University of Gothenburg: Admission, Costs and Entry Rules for Autumn 2027

The University of Gothenburg takes applications for bachelor's programmes starting in autumn 2027 through universityadmissions.se, and the international round closes on 15 January 2027. Citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland are required to pay tuition fees and an application fee of SEK 900.

The University of Gothenburg names the intake on its study hub: the international admission round for degree programs starting autumn 2027. Programmes at the Academy for Music and Drama open for applications on 1 December, with the same deadline of 15 January 2027. Each English-taught programme page carries an Autumn 2027 tab; on the Software Engineering and Management page that tab gives the application period 16 Oct 2026 - 15 Jan 2027, so the period has already opened.

Handelshögskolan, Göteborg, läsesalen 1

Five facts for autumn 2027

The University of Gothenburg apply page counts ten bachelor's programmes taught in English, while the programme list links eleven programme pages; the programmes chapter lists each one. Beyond the English requirement, every programme page sets its own specific entry requirements, and the selection is based only on the selection criteria stated on the program page.

Rules that catch international applicants out

• Application fee: if you are a citizen outside of the EU, EEA or Switzerland you need to pay an application fee of SEK 900. The universityadmissions.se autumn-dates table, which shows no year, lists 1 February as the application fee deadline.
• Second round: the University of Gothenburg writes we do not recommend that you apply in the Second round unless you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland.
• IB Diploma in May 2027: universityadmissions.se tells applicants who will be awarded an IB Diploma in May 2027 not to apply to the first admissions round of autumn semester 2027.
• Swedish-taught programmes: the University of Gothenburg bachelor's programmes taught in Swedish require the equivalent of Svenska 3 or Svenska som andraspråk 3, on top of English.

The University of Gothenburg publishes these rules for its bachelor's programmes. Medicine, Law and Psychology are taught in Swedish and follow the Swedish-language route, which the chapter on those programmes sets out.

The University of Gothenburg began as Gothenburg University College in 1891 and was formally founded as a university in 1954. The ranking positions below are the ones the University of Gothenburg lists about itself.

The University of Gothenburg keeps a ranking and recognitions page with its own table of positions. Those figures are the university's claims, attributed to it here, and each ranking publisher's own page remains the authority on them.

According to that University of Gothenburg page, the 2026 editions place it as follows. The list mixes overall tables with a sustainability table and an innovation table, so the positions are not comparable with one another.

Ranking positions the University of Gothenburg lists

For subjects, the University of Gothenburg lists a top placement for Dentistry at 10 and Archaeology at 51-100 in the QS subject ranking 2025, and says it appears on 33 of the 60 subject lists. The same page names Arvid Carlsson, the 2000 Nobel Laureate in Medicine.

History of the University of Gothenburg

The University of Gothenburg history page dates the start to 1891, when Gothenburg University College was founded with substantial private donations from Fredrik Lundgren, Eduard Magnus, Oscar Ekman and the Carnegie family. The University of Gothenburg itself was formally founded in 1954, when that university college merged with the medical college established in 1949.

How large is the University of Gothenburg?

The University of Gothenburg gives two different sizes on two of its pages, and neither page dates its count. The facts and figures page says the university has 58 000 students and 6 700 employees. The history page says it has about 38,000 students, and 6,000 employees, in 39 departments.

The gap between the two University of Gothenburg student counts is large, so treat both as the university's own figures rather than a single total. The University of Gothenburg facts and figures page gives no share of international students.

The University of Gothenburg does not publish an acceptance rate, application counts or admission statistics for its bachelor's programmes, for international applicants or for any single programme. What it does publish is how competition works: your chances of being admitted depend on how well you compete with the other applicants and on the number of places available in the program.

universityadmissions.se, the Swedish national admissions portal that runs the University of Gothenburg application, says that there are often more eligible applicants than spaces available. Meeting the entry requirements makes you eligible to compete; it does not give you a place.

What the University of Gothenburg publishes and what it does not

The University of Gothenburg does not publish a minimum merit rating for its English-taught bachelor's programmes, and universityadmissions.se explains why none can be promised in advance: the merit rating is based on the upper secondary grades you submitted, on a scale from 10 - 22.5, and the rating needed for a place depends on who else applies in a given round.

