Aarhus University
Aarhus Universitet
Denmark's second-largest university: yellow-brick buildings in a park, in a city where nearly one in six is a student.
- Students
- 32,780
- 18,769 undergraduates
- International
- 12%
- of students
- Tuition
- €13,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1928
About AU
Aarhus University was founded in 1928 in Denmark's second city, Aarhus, and is today the country's second-largest and second-oldest university. Its best-known image is the main campus designed by C. F. Møller, Kay Fisker and Povl Stegmann: yellow-brick buildings set in a hilly park with an open-air amphitheatre. In 2025 it had 32,780 enrolled students, 18,769 of them on bachelor's programmes, plus about 2,000 PhD students.
The university has five faculties: Arts; Aarhus BSS (Business and Social Sciences); Health; Natural Sciences; and Technical Sciences. It is strongest in research: it places 81st in ARWU 2026, Nobel laureate Jens Christian Skou did his prize-winning work on the sodium-potassium pump here, and in 2025 its researchers produced about 13,400 publications.
Most bachelor's programmes are taught in Danish, but six are taught in English: Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Data Science, IT Product Development, and Economics and Business Administration in Aarhus and in Herning. Admission is through Denmark's national quota system, and personal statements are not considered. It suits students with strong school grades who want a research-intensive university and a lively, affordable student city.
Solidum petit in profundis
“Seek a firm footing in the depths” — university motto
Why students choose AU
Six English-taught bachelor's programmes, including Computer Science in a department ranked among the world's top 100.
EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition.
Quota 2 applications can earn extra points for documented relevant work, study or folk high school experience, not just grades.
Aarhus is Denmark's second-largest city, and nearly one in six residents is a student.
Admissions
Entry August/September 2027
Selectivity
Denmark has no single admit rate. AU admitted 6,482 bachelor's students in 2025; the university-wide minimum admission grade (quota 1, incl. A-bonus) was 9.1 on the Danish 7-point scale. Quota 1 cut-offs for the 2026 English-taught programmes: Computer Science 11.4, Data Science 11.2, Cognitive Science 10.7, IT Product Development 10.1, Economics and Business Administration (Aarhus) 9.2.
Typical entry requirements
| Qualifying upper secondary exam | An exam equivalent to the Danish upper secondary exam, plus programme-specific subjects at Danish levels, e.g. English B and Mathematics A for Computer Science and Data Science |
|---|---|
| Quota 1 (grade-based) | Ranked on GPA; 2026 cut-offs of 9.2 to 11.4 on the Danish 7-point scale across the English-taught programmes |
| Quota 2 (all international applicants) | Overall assessment of the average in programme-relevant quota 2 subjects plus documented relevant qualifications (4-12 months of work experience, study, military service or folk high school) |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 83 English B level: IELTS Academic 6.5 with 6.0 in each section; TOEFL iBT 83 with 20 in each section (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4.5 with 4.0 in each section (new scale); Cambridge C1 Advanced grade A-C or 180. English A (where required): IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL iBT 100. IELTS One Skill Retake and Duolingo are not accepted. |
Deadlines
- International applicants, quota 2 and IB Non-binding Next deadline · In ~5 months15 March 2027, 12:00 noon CET
Deadline for all international applicants, non-EU applicants, IB diploma holders and quota 2. Fee-paying applicants hear by 1 June; others get their answer on 28 July.
- Quota 1 (Danish entry exams) Non-binding In ~9 months5 July 2027, 12:00 noon CET
Application deadline for applicants with a Danish entry exam, and the documentation deadline for final diplomas and English test results for other applicants. Answers on 28 July; confirm your place by 3 August.
AU publishes these as fixed annual dates (1 February, 15 March, 5 July, 28 July, 3 August); they apply to the 2027 intake. Fee-paying non-EU applicants must have finished their qualifying exam and uploaded the final diploma by 15 March, so they cannot apply in the year they graduate.
How to apply
Apply on the national portal optagelse.dk, which opens on 1 February. All international applicants are assessed in quota 2 and may also be assessed in quota 1. Upload diplomas, transcripts, any English test and documentation of relevant qualifications by 15 March, and send in the signed signature page. Non-EU/EEA applicants who must pay fees pay a EUR 150 application fee by 15 March and must have completed their school-leaving exam before that date.
What admissions looks for
- High grades in the subjects that matter for the programme: quota 2 is built on your average in particularly relevant quota 2 subjects.
- Documented relevant experience of 4-12 months, such as related work, internships, completed education, military service or a folk high school stay, which can add points (e.g. 0.4, 1.0, 1.5 or more) to your quota 2 average.
- The right subject levels, such as Mathematics A and English B for the computing programmes.
- Personal statements, teacher references and short preparatory or talent courses are not counted.
Tips for applying to AU
- 1 Don't spend time on a personal statement: AU says it is not a relevant qualification. Put your effort into documenting relevant work or study instead.
- 2 Documentation must show your name, start and end dates and hours; only activities documented by 15 March count.
