programme's intake, is only available in Swedish.
• Everyday life in Swedish cities runs comfortably in English, but municipal paperwork does not always.

Tuition, EU/EEA

No tuition fee. Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland are exempt from both the application fee and tuition, but must document their citizenship to get the exemption. (2026/27)

Tuition, non-EU

Set by each university. Uppsala University states 49,500-90,000 SEK per semester of full-time study, i.e. roughly 99,000-180,000 SEK per year (about EUR 8,800-16,000 at 11.2750 SEK/EUR). Fees vary widely by subject and institution. (Uppsala page last updated 9 October 2025; the page does not state an entry year - re-check for 2027 entry)

Application fee

900 SEK (about EUR 80) per semester applied for, regardless of how many programmes you choose. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are exempt.

Living costs

Lund University's own student budget: food 3,000 SEK, accommodation 4,000-8,000 SEK, course literature 400-1,000 SEK, other 1,500 SEK - roughly 8,900-12,500 SEK per month (about EUR 790-1,110). Swedish students on full state loans and grants receive roughly 9,000-12,000 SEK per month. (page last updated 9 September 2026)

• Non-EU students applying for a study residence permit must show at least 10,656 SEK per month (about EUR 945) for the whole permit period if applying in 2026; the 2025 figure was 10,584 SEK. The amount is reset each year.
• The study residence permit application itself costs 1,500 SEK (about EUR 133) for adults.
• Euro conversions use the ECB reference rate of 11.2750 SEK per EUR on 21 September 2026 and will drift.

Funding you could actually get

• Danish SU can follow you here if you can claim it (Danish citizens, or EU/EEA citizens with equal status under EU rules) and meet the ties-to-Denmark requirement. Because Sweden is a Nordic country, it is paid as if you studied in Denmark — for anyone starting after 1 July 2025, for the programme's prescribed length only. If you cannot claim SU, look first at your own country's student finance: several EU/EEA systems fund a full degree in another country.
• CSN (the Swedish student finance agency) is the route for those with a settled connection to Sweden; eligibility for an EU citizen who moves purely to study is restricted and must be checked directly with CSN.
• Swedish Institute scholarships and individual university scholarships exist mainly for fee-paying non-EU/EEA students. Bachelor-level availability is limited - check each university.
• Because there is no tuition fee for EU/EEA citizens, the real cost question in Sweden is rent, not fees.

Residency

As an EU/EEA citizen you do not need a residence permit for Sweden - you have a right of residence as a student. In practice you register with Skatteverket to get a personnummer, which you need for almost everything from a bank account to a doctor's appointment, and that normally requires an intended stay of at least 12 months. Non-EU citizens must apply to Migrationsverket for a residence permit for higher education studies, showing admission, health insurance for courses under a year, and at least 10,656 SEK per month (2026 figure) for the permit period; the fee is 1,500 SEK.

Working

EU/EEA citizens can work without restriction alongside study. Non-EU students on a study residence permit granted on or after 11 June 2026 may work a maximum of 15 hours per week. Source: https://www.migrationsverket.se/en/you-want-to-apply/study/higher-education.html

Housing

Not allocated by the universities. Each city has its own student housing foundation with a credit-day queue - SSSB in Stockholm, AF Bostader and LU Accommodation in Lund, SGS in Gothenburg, Uppsalahem in Uppsala. You earn one credit day per day in the queue, so joining early is the whole game; SSSB waits are commonly quoted in the hundreds of days. Most large universities give no housing guarantee. Register in the queue as soon as a city is on your shortlist, well before you apply.

Healthcare

As an EU/EEA citizen, carry your European Health Insurance Card for necessary care. Once you register with Skatteverket and get a personnummer you use the normal Swedish system with the usual patient fees. Non-EU students must hold comprehensive health insurance for studies under one year; for longer permits they are normally covered once registered.

Your IB is still a foreign qualification here, so the IB entry rules still apply to you.