How to read competition at the University of Gothenburg

For the four academic English-taught bachelor's programmes, the University of Gothenburg fills seats from grades and from the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test, which is a test only available in Swedish and is in no way mandatory for admission. An applicant from abroad who does not sit that test competes on grades, so the strength of your school results is the lever you control. The selection chapter sets out the shares.

For the art programmes the University of Gothenburg selects differently: the craft and design programmes on submitted work samples and a personal interview, and Opera on admission tests, so a grade-based admit rate would say little about them even if one were published. The University of Gothenburg facts and figures page reports demand in words, not in numbers per programme.

The University of Gothenburg selects for its four academic English-taught bachelor's programmes on your upper secondary grades, which fill 66% of seats, and on the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSAT), which fills 34% of seats but is optional and only available in Swedish. Its three craft and design BFA programmes select on work samples and a personal interview, and its Opera programme on admission tests.

The University of Gothenburg apply page states that the selection is based only on the selection criteria stated on the program page. For the four academic programmes those criteria are grades and the SweSAT, so the grade average is the whole case unless you also sit the SweSAT.

Selection basis by programme

Each of the four academic University of Gothenburg programme pages adds the same warning: the SweSAT is a test only available in Swedish and is in no way mandatory for admission. If you do not sit it, you compete for the grade-based seats.

Merit rating on universityadmissions.se

universityadmissions.se, the national admissions portal that ranks University of Gothenburg applicants, describes the process. All students who apply for a specific course or programme - and meet the general and specific entry requirements - compete with one another for the places that are available. Its selection page (as of October 2026) says that for bachelor's courses and programmes your merit rating is based on the upper secondary grades you submitted in your supporting documentation, on a scale from 10 - 22.5.

universityadmissions.se states that it's impossible to say what merit rating is required for entry into a specific programme. The rating that wins a place depends on the other applicants in the same round.

After selection

universityadmissions.se lists three outcomes: you'll either be accepted, placed on a waiting list, or deleted from the course or programme. The University of Gothenburg does not print the number of places on its programme pages; for information on available places, please contact a study counsellor. The application chapter covers the dates for results and replies.

The University of Gothenburg does not ask for the SAT or the ACT for its four academic English-taught bachelor's programmes; the only test in their selection is the Swedish SweSAT, which is a test only available in Swedish and is in no way mandatory for admission. Its art programmes are different: the craft and design programmes select on submitted work samples and a personal interview, and Opera on the admission test.

The University of Gothenburg programme pages name no SAT or ACT requirement, and neither do the universityadmissions.se pages for the United Kingdom, the United States, Poland and Germany. The universityadmissions.se page for the United States mentions College Board tests only for course equivalence: for AP College Board courses, a minimum grade of 3 is required. That is a rule for counting AP courses, not a test requirement.

The SweSAT (högskoleprovet)

The Software Engineering and Management, Computer Science and AI, Business and Economics and International Relations pages each carry the same note that the SweSAT is a test only available in Swedish. Because the test is optional, an applicant who does not sit it competes for the grade-based seats; the selection chapter gives the shares.

Work samples, interviews and admission tests

For Opera the University of Gothenburg writes that special qualifications in the form of musical knowledge and skills is assessed at the admission test, and that the admission test is also the basis for the selection of eligible applicants. The University of Gothenburg does not publish autumn 2027 test dates for Opera.

The Opera application page says the next applications period opens in December 2026, with studies starting in the autumn of 2027. The Contemporary Traditions in Music application page states that its timeline applied to students starting autumn 2026, the previous intake.

Crafting Futures portfolio for autumn 2027

The Crafting Futures application page states that this page provides information for applications for autumn 2027. It sets a portfolio deadline: 15 January 2027 and asks for documentation of a minimum of 6 and maximum of 8 artistic works. After assessment, the highest-ranked applicants will be invited to a digital personal interview.

Of these programmes, the three HDK-Valand craft and design programmes add a personal interview to the work samples. The four academic English-taught programmes select on grades and the SweSAT.

You apply to the University of Gothenburg for autumn 2027 on universityadmissions.se in the first admissions round, which opened on 16 October 2026 and closes on 15 January 2027. Programmes at the Academy for Music and Drama open later, on 1 Dec 2026, with the same deadline.

