Study in Denmark

Denmark is a study destination in Northern Europe. Its capital is Copenhagen. Danish is official. Costs are quoted in Danish krone (kr).

Northern Europe · Copenhagen · Danish

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01 Overview

About studying in Denmark

Denmark sits in Northern Europe, with Copenhagen as its capital, and offers a mature, well-funded university system.

It is a member of the European Union, so degrees carry recognition across the bloc and Erasmus+ mobility is open to you once you are enrolled.

Danish is the official language, and that is the first thing to check against any programme you shortlist. English-taught degrees exist here, but they are a subset of the catalogue rather than the default, and the ones that exist concentrate at master's level.

On cost, Denmark sits in the high-income group, which shapes your budget more than any single university does: tuition runs 45,000 to 120,000 DKK a year, and living costs run 7,000 to 10,000 DKK a month. UNESCO counted 28,751 international students here in 2024.

02 Study paths

Find your study path

Pick the route closest to where you are today. Entry rules, timelines and costs in Denmark all change with it.

Undergraduate study, usually beginning straight after school.

Typical duration
3–4 years
Business & ManagementComputing & Information TechnologyEngineeringScienceHealth, Medicine & Veterinary StudiesArts, Humanities & Social Sciences

What you need to enter

  • School leaving qualification

Durations and entry rules are typical for the level. Each programme sets its own, so check before you shortlist.

05 Intakes

When can you apply to Denmark?

Denmark runs 2 intakes a year. Applications open well ahead of the month teaching begins.

JanJanuary: no intake
FebFebruary: intake available
MarMarch: no intake
AprApril: no intake
MayMay: no intake
JunJune: no intake
JulJuly: no intake
AugAugust: no intake
SepSeptember: intake available
OctOctober: no intake
NovNovember: no intake
DecDecember: no intake

February intake

Classes begin February

September intake

Classes begin September

06 Cost

What does it cost to study in Denmark?

Indicative ranges for international students, in DKK. Treat every figure here as a starting point, not a quote.

Tuition
45,000 – 120,000per year
Living expenses
7,000 – 10,000per month
Application fee
0 – 750one time

07 Language

Language requirements for Denmark

Requirements are set per programme. Use these as the usual range, and confirm the exact score with each university.

English tests accepted in Denmark
TestRequirementUsual minimum
IELTS AcademicVaries by programme6.5
TOEFL iBTVaries by programmeSet by programme
PTE AcademicVaries by programmeSet by programme
Duolingo English TestVaries by programmeSet by programme

08 Work & visa

Study, work and stay in Denmark

The pathway from your first semester to work after graduation, and the visa conditions attached to each stage.

Visa overview

Student residence permit

At a glance

  • Processing time: 1 to 2 months
  • Visa fee: kr2,110

09 By the numbers

Study in Denmark by the numbers

The figures that shape a decision, taken from what is published on Universta.

3
Universities profiled
3
Public universities
28,751
International students
kr45,000
Tuition from, per year
2
Intakes per year

10 Interpretation

What these figures mean for you

A number on its own decides nothing. Open any figure to see how it changes your shortlist, your budget or your timeline in Denmark.

11

Admission process

The sequence below is the one that works for Denmark. Dates move, the order does not.

  1. Shortlist and check entry equivalence. Ask each institution how it maps your qualification onto its own entry level before you pay an application fee; inside the EU the Bologna cycles make this quicker than it looks.
  2. Language evidence. For an English-taught programme, expect to show around 6.5 IELTS or the equivalent. For a programme taught in Danish, you will be asked for proficiency in that instead, and that requirement is rarely waived.
  3. Apply. Applications go to the institution directly unless it tells you otherwise; send certified translations of transcripts with the first submission rather than waiting to be asked.
  4. Offer and acceptance. An offer arrives with a fee schedule and a deadline. This is the point to ask about scholarships, waivers and housing, while the institution still wants your answer.
  5. Funds and visa. Assemble proof of funds as soon as the offer is in hand, and allow 1 to 2 months for the visa itself.
  6. Arrival and registration. Most destinations require you to register your address or residence permit within weeks of landing. Treat it as part of enrolment, not paperwork you can leave.

12

Cost breakdown

The figures here are quoted in DKK, the currency Denmark publishes its own fees in. They are a planning range rather than a quote.

  • Tuition: 45,000 to 120,000 DKK a year. The spread is mostly public versus private and undergraduate versus postgraduate, not one university being better than another.
  • Living: 7,000 to 10,000 DKK a month. Rent moves this figure more than everything else combined, so a university room in a smaller city is the single biggest saving available to you.
  • Application fees: 0-750 DKK per application, which is worth counting if you are applying to six places.
  • Health cover: budget for it separately. EU and EEA students can often rely on an EHIC; everyone else buys a policy, and enrolment is usually conditional on holding one.
  • One-off costs: flights, a deposit on housing, document translation and certification, and the visa fee itself. These land before any stipend or part-time work does.

13

Why study

Denmark sits in Northern Europe, with Copenhagen as its capital, and offers a mature, well-funded university system. It is a member of the European Union, so degrees carry recognition across the bloc and Erasmus+ mobility is open to you once you are enrolled.

Danish is the official language, and that is the first thing to check against any programme you shortlist. English-taught degrees exist here, but they are a subset of the catalogue rather than the default, and the ones that exist concentrate at master's level.

On cost, Denmark sits in the high-income group, which shapes your budget more than any single university does: tuition runs 45,000 to 120,000 DKK a year, and living costs run 7,000 to 10,000 DKK a month. UNESCO counted 28,751 international students here in 2024.

14

Visa process

Denmark is in the Schengen area, so study longer than 90 days runs on a national long-stay visa rather than a short Schengen one. You apply at the mission that covers your country, and convert it into a residence permit after arrival.

  1. Hold an unconditional offer or a confirmed enrolment. No mission will open a student file without it.
  2. Assemble the file: passport valid well beyond the course, the offer, proof of funds, health cover and, where asked, a criminal record certificate and a medical.
  3. Book the appointment early. Slots are the bottleneck in the weeks before the main intake, not the decision itself.
  4. Pay the fee, currently DKK 2110, and allow 1 to 2 months for a decision.
  5. After arrival, complete registration: a residence permit, an address registration, or both, usually inside the first few weeks.

Rules change without much notice. Confirm the current requirement with the Denmark mission in your country before you book travel or pay anything.

15 Questions

Straight answers about Denmark.

The questions students ask before they commit. If yours is not here, the assessment is the fastest way to a specific answer.

Danish is official. English-taught programmes exist, most of them at master's level, but they are a subset rather than the default — check the language of instruction on each programme page.

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