- 3 If you are a non-EU fee-paying applicant, apply after you graduate, since your final diploma must be uploaded by 15 March.
- 4 Check the Quota 1 cut-offs on each programme page: Computer Science needed 11.4 in 2026 against 9.2 for Economics and Business Administration.
- 5 Join housing waiting lists (AU Housing, Student Housing Aarhus) before you know whether you are admitted; you can always decline.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Aarhus University does not offer scholarships for any of its bachelor's programmes. Fee-paying applicants pay a EUR 150 (DKK 1,125) application fee, refunded if they enrol, pay tuition and are still enrolled on 1 October. Tuition is paid per semester, with no instalments.
- None offered
- Bachelor's scholarships
- EUR 150, refundable if you enrol
- Application fee (fee-paying applicants)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (30 ECTS each), starting in September and February
Computer Science (BSc, English-taught)
Taught by a department ranked among the world's top 100; the 2026 quota 1 cut-off was 11.4.
Cognitive Science (BSc, English-taught)
Combines experimental design, statistics, programming and brain-scan and text data; 2026 quota 1 cut-off 10.7.
Data Science (BSc, English-taught)
Requires Mathematics A; 2026 quota 1 cut-off 11.2, annual non-EU fee EUR 17,300.
Economics and Business Administration (BSc, English-taught)
Offered at Aarhus BSS in Aarhus and in Herning, with a EUR 13,000 annual non-EU fee.
IT Product Development (BSc, English-taught)
English-taught with Mathematics A required; 2026 quota 1 cut-off 10.1 (standby 6.9).
Research
- Jens Christian Skou did his Nobel Prize-winning (Chemistry, 1997) work on the Na/K-ATPase at Aarhus and worked there until retirement.
- AU published about 13,400 research publications in 2025 and awarded 524 PhD degrees.
- External research funding reached EUR 454 million in 2025, 39% of total funding.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts
- Aarhus BSS (Business and Social Sciences)
- Faculty of Health
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Technical Sciences
Student life
Aarhus is a compact student city: nearly one in six residents is a student, and the main campus sits in the University Park close to the centre. Each faculty and programme has its own social life. At Aarhus BSS the student bar Klubben is quiet on weekdays and a party on Fridays, and associations such as the Finance and Consulting Club Aarhus link students with companies. Cognitive Science students run their own talks, a knitting group and BrainWaves, which swims in the sea every morning of the year. International students often combine study with part-time student jobs.
- The University Park with its grass amphitheatre, the setting of the main building.
- Klubben, the Aarhus BSS student bar.
- Programme associations like CogTalks and BrainWaves (Cognitive Science) and FACCA (business).
- About 3,980 full-degree international students in 2025.
Housing. AU Housing offers rooms to non-EU full-degree students, alongside Student Housing Aarhus, Basecamp and the private market; AU advises joining several waiting lists early, even before you are admitted.
Location
Aarhus, on the east coast of Jutland, is Denmark's second-largest city but feels like a campus town, with cafés, music festivals and study spots aimed at young people. Rents are lower than in Copenhagen: single students in AU's budget examples paid roughly EUR 335-700 a month in rent. The main campus is a short walk or bike ride from the city centre.
Nearest airport: Aarhus Airport (AAR); Billund Airport (BLL) has more international routes
Notable alumni
- BS Bjarne StroustrupCreator of the C++ programming language; cand.scient. in mathematics with computer science from Aarhus University
- FX Frederik XKing of Denmark; MSc in political science from Aarhus University
- MI Margrethe IIQueen of Denmark 1972-2024; studied political science at Aarhus University
- AF Anders Fogh RasmussenPrime Minister of Denmark and NATO Secretary General; economics graduate
- LH Lene HauPhysicist who slowed and stopped light; bachelor's in mathematics and master's in physics from Aarhus
- SA Svend AukenDanish Social Democrat leader and environment minister; political science degree
Frequently asked questions
Does Aarhus University offer bachelor's degrees in English?
Yes, six: Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Data Science, IT Product Development, and Economics and Business Administration in Aarhus and in Herning. Most other bachelor's programmes are taught in Danish.
What is the Aarhus University application deadline for 2027?
15 March 2027 at 12 noon CET via optagelse.dk for all international applicants, IB holders and quota 2. The 5 July deadline is for applicants with a Danish entry exam.
How much is tuition at Aarhus University for non-EU students?
For 2026/27 it is EUR 13,000 a year for Cognitive Science and Economics and Business Administration, and EUR 17,300 for Computer Science, Data Science and IT Product Development. EU/EEA and Swiss students pay nothing, and AU offers no bachelor's scholarships.
Does Aarhus University read personal statements?
No. In quota 2, AU looks at your average in relevant subjects plus documented relevant qualifications such as work experience or a folk high school stay; personal statements and references are listed as non-relevant.
What IELTS score does Aarhus University require?
IELTS Academic 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each section for English B level, or TOEFL iBT 83 with 20 in each section. IB, EB and Nordic school-leavers usually meet the requirement through their English subject.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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