The University of Gothenburg study hub confirms the cycle: the international admission round for degree programs starting autumn 2027, and you apply before 15 January 2027. On the Software Engineering and Management page, the Autumn 2027 tab gives the application period 16 Oct 2026 - 15 Jan 2027 and the application code GU-86007.

Autumn 2027 timeline, first admissions round

The University of Gothenburg apply page gives the same pattern without a year: application period 16 October - 15 January, and the deadline for submitting all documentation is 1 February. universityadmissions.se states that the First admissions round is specifically for international students.

How to apply on universityadmissions.se

The University of Gothenburg apply page says that all applications to the University of Gothenburg go through the Swedish National Admissions Portal, universityadmissions.se. Two programme pages add a second route for some applicants: the Business and Economics page says Swedish students or EEA students apply at www.antagning.se (in Swedish) or www.universityadmissions.se (in English). The two statements differ; as an international applicant you use universityadmissions.se either way.

In the first round you can apply to up to four programs, and in the second round up to twelve programs/courses. The University of Gothenburg writes that all international students are encouraged to apply in the first admissions round.

Application fee and documents

The University of Gothenburg states: if you are a citizen outside of the EU, EEA or Switzerland you need to pay an application fee of SEK 900 in order for your application to be processed, and it is non-refundable. You must also pay the application fee or, alternately, document your citizenship status in an EU/EEA country. universityadmissions.se adds that you pay once per semester, however many programmes or rounds you apply to, 900 kronor just one time, and that we won't review your application until the fee is paid.

universityadmissions.se says that much of what you need to submit - and how - is based on where you completed your studies; the diploma chapter sets out the country rules. It also warns that if you're in your final year of upper secondary studies, you unfortunately have a limited chance of being admitted. Its autumn-dates page gives applicants completing upper secondary studies in the spring semester in an IB/EB programme, or in an EU/EEA (other than Sweden) or Swiss curriculum, until 5 July to submit documentation of their completed studies.

The second admissions round

universityadmissions.se lists the second round for the autumn semester as opening on 15 March 2027, with the application deadline on 15 April and the fee deadline on 23 April. universityadmissions.se warns that non-EU/EEA students who require a residence permit will most likely not have time to apply for and receive one.

The University of Gothenburg itself writes that we do not recommend that you apply in the Second round unless you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. Its second-round page also says the deadlines for scholarship applications for fee-paying students have passed, and it still names 15 January 2026 as the first-round deadline, a date of the previous cycle that has already passed; for autumn 2027 the study hub gives 15 January 2027.

Replying and deferring

If you applied in the first round, you don't need to reply yes or no to your offer. In the second round you must confirm the admission offer for it to be valid.

The University of Gothenburg allows a deferral: you can postpone your studies for at most 18 months unless there are special reasons. It names difficulties finding accommodation, financial reasons or not being able to obtain a residence permit as reasons that are not acceptable.

Every University of Gothenburg bachelor's programme requires English at the level of the Swedish course English 6 or English Level 2. On universityadmissions.se a TOEFL iBT total of 4.5 on the 1-6 scale, with no section below 4, meets it for results from 21 January 2026. You can also meet it through your school or university studies in some countries.

universityadmissions.se, the national admissions portal that assesses University of Gothenburg applications, sets the rule on its English requirements page (as of October 2026): for courses and programmes at the bachelor's level, the general entry requirement for English is studies equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6/English Level 2. The University of Gothenburg apply page (as of October 2026) says the same for its programmes: the English requirement is proficiency equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6 or English Level 2.

The University of Gothenburg lists three ways to show the level: certain upper secondary (high school) studies, certain university studies, an internationally recognised English test. universityadmissions.se adds that all applicants can meet the requirement with the required score on an internationally recognised English test.

Accepted English tests and minimum scores

The details on test versions matter. universityadmissions.se states: We only accept IELTS Academic, IELTS Online, IELTS UKVI (Academic) and IELTS One Skill Retake (Academic). It accepts the TOEFL iBT, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and TOEFL iBT Paper Edition, and not TOEFL ITP, TOEFL iBT MyBest, Institutional TOEFL or TOEFL Essentials. Check the IELTS, PTE Academic and Cambridge results for English 6 on the universityadmissions.se English requirements page.

