A Swedish education is unlike any other and if you’re looking for scholarships in Sweden for international students, you are just in luck.
Apart from the Northern Lights and impressive mountain ranges, Sweden also offers students the best of both worlds – quality education in world-class institutions at an affordable cost.
In the 2022/23 academic year, Sweden welcomed 25,541 new international students to their shores. In the same time frame, the total number of international students in Sweden came up to 41,697 — the most since tuition fees were introduced in 2011.
But what is it about Sweden that continues to attract so many students to its shores?
A July 2022 report by consulting firm WSP found that 12% of fee-paying students in the year 2020-21 received a grant from Sweden that covered their entire tuition fee. Add “glittering waterways, blooming parks” and great nightlife, and you’re set for an adventure of a lifetime.
The best scholarships in Sweden for international students:
The Swedish government offers strong financial support to international students looking to pursue their higher education in the country. Source: AFP
Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals
Funded by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Institute (SI) Scholarships for Global Professionals is among the more popular scholarships in Sweden for international students, especially those seeking a master’s programme.
This scholarship is offered in various universities across Sweden, with around 700 English-taught master’s programmes available. Not only does it offer full tuition fee coverage, but a monthly payment of 11,000 Swedish kronor (US$1,138) will also be provided for your living expenses throughout the study period of the programme.
To be chosen, applicants are expected to have a clear idea of how their education can contribute to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in their home countries and regions. What’s more, several countries are given high priority, especially if applicants have work experience relevant to their respective fields.
Eligible candidates must be citizens of one of the eligible countries for the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals and apply for a master’s programme that is eligible for the SI scholarship. You must be liable to pay tuition fees at university admissions, have demonstrated work experience, and have demonstrated leadership experience from a current or previous employer, or civil society engagement.
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Chalmers University of Technology scholarships
Chalmers University of Technology, one of Sweden’s top universities, ranks within the top 150 in the QS World University Rankings 2025. Even better news for those hoping to study in their halls, you’ll have many scholarships to choose from, including but not limited to the following:
- The Avancez Scholarships, a 75% tuition fee waiver available to all fee-paying students.
- The IPOET (International Programme Office for Education and Training), a 75% tuition fee waiver available to all fee-paying students.
- The Adlerbert Study Scholarships, a full tuition fee waiver offered to first-year master’s students from these 143 specified countries.
- The US Friends of Chalmers Scholarships, a full tuition fee waiver awarded to master’s in engineering students with US citizenship.
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Stockholm School of Economics scholarships
Named the best business school in the Nordics and Scandinavia, the Stockholm School of Economics offers full and half-tuition scholarships for those pursuing their bachelor’s or master’s programmes. These scholarships are distributed on a merit-and-need basis.
All scholarship applications are assessed by a selection committee, factoring in the relevance and the quality of the personal motivation, academic excellence, relevant extra-curricular activities, programme cohort diversity and the distribution of scholarships across all programmes.
Studying at the Stockholm School of Economics also means having the chance to study in one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals and access the international influences found in the city, providing a fantastic study abroad experience at an affordable cost.
Umeå University scholarships
Student satisfaction is synonymous with Umeå University. International students from 137 universities across the globe responded to the International Student Barometer (ISB) survey during the autumn semester of 2023, and Umeå University placed first among all participating universities in the main categories of living, support, and overall satisfaction.
Better yet, the university has a range of half and full-tuition scholarships for talented and high-achieving students from outside the EU/EEA to apply for.
- Umeå University Scholarship for International Students, where selections are based entirely on the applicant’s academic merit.
- Erling-Persson Scholarship for International Students in Public Health, which, aside from covering the full tuition fee of your master’s in public health progrmame, also offers its eight awardees an allowance of 12,000 kronor (US$1,241) per month.
- Design by Umeå Scholarships for International Students, which offers its awardees in the master’s in design programme a partial or full-tuition waiver.
You don’t have to search far and wide to find the best scholarships in Sweden. Source: AFP
Lund University Global Scholarship
Lund University Global Scholarship is a selective and merit-based scholarship in Sweden offered to high-achieving students from outside the EU/EEA. It is merit-based rather than needs-based, meaning the application process does not take into account your financial background.
It’s important to note that the scholarship percentage is dependent on the programme or faculty’s budget. It doesn’t guarantee full tuition fee waivers. Living costs are not covered under this scholarship so awardees must still be able to fund their living costs throughout their study duration in the country.
To be selected, applicants must show a strong desire to study at Lund University and have been chosen for the programme they picked as their first choice at the institution.
Karlstad University Global Scholarship
Karlstad might appear to be a younger university — having only been established in 1999 — but there has been a long tradition of higher education in its halls. Teacher education here started in 1843, and the university has only grown since then.
Now, they offer English programmes across fields like natural science, economics and law, social sciences and arts, IT, and music, dance and culture.
The Karlstad University Global Scholarship covers a part of your undergraduate or postgraduate tuition fees (25%, 50%, 75%) or in full. Living costs are not covered. Awardees will be notified of their scholarship amount when they’ve been selected.
Do note that applicants from certain countries will be unable to apply for this scholarship.
Swedish inventor and scholar Alfred Nobel, who made a vast fortune from his invention of dynamite in 1866, ordered the creation of the famous Nobel Prizes in his will. Source: AFP
Linköping University International Scholarship
If boundary-breaking research and innovative education sound right up your alley, then Linköping University (LiU) is the place to be. Ranked among the world’s top 50 young universities in the QS Top 50 Under 50, LiU offers 135 study programmes, 31 of which are international programmes in English.
Here, the LiU International Scholarship supports international master’s degree students with significant academic potential by waiving the tuition by 50%.
Postgraduate programmes here include, but are not limited to, subjects in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Sustainability Engineering and Management, International and European Relations, and more.
Disclaimer: This article was last updated on May 6, 2025.
