Universities and Higher Education

There are a number of universities throughout Sweden, and the number is based on the Higher Education Ordinance of 1993. Most of the universities that you will find throughout Sweden are publicly funded, with only a handful of them being private. In this section, we’re going to take a look at each of the universities located in Sweden and any relevant information that you would like to know about them. 

Uppsala University

Uppsala University is located in Uppsala, Sweden, in the central region of the country. Established in 1477, it is easily the oldest university in Sweden (there are debates on whether or not Lund is older, which we will discuss next). This university has played a large role in the history of Sweden and had a lot of influence on the history, culture, and other factors of Sweden, probably due to its age. Many of the academic traditions that you see at Swedish universities were started here, including the ‘white cap’ phenomena among Swedish students. There are over 23,000 students at Uppsala currently, with over 6,000 employees that work for the university. 

Lund University

Lund University was established in 1666, even though its roots go back to 1425, when a monastery opened its doors to educating others. Because the actual university was not established until 1666, it is not considered to be older than Uppsala. It is considered to be one of the top 100 universities in the world, and it is also one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. There are currently 47,000 students attending Lund University; there are eight faculties (colleges, departments) with almost 300 different programs. It also has a number of connections to universities in other countries.

University of Gothenburg

The University of Gothenburg is the third-oldest of the existing Swedish universities. It currently has almost 25,000 students that attend on a full-time basis, which ranks it among the largest in this region of Europe. There are currently eight faculties that offer a number of different courses; so many, in fact, that Gothenburg is considered to have the most diverse course offerings in Sweden, and among some of the most variety that you will find in the entire world. The programs range from liberal arts, to biological sciences, to social sciences and humanities, and a number of other concentrations. There are over 57 departments at the university, and they are adding new programs of study all of the time. Mix this together with the fact that the university is known for its high job placement rate (after students complete their programs) and you understand why the University of Gothenburg is one of the most popular universities in the country.