On test age, universityadmissions.se notes that IELTS results are valid for 2 years, but older results can be accepted as long as they are available online for verification, and that the TOEFL test can be verified for up to 2 years after the test date. A school letter does not help: a certificate or letter from your school or university verifying your proficiency will not be sufficient.

Meeting English 6 through your school studies

universityadmissions.se lists country rules for school leavers on its country pages (as of October 2026); these are its rules, which the University of Gothenburg applies through the portal:

• Poland: English at the advanced level (poziom rozszerzony) as part of your written Matura exam with a minimum grade of 30% and a graduation year of 2005 or later.
• Germany: Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife or Zeugnis der Fachgebundenen Hochschulreife with either 4 English semesters from Qualifikationsphase (if primary foreign language), or Leistungskurs/Abiturprüfung in English. With the Fachhochschulreife you must have studied an additional English course or a course in English at the advanced level (Niveaustufe B2).
• United Kingdom: English as a subject from your upper secondary studies with the GCSE/IGCSE, grade C/4.
• United States: if you completed all years of High School, you fulfil the English language entry requirement. The GED does not, as it is only equivalent to the Swedish course English 5/English level 1.
• France: universityadmissions.se says you can meet the English requirement in various ways with your upper secondary studies depending on the year of graduation (note 10 is required).
• European Baccalaureate: you can meet the English requirement with English Language 1 or 2 (L1 or L2).

University studies can count too: universityadmissions.se says students with 60 ECTS credits (or the equivalent) from the countries it lists meet the requirement if the language of instruction of the credit courses was English. The diploma chapter covers the IB and other school routes.

The University of Gothenburg apply page (as of October 2026) says its bachelor's programmes taught in Swedish require the equivalent of the Swedish upper secondary course Svenska 3/Svenska som andraspråk 3, on top of English. For most international applicants that means proving Swedish with a test such as TISUS, and applying in the national admission round rather than the international one.

The University of Gothenburg Study Swedish page (as of October 2026) puts the rule in full: if a course or programme is taught in Swedish, you will have to meet the requirement for the equivalent of the Swedish upper-secondary course Swedish 3 (Svenska 3) or Swedish as a Foreign Language 3 (Svenska som andraspråk 3). This applies to Medicine, Law and Psychology, which the University of Gothenburg teaches in Swedish.

How to prove Swedish 3

The University of Gothenburg names one test as an example: you can take the TISUS test, which assesses your proficiency in Swedish and is similar to IELTS or TOEFL. If you live in Sweden, Komvux or SFI classes are another way. The University of Gothenburg does not state which TISUS result counts as Swedish 3.

The University of Gothenburg tells applicants that if you want to apply for a Swedish programme or course, apply during the national admission rounds. The page gives the autumn-semester round as 15 March - 15 April without a year. This is a different calendar from the international first round that closes on 15 January 2027.

Swedish and the English-taught programmes

For the English-taught bachelor's programmes Swedish is not the language of instruction. The Crafting Futures page notes that exceptions may be made for Swedish when the language of instruction is English.

To be eligible for a University of Gothenburg bachelor's programme you need a completed upper secondary education, English at the English 6 level and, if your final school grades came after 31 December 2009, mathematics equal to the Swedish course Mathematics 1a, 1b or 1c. universityadmissions.se, not the University of Gothenburg, judges how your diploma meets these rules, and the University of Gothenburg publishes no minimum overall grade for any diploma.

The University of Gothenburg apply page (as of October 2026) lists the general entry requirements: you must have successfully completed your upper secondary (high school) education (post-16) and be able to demonstrate proficiency in English. It adds that an assessment of your upper secondary (high school) qualifications in relation to the general entry requirements will be made by universityadmissions.se, and that the Admissions Office does not make assessments beforehand of your academic merits.

On top of the general requirements, the program-specific entry requirements are specified in each program description, and they may require a certain subject completed with a minimum grade. The country rules below come from universityadmissions.se, the national admissions portal, as its pages stand in October 2026; the University of Gothenburg applies them.

