The University of Gothenburg is a public university with 57,779 students, 30,309 of them full-time, and 1,921 doctoral students in 2025.[1] In the QS World University Rankings 2027 it is 225th, down from 202nd.[2]
Citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland pay an application fee of SEK 900 and tuition fees.[3] Tuition is shown per programme as a full education cost: for example SEK 192,000 for the two-year Master’s Programme in Global Studies (autumn 2026 intake) and SEK 324,000 for Global Health.[4][5] EU and EEA citizens, Swedish residence permit holders and exchange students pay no fees.[4]
Key facts
| Official name | Göteborgs universitet (University of Gothenburg) |
| Location | Gothenburg, Sweden[6] |
| Type | Public university[6] |
| Founded | 1891 as Göteborgs högskola; full university rights granted by the Swedish government in 1954[6] |
| Students (2025) | 57,779, of whom 30,309 full-time; 1,921 doctoral students[1] |
| Employees (2025) | 6,692, of whom 5,607 full-time[1] |
| Faculties and schools | Eight: Artistic, Education, Humanities, IT, Natural Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, School of Business, Economics and Law, and Social Sciences[6] |
| Programmes taught in English | Around 80 international master’s programmes and 10 bachelor’s programmes[7] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | 225th (202nd in 2026)[2] |
| Tuition, non-EU/EEA/Swiss, master’s examples (autumn 2026 intake) | SEK 192,000 (Global Studies, 2 years) · SEK 290,000 (Biology, 2 years) · SEK 324,000 (Global Health, 2 years)[4] |
| Tuition, bachelor’s example | SEK 288,000 for the three-year Bachelor’s Programme in International Relations (autumn 2026 intake)[8] |
| Application fee (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) | SEK 900, through universityadmissions.se[3] |
| English requirement | Swedish upper secondary English 6 (English level 2) or an equivalent test such as TOEFL or IELTS[5] |
| Official website | gu.se |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About the University of Gothenburg
The University of Gothenburg began as Göteborgs högskola in 1891 and was granted the rights of a full university by the Swedish government in 1954.[6] Its eight faculties and schools are the Artistic Faculty, Education, Humanities, IT, Natural Sciences, the Sahlgrenska Academy, the School of Business, Economics and Law, and Social Sciences. Most facilities are in central Gothenburg.[6]
For 2025 the university reports 57,779 students (30,309 full-time), 1,921 doctoral students and 6,692 employees.[1] Other pages show different figures: Wikipedia gives 53,624 students for 2023.[6] We use the university’s own 2025 numbers.
How is the University of Gothenburg ranked?
In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the University of Gothenburg is 225th in the world, 23 places lower than 202nd in 2026. The university’s own memo on the result says it has slipped a few places at each update and by 40 places in total since 2022, and links the fall mainly to Academic Reputation, Citations per Faculty and Employer Reputation.[2]
The same memo lists the Swedish universities: Lund 71, KTH 82, Uppsala 87, Stockholm University 167, Chalmers 174, Gothenburg 225 and Linköping 308.[2] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at the University of Gothenburg?
The university offers around 80 international master’s programmes and 10 bachelor’s programmes taught in English.[7] Examples we read:
- Master’s Programme in Global Studies: 2 years, 120 credits (ECTS).[4]
- Master’s Programme in Global Health: 2 years, 120 credits.[5]
- Biology, Master’s Programme: 2 years, 120 credits.[9]
- Bachelor’s Programme in International Relations: 3 years, 180 credits.[8]
The faculties and schools are listed above. The full list is in the university’s programme search on gu.se.[7]
How much does the University of Gothenburg cost for international students?
Citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland normally pay application and tuition fees.[3] Gothenburg shows tuition on each programme page as the full education cost and a first payment, by intake. The examples below are for the master’s programmes we read:
| Programme | Autumn 2026: full cost | Autumn 2026: first payment | Autumn 2027: full cost | Autumn 2027: first payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Studies (2 years) | SEK 192,000 | SEK 48,000 | SEK 194,000 | SEK 48,500 |
| Biology (2 years) | SEK 290,000 | SEK 72,500 | SEK 294,000 | SEK 73,500 |
| Global Health (2 years) | SEK 324,000 | SEK 81,000 | SEK 328,000 | SEK 82,000 |
Sources: the programme pages for Global Studies, Biology and Global Health.[4][9][5] Spread over the two years, the autumn 2026 amounts equal about SEK 96,000, SEK 145,000 and SEK 162,000 per year; that is our arithmetic from the full cost. The bachelor’s programme in International Relations costs SEK 288,000 for three years (first payment SEK 48,000) for autumn 2026 and SEK 291,000 for autumn 2027.[8] We read only these four programmes, so other programmes can cost more or less.
