KTH Royal Institute of Technology is a public technical university in Stockholm. It says it attracts around 17,000 students and offers nearly 100 programmes in five schools.[1] It is ranked 82nd in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and second in Sweden.[2]
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland generally pay no application or tuition fees. For other students the full fee for most two-year master’s programmes with both years at KTH is SEK 385,000, and it varies by programme.[3] The application fee is SEK 900, with no waivers.[4] The master’s programmes are taught in English.[5]
Key facts
| Official name | KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga Tekniska högskolan) |
| Location | Stockholm (visiting address Brinellvägen 8; postal address SE-100 44 Stockholm)[6] |
| Type | Public research university; Sweden’s largest technical university[7] |
| Founded | 1827 (first lecture of the Technological Institute on 6 June 1827); renamed Kungliga Tekniska högskolan in 1877[7] |
| Students | Around 17,000 (KTH’s own figure)[1] |
| Programmes and schools | Nearly 100 programmes; five schools[1] |
| Master’s programmes | 60 on the master’s programme list[4] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | 82nd in the world (−4), 27th in Europe, 2nd in Sweden[2] |
| THE World University Rankings 2026 | 98th of 2,191 listed universities; 3rd in Sweden[8] |
| Tuition, non-EU/EEA/Swiss, most two-year master’s programmes | SEK 385,000 in total (varies by programme; fee pages carry no intake year)[3] |
| Application fee | SEK 900 for non-EU/EEA/Swiss applicants; no waivers[4] |
| Scholarship | KTH Scholarship covers the full tuition fee for one or two years, not living costs[9] |
| Official website | kth.se |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About KTH Royal Institute of Technology
KTH traces its roots to the Laboratorium Mechanicum, created by Christopher Polhem in 1697, and to the School of Mechanics of 1798. King Charles XIV John ordered the Technological Institute to be set up in 1825, and its first lecture was held on 6 June 1827, the founding date usually cited. In 1877 it was renamed Kungliga Tekniska högskolan.[7] KTH’s own page also dates the university to 1827.[1]
KTH is organised in five schools and says it attracts around 17,000 students.[1] The main campus is in Stockholm; KTH Flemingsberg hosts part of the School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health. The Kista and Södertälje campuses closed in 2025 and moved to the main campus.[7] Wikipedia gives about 13,955 full-time-equivalent students for 2023, which is a different measure from KTH’s round figure.[7]
How is KTH ranked?
KTH announced on 18 June 2026 that it is ranked 82nd in the QS World University Rankings 2027, 27th in Europe and second among Swedish universities, behind Lund University.[2] KTH’s ranking page, updated on 12 August 2026, gives the same figure, adds 11th in the EU, and lists 98th of 2,191 universities in the Times Higher Education ranking 2026 (95th of 2,092 in the previous edition), third in Sweden.[8]
Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at KTH?
KTH offers nearly 100 programmes in five schools.[1] The master’s programme list has 60 programmes.[4] Four of them are joint programmes with separate application processes and deadlines: Cybersecurity and Assurance, Decentralized Smart Energy Systems, ICT Innovation and InnoEnergy.[4]
The master’s programme in Computer Science, for example, is given in English and admits students for studies starting in August 2027.[5]
How much does KTH cost?
If you are a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland you generally do not pay application and tuition fees; some joint programmes may charge them. Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens usually pay, with some exceptions.[3] KTH’s page (changed 2 September 2026) states: “The full tuition fee for most two-year programmes with both years spent at KTH is SEK 385,000”, and fees vary between programmes.[3] None of the fee pages we read names an intake year.