International Baccalaureate

universityadmissions.se states that you can meet the general entry requirements with an International Baccalaureate Diploma that lists subjects taken, and that a Non-regular IB Diploma is also accepted. The subject and English rules can vary a bit depending on when you received your IB diploma, with separate pages for diplomas from 2021 on, from 2014 - 2020 and from 2013 and earlier. The page for IB diplomas from 2021 on (as of October 2026) sets these subject rules:

• A minimum grade of 4 is required for the course to fulfill the specific entry requirement.
• Grade 3 can be accepted in Biology, Chemistry and Physics at Higher Level.
• Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL and Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL count as Matematik 4.
• Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL counts as Matematik 3c.

The May 2027 rule matters for fee payers. The second round runs after the international deadline, and universityadmissions.se warns that in that round non-EU/EEA students who require a residence permit will most likely not have time to apply for and receive one. An IB student from outside the EU who graduates in May 2027 should read the timing chapter before choosing a round.

For the European Baccalaureate, universityadmissions.se (as of October 2026) says: if you haven't yet completed your EB Diploma programme, do not apply to the first admissions round. Its autumn-dates page gives applicants completing upper secondary studies in the spring semester in an IB/EB programme, or in an EU/EEA (other than Sweden) or Swiss curriculum, until 5 July to submit documentation of your completed upper secondary studies.

A-levels, US diploma, Polish matura, Abitur and French baccalauréat

For the United Kingdom, for all GCSE/IGCSE courses listed, you need a passing grade of 4 or C, and for all GCE A/AS courses listed, you need a passing grade of E. English and mathematics must be shown with GCSE or GCE, since BTEC level 2 in these subjects does not meet the requirement.

For the United States, universityadmissions.se names no SAT or ACT. Its subject table, which only applies to applications for Autumn Semester 2026 and later, sets a minimum grade of 3 for AP College Board courses. If you studied a subject at a higher level without an AP test, you must upload the curriculum from your school.

For Poland, universityadmissions.se asks for your documents in the original language plus an official translation, unless your school issues them in English. It also states that your university qualifications cannot be considered instead of your upper secondary (high school) qualifications. For a diploma not listed here, the rules are on the universityadmissions.se page for your country.

How Swedish course levels compare with your subjects

Specific requirements are written as Swedish courses. universityadmissions.se explains that in Sweden, you can study upper secondary mathematics from level 1 to 5, and that for Mathematics 1 a pass in upper secondary mathematics is usually enough. Its country tables translate the higher levels: for the United Kingdom, for courses completed from 2015 to 2024, Matematik 4 corresponds to GCE A/AS level Mathematics; for the United States, for diplomas from 2024 on, Matematik 4 corresponds to AP Calculus AB, or AP Calculus BC, or Calculus and Pre-calculus.

universityadmissions.se warns that even if you have the same number of years of studies in a subject, you may still not meet the requirements. Check each programme page against your own transcript; Computer Science and AI, for example, asks for General entrance requirements for university studies and the Swedish upper secondary courses English 6, Mathematics 4 or Mathematics D.

The University of Gothenburg says it offers ten bachelor's programmes taught in English, while its programme list links eleven programme pages: four academic programmes and seven Bachelor of Fine Arts programmes. Each programme page lists 3 years and 180 credits (ECTS), and for autumn 2027 all of them start on 30 Aug 2027.

The two counts sit on two University of Gothenburg pages. The apply page states that the University of Gothenburg offers ten Bachelor's programs taught in English, and the bachelor's programmes page states that the University of Gothenburg offers 10 international bachelor's degree programs. The same bachelor's programmes page then links four academic programmes plus Three year Bachelor of Fine Art Programs in Craft, Furniture Design, Metal Art, Classical Music, Contemporary Traditions, Improvisation Performance and Opera, which makes eleven programme pages, each with an English-language Autumn 2027 tab.

The four academic programmes

The four academic University of Gothenburg programmes share an application period for autumn 2027 of 16 Oct 2026 - 15 Jan 2027. Computer Science and AI requires English 6, Mathematics 4 or Mathematics D on top of the general entrance requirements; each of the other programme pages sets its own specific requirements.

