Study and Research Opportunities in Denmark

Long and short-term academic programs are available in Denmark across many universities and educational centers. International students and researchers may apply to BA, MA, Ph.D., and postdoctoral research programs in Denmark. Moreover, summer schools and conferences are other excellent academic activities that make Denmark an attractive destination for scholars and scientists. Many programs also come with fully-funded scholarships and fellowships as well as travel grants and financial aid, thus every student, researcher, and professor can always find a suitable program in Denmark and apply.

Academic Programs in Denmark

Scholarships and Fellowships in Denmark

Grants and Awards in Denmark

Summer Programs in Denmark

Denmark as an academic destination

This article guides you through Denmark's study options, which sounds like a fairy-tale country due to its title of one of the happiest countries in the world. Denmark is one of the smallest European countries, where you will enjoy academic hospitality and a number of quality, low-cost university degrees. 

The country has 31 universities, the majority of which are public universities. This partially explains why education is affordable in the country. 

The official language of communication is Danish; however, there are many courses offered in English. The widespread English language proficiency tests TOEFL and IELTS are accepted in the country for university applications. 

The general educational sector of Denmark is as followed. There are five main types of higher educational institutions in the country, which are described below. 

  1. In Academies of professional higher educations, you can receive short-cycle pre-Bachelor programs, called Academy Profession degrees. You might also meet this type of institution as Erhvervsakademier.
  2. There are also University colleges where you can receive professional degrees like other European countries' Bachelor's degrees. Those degrees take 3-4 years to complete, and in Danish, they are called Professionshøjskoler.
  3. Danish Universities offer long-cycle programs. Universities may be specialized in special fields, such as engineering, technology, and business, or contain different faculties. 
  4. University of the arts offers long-cycle programs like the Universities mentioned in the previous point. However, their focus is more on arts spheres such as visual arts, music, film, theatre, and media. The Danish Ministry of Culture regulates the majority of the University of Arts in Denmark. 

Denmark universities are affordable and even free for some groups of students, based on the country of citizenship. The details on this are going to be presented further in the article. For now, make yourself familiar with the Danish Government Scholarships under the Cultural Agreements

Those funding opportunities support highly qualified exchange students and young researchers who wish to study in Denmark in different fields. The Cultural Agreements fund both longer studies and summer short courses. 

Long-term scholarships are available to students from:

  • Brazil
  • China
  • Egypt
  • Japan
  • Russia
  • South Korea

Summer courses are available to more than 35 European countries other than the mentioned. March 1st of every year is the deadline for applying to this scholarship. 

In addition to the mentioned scholarships, there are also Danish government scholarships for highly qualified non-EU/EEA students. Those scholarships are awarded to Danish universities, which independently decide what students are eligible for funding. 

The scholarship may cover both partial and full studies, and to receive it, you should consult with your chosen university advisors. Both the application details and deadlines will be told to you by your chosen educational institution. 

Universities in Denmark

The oldest and also the top University in Denmark is the University of Copenhagen. It was founded in 1479 and is the country's highest-ranked University in international rankings. The university researchers' alumni have nine Nobel Prizes. 

The second-ranked University is the Technical University of Denmark, which is focused on the spheres of natural and technical sciences. The University's Environmental Science course was included in the top 45th in 2020 global listings. 

Another top university in Denmark is Aarhus University, which provided research-based learning. The University's core area of specialization is Archaeology, which occupies the top 27 in the global rankings. 

Aalborg University’s main building is in Aalborg, and tthe other campuses are in Esbjerg and Copenhagen. Aalborg University provides students with a real-world approach to learning. 

The last in the list of the best Danish universities is the University of Southern Denmark. The knowledge gained here helps students to succeed in different industries. Southern University has branches in different cities of Denmark, such as Odense, Salgelse, Kolding, Esbjerg, and Copenhagen. 

Student Expenses in Denmark

Tuition fees are free for EU/EEA/Switzerland students and for participants in exchange programs. If you are not a student from the mentioned groups, expect to pay 6,000-16,000 EUR per academic year in Denmark. 

There is also a second option for studying in Denmark tuition-free. Particularly, you should correspond to the following criteria to be free of tuition in the country:

  • have a permanent residence in Denmark
  • have a temporary residence which can lead to obtaining permanent residence

Among the total student expenses in Denmark, ⅓ goes to accommodation costs. The renting costs in Copenhagen vary around 800-900 EUR and around 400-670 outside of Copenhagen. 

You might also consider paying 250-300 EUR a month to reside in student halls of residence. 

Student Visa for Denmark

Similar to tuition fees, visa requirements are also privileged for EU/EEA/Switzerland students. They do not need a visa. They also don't need a permit to stay in the country for less than three months. There is a need to spend 255 EUR for students of other countries and apply for a residence permit. 

Nordic Citizens have even more privileges, as besides being free from visa and residence permit, they can even visit the country without a passport. You should just have some sort of ID card.