Higher education in Denmark is free for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland and for students participating in an exchange programme. For other students annual tuition range from 6,000 to 16,000 Euro. A number of scholarships and grants are available from the institutions and from public funded schemes

Tuition fees

Higher education in Denmark is free for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland and for students who, according to EU law, are entitled to the same status as Danish citizens. Similarly, if you are participating in an exchange programme, you can study in Denmark for free.

Higher education is also free for students who, at the time of application,

  • have permanent residence
  • have temporary residence with the possibility of obtaining permanent residence;
  • have a residence permit in accordance with Section 1 §9 m of the Aliens Act as the accompanying child of a foreign national who has a residence permit on the basis of employment etc., see Section 1 §9 a of the Aliens Act. (Danish text) 

Convention refugees and protected persons under the Aliens Act, as well as relatives of such persons, are encouraged to contact the relevant higher education institution or university for guidance on payment (tuition fees).

 

All other students must pay tuition fees.

For more specific guidance or information on admission requirements etc., students must contact the relevant higher education institution or university, which is also the institution that decides on matters such as admission and payment (tuition fees) on the basis of the information and documents received from applicants.

Annual tuition fees for full-degree students
USD 8,000-21,000 / Euro 6,000-16,000 (DKK 45,000-120,000).
Note: for exact fees you should contact the institution in question.

Application fee

 

Students from outside EU/EEA/Switzerland will be charged a fee when applying for a residence permit (visa) to study in Denmark.

Read more about residence permit application procedures for non-EU/EEA students

Scholarships and grants

Most Danish institutions have bilateral agreements with foreign institutions of higher education. These agreements are usually designed for mutual exchange of students, researchers and teachers. National and European programmes offer scholarships for international students wishing to study in Denmark through an institutional agreement, as guest students or as a part of an international double or joint degree. Certain restrictions and prerequisites apply for the following programmes:

Nordplus

If you are enrolled at a Nordic or Baltic higher education institution, Nordplus may offer a possibility to study in another Nordic or Baltic country as part of your degree. For further information, contact your home university or the national educational agency. To learn more about the Nordplus programme, please visit www.nordplusonline.org.

Erasmus

The Erasmus programme offers students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland the possibility to study abroad as part of their higher education in their home countries. Exchanges last between 2 and 12 months. For further information, please contact your home university or the national educational agency of your country. To learn more about the Erasmus-programme and find out if you are eligible to apply, please visit the website of the European Commission.

Erasmus Mundus/Joint Master Degree

 

The Erasmus Mundus programme is open to both EU/EEA and non-EU/EAA students. Through the Erasmus Mundus scheme you can apply for a scholarship to undertake specific Master’s degree programmes. The courses are offered jointly by a Danish institution and another European university or college. Students and scholars must contact the individual Erasmus Mundus Master courses to learn more about scholarships and application procedures.

See a list of approved Erasmus Mundus Masters courses in Denmark

Fulbright Commission

The Fulbright Commission fosters cultural understanding through its prestigious grant program for educational exchange. If you are an American scholar or postgraduate student at master or Ph.D.-level, you can apply for a Fulbright grant for an entire academic year of study and/or research in Denmark. For more information about selection criteria and the application process for a Fulbright grant, please visit the Fulbright Commission website.

The Danish Government Scholarships under the Cultural Agreements

The Danish Government Scholarships under the Cultural Agreements are aimed at highly qualified exchange students and young researchers who wish to immerse themselves in studies of the Danish language and culture or other fields of study related to Denmark, such as design, architecture, environmental studies, and other related fields.

The Cultural Agreements offer scholarships for long-term study periods and summer languages courses to foreign students. Long-term scholarships are offered to students from Brazil, China, Egypt, Japan, Russia and South Korea, while the summer language courses are open to students from the aforementioned countries and 35 European countries. The annual deadline to apply for scholarships for the following academic year is March 1st.  Read more about the Danish Government Scholarships under the Cultural Agreements.

PLEASE NOTE: The scholarships under the Cultural Agreements will not be available from 2021 onwards.  The information on this page is relevant for the previous years.

Danish government scholarships for highly qualified non-EU/EEA students

Danish higher education institutions (universities only) receive a limited number of government scholarships each year to fund highly qualified full-degree students from non-EU/EEA countries and Switzerland.

In order to be eligible for a scholarship you must be:

  • A citizen of a country outside the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland
  • Enrolled in a full degree higher education programme
  • Granted a time-limited residence permit in Denmark due to education

You are not eligible for a Danish government scholarship if you are:

  • Seeking admission to an Artistic Higher Education Institution
  • Have a legal claim to the rights of Danish citizens
  • Have been granted a residence permit at the time of admission by the Danish Aliens Consolidations Act §9c, subsection 1, as the child of a foreign citizen who has been granted a residence permit in accordance with the Danish Aliens Consolidations Act §9m, and who is a citizen of a country that is not acceded to the EU or covered by the EEA agreement
  • A student who is eligible for a grant in accordance with Danish Law regarding the State Education Fund

The scholarships are administered by the Danish institutions of higher education, each of which decides which students will receive a scholarship. For further information about the government scholarship, please consult the admission details of the higher education institution of your choice.

Please note: The government scholarship consists of two parts and can be given as full or partial tuition fee waivers and/or grants towards covering your living costs. However, since the scholarships are administered by the individual higher education institution you should enquire at the institution of your choice for further details.

The Danish State Educational Support (SU)

The Danish State Educational Support (SU) is generally only awarded to Danish residents. As an international student you may, however, apply for equal status in so far as the state educational support is concerned. You may be granted equal status according to:

For details on how to apply, visit the website of the Danish Education Support Agency.

Other sources of information on scholarships

Several scholarship programmes for both EU and non-EU students are listed at the EU-database Ploteus. PhD students and researchers should visit the European Researchers’ Mobility Portal.

Useful links