The University of Gothenburg writes the requirements as Swedish upper secondary courses, so you need to match them to your own school subjects; the diploma chapter shows how universityadmissions.se translates Mathematics 4 for UK and US applicants. Selection for these four programmes is on grades and the optional SweSAT.

The seven Bachelor of Fine Arts programmes

The three craft and design programmes belong to HDK-Valand, the Academy of Art and Design, and their Autumn 2027 tabs run from 30 Aug 2027 - 9 Jun 2030. The Crafting Futures page notes that exceptions may be made for Swedish when the language of instruction is English. The four music programmes open for applications later, on 1 Dec 2026, and also start on 30 Aug 2027.

Where the craft programmes are taught

The craft and design programmes are not taught in the city of Gothenburg. The Crafting Futures page lists the location as Bengtsfors on its Autumn 2026 tab and as Dals Langed on its Autumn 2027 tab; the two tabs differ, so check the location shown for your intake. The Furniture Design page says our campus is located in Dals Långed, and the Metal Art page places its workshop at Campus Steneby in Dals Långed, Sweden.

Students on these three programmes should plan housing and travel around Campus Steneby in Dals Långed rather than around Gothenburg. The selection and tests chapters cover the work samples, interviews and admission tests that decide entry to the Bachelor of Fine Arts programmes.

GU - Artisten

The University of Gothenburg teaches Medicine (Läkarprogrammet), Law (Juristprogrammet) and Psychology (Psykologprogrammet) in Swedish only, so none of them can be taken in English. All three select on grades for 66 % of places and on the Swedish högskoleprov for 34 %, and their pages show only the Höst 2026 and Vår 2027 intakes, the latest published.

Each of the three University of Gothenburg programme pages states Undervisningsspråk Svenska, language of instruction Swedish. None of them appears on the University of Gothenburg list of bachelor's programmes taught in English. To apply you need the Swedish requirement, the equivalent of Svenska 3/Svenska som andraspråk 3, as well as English 6.

Requirements and selection compared

The University of Gothenburg lists the requirements as Swedish school courses on top of grundläggande behörighet, the general entry requirements. For Medicine that means four science and mathematics courses at the higher levels, Biologi 2, Fysik 2, Kemi 2, Matematik 4. Law asks for history and social studies; Psychology asks for mathematics at level 2 and social studies. Law runs four and a half years and Psychology five.

The Läkarprogrammet page adds a tie-break rule: for half of the places in the grade selection, the högskoleprov is used to separate applicants with the same merit rating. The högskoleprov is the Swedish name of the SweSAT, which is given in Swedish.

Intakes shown: Höst 2026 and Vår 2027

The University of Gothenburg pages for these programmes do not show an autumn 2027 intake. The Höst 2026 tabs give application periods that closed in spring 2026, for example 16 mars 2026 - 15 apr 2026 for Medicine, with studies starting on 24 aug 2026. Law and Psychology show the same application period, 16 mars 2026 - 15 apr 2026, with starts on 31 aug 2026.

The latest published intake is Medicine in Vår 2027, spring 2027: its application period ran 15 sept 2026 - 15 okt 2026 and has closed, and studies start on 18 jan 2027. These are Swedish national rounds, separate from the international round for the English-taught programmes.

What this means for international applicants

An international applicant can apply to these University of Gothenburg programmes only with Swedish at the Svenska 3 level and the Swedish course requirements matched through universityadmissions.se. Without Swedish, the University of Gothenburg options in English are the eleven programmes in the English-taught chapter, none of which is Medicine, Law or Psychology.

A University of Gothenburg bachelor's degree leads to a job or to master's studies, and graduates from outside the EU/EEA can apply to extend their Swedish residence permit for an extra 12 months to look for work or start a company. The English-taught bachelor's programme pages give no employment rates or salaries.

What the University of Gothenburg does publish is programme by programme. Software Engineering and Management graduates receive the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a major in Software Engineering, and the programme page names employers: Apple, Google, IBM, Volvo Cars, Microsoft, Ericsson. The same programme offers an opportunity in term five to study abroad in Europe, Asia, or the US.

What the programme pages say about graduates

For a student from outside the EU/EEA, the 12 months extension below is the University of Gothenburg route from degree to a first job in Sweden.

