Higher education & research in Sweden
Sweden is one of the world’s most innovative and research-intensive nations. Institutions like Lund University, Karolinska Institutet and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) place high in European rankings, and the research carried out there has contributed to the global success of Sweden’s many high-tech companies.
All Swedish university students are entitled to financial assistance, partly in the form of a grant and partly as a loan. The rate at which they pay it back depends on their income when they start working. Tuition fees are fully subsidized for students from Sweden, the EU/EEA area, and Switzerland. Students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland pay tuition fees but scholarship programs that cover tuition and living costs are available for a number of non-EU countries.
Nearly four per cent of Sweden’s GDP goes towards research and development, one of the highest rates in the world. As a result, Sweden has a leading position in areas like environmental technology, cancer research and nanotechnology. The bulk of the research taking place in Sweden — about 75 percent — is financed by companies. These investments have helped companies including Ericsson, Sandvik and the Volvo Group become leaders in their fields.
The government continues to invest in educational research and has earmarked SEK 110 billion for 2009-2012 to help fund the next generation of technological and scientific breakthroughs.
Swedish researchers aim to unravel scientific mysteries. We've let some of Sweden's top professors answer 25 questions about life on earth, the ultimate question being: How can we save our planet?
Fact sheet
More and more people want to pursue higher education in Sweden. The number of applicants for full-time studies has increased by almost 85,000 over the past five years. In terms of research, Sweden’s aim is to be one of the most R&D-intensive countries in the world.
by: David Wiles
Despite the fact that the sun can be an infrequent visitor here during the winter months, Swedish companies and researchers are behind many pioneering solar technologies. Sweden.se goes in search of some of the bright ideas coming out of the darkness.