| Programme | Full tuition fee (SEK) | Fee page |
|---|---|---|
| Most two-year programmes, both years at KTH | 385,000 | changed 2 Sep 2026 |
| Computer Science | 385,000 | changed 26 Jun 2024 |
| Biostatistics and Data Science | 360,000 | changed 20 May 2025 |
Tuition is charged in advance for each semester and paid by bank transfer.[3] For a typical SEK 385,000 programme that is about SEK 192,500 a year (our arithmetic). The programme fee pages are older than the main fee page, so confirm the amount for your programme.[10][11]
Application fee
Applicants who are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens pay SEK 900 to University Admissions. It must be paid by the document deadline, because the assessment depends on it, and the page states that there are no application fee waivers. Joint programmes may require a fee paid to the partner university or consortium instead.[3][4]
Scholarships
- KTH Scholarship: covers the full tuition fee of a one- or two-year master’s programme but not living costs. You must be a fee-paying applicant and rank the KTH programme first. Selection is mainly by academic excellence: grades, the ranking of the bachelor’s university, research, work and awards, and motivation to contribute to the sustainable development goals. In 2026, 65 of 718 admitted applicants (about 9 percent) were nominated. Second-year coverage depends on satisfactory first-year results.[9]
- Swedish Institute scholarships: for students from targeted countries; they cover tuition and living expenses.[3]
How do you apply to KTH?
Master’s applications go through University Admissions (universityadmissions.se), the national application system.[4] KTH lists six steps:[4]
- Choose among the 60 master’s programmes.
- Check the general and programme-specific admission requirements.
- Create an account and submit your application.
- Upload your documents; requirements vary by programme and by country.
- Pay the application fee of SEK 900 (non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens).
- Check your results in your account.
You can select up to four programmes and rank them. Places are limited and admission is competitive, so meeting the requirements is necessary but not sufficient. If admitted, KTH contacts you directly.[4] The four joint programmes named above have separate processes. We give no deadlines because they change every year; check the programme page and the portal.
Which English level do you need?
The master’s programme page we read says the programme is given in English.[5] KTH’s how-to-apply page does not state the English requirement and refers to each programme’s entry requirements page.[4] For the level called English 6 (English level 2), University Admissions accepts, among other proofs, IELTS Academic with an overall 6.5 and no section below 5.5; TOEFL iBT with a total of 4.5 on the 1–6 scale and no section below 4 for results from 21 January 2026 (90 points for earlier results); PTE Academic 62 with 61 in writing; and Cambridge C1 Advanced with at least 180.[12] Check your programme’s entry requirements to see which level applies before booking a test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is KTH free for international students?
Only for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, who generally pay no application or tuition fees. Other students usually pay; the full fee for most two-year master’s programmes with both years at KTH is SEK 385,000.[3]
How much is the KTH application fee?
SEK 900 for applicants who are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens. There are no application fee waivers.[4]
How is KTH ranked?
82nd in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and second in Sweden, according to KTH’s own news item of 18 June 2026.[2]
Can I get a scholarship for a KTH master’s programme?
How many master’s programmes can I apply to at KTH?
Up to four, ranked in order of priority, through universityadmissions.se.[4]
More about studying in Sweden
- Sweden: best universities
- Study in Sweden: complete guide
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Sweden
- Blekinge Institute of Technology
- Chalmers University of Technology
- Halmstad University
- Jönköping University
- Karlstad University
- Karolinska Institutet
- Linköping University
- Linnaeus University
- Luleå University of Technology
- Lund University
- Mälardalen University
- Malmö University
- Örebro University
- Stockholm School of Economics (SSE)
- Stockholm University
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
- Umeå University
- University of Gothenburg
- Uppsala University
Sources
[1] KTH: Facts about KTH (page changed 29 Sep 2025)
[2] KTH: KTH ranked second in Sweden, 82nd in world (news item of 18 Jun 2026 on QS 2027)
[3] KTH: Application and tuition fees for master’s studies (page changed 2 Sep 2026)
[4] KTH: How to apply for master’s studies (page changed 1 Sep 2026)
[5] KTH: Master’s programme in Computer Science (page changed 24 Sep 2026; studies starting August 2027)
[6] KTH: Contact (page changed 28 Aug 2026)
[7] Wikipedia: KTH Royal Institute of Technology (history, campuses and status)
[8] KTH: Rankings for KTH (page changed 12 Aug 2026)
[9] KTH: KTH Scholarship (page changed 13 Oct 2026)
[10] KTH: Fees and scholarships for Computer Science (page changed 26 Jun 2024; no intake year)
[11] KTH: Fees and scholarships for Biostatistics and Data Science (page changed 20 May 2025; no intake year)
[12] University Admissions in Sweden: English language requirements (page updated 13 Oct 2025; TOEFL scale changed for results from 21 Jan 2026)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.