Working in Sweden after graduation

The University of Gothenburg working in Sweden page sets out two cases. If you are a citizen from a country outside the EU/EEA, you are allowed to work during your studies. After graduating, you can apply to extend your residence permit for an extra 12 months. During those months you can search for jobs or start a company.

Students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland have the right to work in Sweden without a work permit. The residence permit chapter covers the limit on hours of work during studies for students with a residence permit.

For autumn 2027 the full education cost of a University of Gothenburg English-taught bachelor's for fee payers runs from 291 000 SEK for Business and Economics or International Relations to 1 902 000 SEK for Opera. The Software Engineering and Management page states that no fees are charged for EU and EEA citizens, Swedish residence permit holders and exchange students, and the University of Gothenburg estimates living costs at roughly SEK 10,525-17,525 a month.

Each University of Gothenburg programme page prints the fee on its Autumn 2027 tab as a full education cost for the whole programme and a first payment. The University of Gothenburg notes that the tuition fee amount applicable to you depends on your year of entry, so the Autumn 2027 tab is the one that applies to you.

Tuition by programme for autumn 2027

The first payment is a fraction of the total: 48 500 SEK for Business and Economics and International Relations, 73 500 SEK for Software Engineering and Management and Computer Science and AI, 168 500 SEK for the three craft and design programmes and the three music programmes, and 317 000 SEK for Opera. The fee rises between intakes: Software Engineering and Management cost 435 000 SEK in full for autumn 2026 entry, with a first payment of 72 500 SEK.

Who pays tuition and who is exempt

The University of Gothenburg bachelor's programmes page states that students who are citizens of countries outside the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are required to pay tuition fees, and that the cost depends on the program. The Software Engineering and Management page adds that no fees are charged for EU and EEA citizens, Swedish residence permit holders and exchange students.

When and how you pay

The University of Gothenburg notes that paying helps your residence permit application, because the Swedish Migration Agency's assessment cannot start until the tuition fee payment is registered on the university's account.

Refunds are slow and strict. A refund application must be made within one year from the payment date, processing can take up to 4 months, and the University of Gothenburg can only make a refund to the person or account that made the original payment.

Cost of living in Gothenburg

The University of Gothenburg calls the monthly total only an estimation. The figures are for the city of Gothenburg, while the craft and design programmes are taught at Campus Steneby in Dals Långed.

The Axel Adler Scholarship 2027 is a University of Gothenburg scholarship for fee-paying students and a tuition fee waiver; to be eligible you must apply for your programme as your first choice by 15 January 2027. One scholarship is awarded for each master's program and each eligible bachelor's program.

The University of Gothenburg selects Axel Adler scholars primarily based on your qualifications for the program you have applied for. With one award per eligible programme, the scholarship goes to the strongest fee-paying applicant to each programme rather than to many students.

Axel Adler Scholarship 2027: eligibility and dates

To be eligible for the Axel Adler Scholarship 2027 you must be required to pay tuition fees in Sweden and apply for an international campus-based University of Gothenburg programme as your first choice. The University of Gothenburg sets these dates:

The scholarship timing only works in the first admissions round. The University of Gothenburg second-round page states that the deadlines for scholarship applications for fee-paying students have passed by then, so a fee payer who wants the Axel Adler waiver must apply by the international deadline.

Other scholarships are for master's students

Two other scholarships on University of Gothenburg pages are for master's studies. The School of Business, Economics and Law offers the Richard C. Malmsten Memorial Foundation Scholarship to applicants applying to the Master's programmes given at the School of Business, Economics and Law. The Swedish Institute scholarship Pioneering Women in STEM covers 14 master's programs at the University of Gothenburg for the academic year 2026/2027. Neither is open to bachelor's applicants.

The University of Gothenburg does not guarantee housing: please note that the University does not guarantee housing. Its Academic Housing offers a limited number of rooms only to fee-paying and exchange students, while EU/EEA degree students look for a room through SGS or the private market, where you may wait a year or more for a student housing offer.

The University of Gothenburg student housing page states that Academic Housing at University of Gothenburg offers a limited number of student rooms and apartments to exchange students and fee paying students. Students eligible for university-provided housing include: fee paying students, exchange students. A degree student from the EU or EEA who pays no tuition is in neither group.