Application fee and payment
- The application fee is SEK 900, handled through universityadmissions.se.[3]
- You pay tuition for each semester in advance. There are no instalments after the deadline, but you may pay in several card or bank transactions (the university suggests no more than five).[3]
Who does not pay?
No fees are charged for EU and EEA citizens, Swedish residence permit holders and exchange students, according to the programme pages.[4] If you think you meet the exemption requirements, upload your documents to your universityadmissions.se account and email tuitionfees@gu.se for a reassessment.[3]
Scholarships
The Axel Adler Scholarship is a tuition fee waiver for fee-paying students who apply, as first choice, to an international campus-based programme in Gothenburg; online programmes do not qualify. It does not cover living costs or travel, and selection is based mainly on your qualifications for the programme.[10] The Swedish Institute also offers scholarships; if you applied for either, wait for the result before paying tuition.[3] For living costs, see our Sweden guide and the Study in Sweden guide.
How do you apply to the University of Gothenburg?
All universities in Sweden use the same admissions portal, universityadmissions.se, and Gothenburg’s applications run through it.[7]
- Pick a programme and check its entry requirements on the programme page. As one example, selection for the Master’s Programme in Global Studies is based on the number of credits from previous university studies, up to 165 credits.[4]
- Create an account and rank your choices on the portal.[11]
- Pay the SEK 900 application fee if you need to, and upload your documents.[3][11]
- If admitted, pay the first tuition payment shown on the programme page before the semester.[3]
We give no deadlines here because they change every year; each programme page lists the application periods for its intakes. The portal page we read dates from 2021, so rely on the programme page for current steps.[11]
Which language level do you need?
The master’s and bachelor’s programme pages we read ask for Swedish upper secondary English 6 (English level 2) or an equivalent level on an internationally recognised test such as TOEFL or IELTS.[5][8] The national portal sets the scores: IELTS Academic with an overall 6.5 and no section below 5.5, and Pearson PTE Academic 62 with 61 in writing. For TOEFL iBT, results from 21 January 2026 need a total of 4.5 on the new 1–6 scale with no section below 4. The portal page was updated on 13 October 2025.[12]
Some master’s programmes require English 5 or English 7 instead, so check the programme page.[12] The English-taught programmes need no Swedish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the University of Gothenburg cost for non-EU students?
Do EU citizens pay tuition fees in Gothenburg?
No. No fees are charged for EU and EEA citizens, Swedish residence permit holders and exchange students.[4]
How is the University of Gothenburg ranked?
225th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, down 23 places from 202nd in 2026.[2]
Is there an application fee?
Yes, SEK 900 for applicants from countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland.[3]
Is there a scholarship for international students?
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
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology
- 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
- Uppsala University
Sources
[1] University of Gothenburg: Facts and figures (page updated 23 Jun 2026; figures of 2025)
[2] University of Gothenburg: Results for the University of Gothenburg in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (internal memo, Swedish; QS publishes the ranking at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access) (document dated 18 Jun 2026)
[3] University of Gothenburg: Tuition fees (page updated 9 Sep 2026)
[4] University of Gothenburg: Master’s Programme in Global Studies (page updated 3 Nov 2026)
[5] University of Gothenburg: Master’s Programme in Global Health (page updated 2 Oct 2026)
[6] Wikipedia: University of Gothenburg (history, faculties and campus)
[7] University of Gothenburg: Study in Gothenburg, Sweden (page updated 2 Nov 2026)
[8] University of Gothenburg: Bachelor’s Programme in International Relations (page updated 3 Nov 2026)
[9] University of Gothenburg: Biology, Master’s Programme (page updated 3 Nov 2026)
[10] University of Gothenburg: Axel Adler Scholarship (page updated 8 Oct 2026)
[11] University Admissions in Sweden: Apply to master’s studies (page updated 15 Oct 2021, so check current steps on the programme page)
[12] University Admissions in Sweden: English language requirements (page updated 13 Oct 2025)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.