Your housing route by student type

For fee payers the timing is set by tuition. The University of Gothenburg writes: at the end of May, once you have paid the tuition fee, we will contact you with information about housing and how to apply. Paying the first instalment on time therefore matters for both the residence permit and a room.

SGS and the private market

The University of Gothenburg describes SGS as a student housing operator that manages Gothenburg's largest selection of student accommodation. Queues are long, which is why the University of Gothenburg warns that you may wait a year or more before receiving an offer for student housing; for an autumn 2027 start, joining a queue early is the practical step.

What a room costs

The University of Gothenburg does not publish rents for its Academic Housing rooms. Its living-costs page estimates student housing, single household: SEK 4000-7500 a month, and small apartments at SEK 6000-10 000. The money chapter puts rent alongside food and transport.

Natrium building from SW Faculty of science University of Gothenburg

The University of Gothenburg residence permit page states that if you plan to stay in Sweden for more than three months you must apply for a residence permit, and that the permit must be granted before you travel to Sweden. Fee payers can only start that application after paying the first tuition instalment, and the University of Gothenburg living-costs page states that new Swedish regulations limit international students with residence permits for studies to a maximum of 15 working hours per week during the academic semesters.

The University of Gothenburg apply page sets the order: if you need to pay tuition in Sweden, you need to pay the first instalment, before you can start applying for a residence permit. The application goes to the Swedish Migration Agency, whose assessment cannot start until the tuition fee payment is registered on the university's account.

From admission to arrival, autumn 2027

The University of Gothenburg residence permit page also flags a change to study permit rules: new rules apply from 11 June 2026, a date before the autumn 2027 intake.

Working during your studies

The University of Gothenburg living-costs page says that new Swedish regulations, taking effect on 1 June 2026, limit international students with residence permits for studies to a maximum of 15 working hours per week during the academic semesters. The residence permit page gives 11 June 2026 as the date from which new study permit rules apply. Both dates have passed.

EU/EEA and Swiss students are outside these limits: students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland have the right to work in Sweden without a work permit and are not subject to any working hour restrictions.

Arrival and the Welcome Programme

The University of Gothenburg academic calendar gives the autumn semester as Autumn 2027: 30 August - 16 January; the page does not print the year of the end date. The International Student Welcome Programme is held at the beginning of each semester. Plan to arrive before the semester starts, with your permit granted and your housing arranged.

The University of Gothenburg suits an applicant with strong school grades in the required subjects who wants an English-taught bachelor's at what it calls one of the largest and most versatile universities in Sweden, and who applies by 15 January 2027. It suits less well anyone set on Medicine, Law or Psychology without Swedish, or a fee payer for whom a full cost of up to 1 902 000 SEK is out of reach.

For the four academic programmes your grades carry the application, because the SweSAT seats are open only to those who sit a Swedish-language test. Computer Science and AI, for example, fills 66% of seats on the upper secondary grade average and asks for English 6, Mathematics 4 or Mathematics D. For the Bachelor of Fine Arts programmes the case is your work samples, interview or admission test instead.

Who it suits and who it does not

• Suits: EU and EEA citizens, who pay no tuition, and fee payers aiming at one of the four academic programmes, where the full cost for autumn 2027 starts at 291 000 SEK.
• Suits: artists and musicians ready for a work sample or admission test, including the craft programmes at Campus Steneby in Dals Långed.
• Does not suit: applicants who need Medicine, Law or Psychology in English; the University of Gothenburg teaches all three in Swedish and requires Svenska 3/Svenska som andraspråk 3.
• Does not suit: fee payers who would apply in the second round, since a residence permit will most likely not arrive in time.

Next steps for autumn 2027

Between results and the start, fee payers pay the first instalment, before you can start applying for a residence permit, and the University of Gothenburg writes to fee payers about housing at the end of May, once you have paid the tuition fee. EU and EEA students skip the permit but should join a housing queue as early as possible.

Official pages of University of Gothenburg, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

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Photos: University of Gothenburg: photo Natonato, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · Handelshögskolan, Göteborg, läsesalen 1: photo Albin Olsson, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · GU - Artisten: photo Axt, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons · Natrium building from SW Faculty of science University of Gothenburg: photo R. Henrik Nilsson, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons