Högskolan Dalarna

About Högskolan Dalarna

Dalarna University is an independent public higher-education institution regulated by Sweden’s Higher Education Act and Higher Education Ordinance. The Swedish Government has ultimate responsibility for the institution, while its governing board is its highest internal decision-making body. Founded in 1977 as Högskolan Falun/Borlänge, it now uses Högskolan Dalarna as its Swedish name and Dalarna University in English. Teaching takes place at Campus Falun, Campus Borlänge, and online. This distributed structure is central to the student experience: applicants should check each programme’s delivery format rather than assume that all study is based in Falun. Campus Borlänge houses the School of Information and Engineering and the School of Culture and Society. Falun is home to the School of Language, Literatures and Learning and the School of Health and Welfare, with media teaching also located at Mediehuset in Falun. The institution combines undergraduate and graduate teaching with research and doctoral education. Its governance page documents doctoral degree-awarding powers in Microdata Analysis, Educational Work, and Health and Welfare with a specialisation in Evidence-Based Practice; the doctoral studies catalogue also lists Resource-Efficient Built Environments. This makes Dalarna University relevant both to students seeking professionally oriented first degrees and to applicants interested in advanced, research-connected study.

International applications for bachelor’s and master’s study are normally submitted through Sweden’s UniversityAdmissions.se system. Admission requires both general eligibility and any specific requirements stated on the programme page. For master’s applicants, Dalarna University’s July 2026 guidance requires a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Swedish degree from an internationally recognised institution and evidence of English proficiency. The page gives IELTS 6.5 with no component below 5.5 and TOEFL totals of 90 with at least 20 in writing as typical thresholds, while noting that exemptions may apply. Eligibility does not guarantee a place. Admission can depend on competition, programme capacity, and the order in which an applicant ranks choices. Applicants must also submit the documents required for their country of education and for the chosen programme. For the autumn 2026 first application round, the official applicant page listed 15 January 2026 as the on-time application deadline and 2 February 2026 as the supporting-document deadline. Those dates have passed and must not be reused for a later intake. Prospective students applying after August 2026 should consult the live programme listing and UniversityAdmissions.se for the relevant 2027 round. Doctoral applicants follow vacancy-specific instructions instead of this bachelor’s and master’s process.

The autumn 2026 catalogue confirms active bachelor’s and master’s education, with offerings varying by language, campus, intake, and delivery mode. Areas represented in the international study portfolio include business, economics and tourism, data science and business intelligence, English studies, technology and engineering, health and politics, and languages. The wider university also teaches fields such as education, social work, media, and sport and health. Applicants should use the individual programme page as the controlling academic source. It identifies the award, credits, study pace, teaching language, location or online format, entry requirements, and intake. This is particularly important because Dalarna University has a significant distance-learning profile: an online label does not necessarily mean that every activity is asynchronous or that no physical meeting is required. At doctoral level, the university describes programmes in Health and Welfare with a focus on Evidence-Based Practice, Microdata Analysis, Educational Work, and Resource-Efficient Built Environments. Doctoral study consists of courses, seminars, conferences, supervised research, and a thesis. Recruitment differs from ordinary bachelor’s and master’s admission: doctoral vacancies are advertised as funded positions, and there is no single fixed application deadline for all doctoral programmes. The academic structure therefore suits students looking for either campus study in a defined professional or disciplinary field or a carefully selected online programme. Prospective students should compare programme syllabi and course sequencing, not merely subject titles, before applying.

Key Highlights

• Public Swedish higher-education institution founded in 1977
• Teaching is offered in Falun, Borlänge, and online
• Operates four academic schools
• Awards qualifications through the doctoral level

Student Life & Environment

Student life is divided between Falun, Borlänge, and the university’s online community. On-campus students should choose housing with their teaching location in mind because the two towns are about 20 kilometres apart. The university recommends living in the town where the student will study. Falun accommodation is commonly sought through Kopparstaden, while Tunabyggen provides student options in Borlänge. The university does not directly allocate all student housing. Students register with the municipal housing companies and apply for specific rooms or apartments. The official housing guidance warns that queues are common and advises registration as early as possible. Its housing guarantee depends on registering with the housing companies no later than the time of the university application; the guarantee may initially involve temporary or privately owned accommodation rather than a preferred student residence. Available campus facilities include libraries, study spaces, group rooms, computer facilities, and places to eat or heat food. Student Union activities and the international Welcome Day offer routes to meet other students and learn about support services. Online students should expect a different social pattern and should examine how their programme organises live teaching, group work, and campus meetings before committing.

Location & Surroundings

Dalarna University’s physical operations are split between Falun and Borlänge in Dalarna County, central Sweden. Falun is the postal base in the database record, but the university is not a single-campus institution. Subject location matters: Falun primarily hosts language, education, health, media, and sport-related environments, while Borlänge hosts engineering, IT, data, business, economics, and tourism-related study. The towns are approximately 20 kilometres apart. The university’s housing guidance estimates about 25 minutes between the towns by bus and roughly 35 minutes between campuses, so a daily cross-town commute is possible but less convenient than living near the relevant campus. Campus Borlänge is centrally located near the railway station. Campus Falun is near the Lugnet sport and recreation area, while Mediehuset is in a separate former-regimental area of Falun. Applicants should verify the exact campus on the programme page before signing a lease. Online students should also check whether occasional attendance in Falun or Borlänge is required.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Tuition status depends primarily on citizenship and admission category. Dalarna University’s July 2026 guidance states that EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens, along with students admitted through an exchange programme, do not pay tuition. Other international students generally pay programme-specific tuition by semester. Published English-taught programme totals range widely: examples on the current fee page run from 96,000 SEK for several one-year master’s programmes to 300,000 SEK for two-year programmes in Data Science or Solar Energy Engineering. The exact amount appears in the admission result and invoice. Tuition covers teaching, supervision, relevant software licences, included study visits, university-provided course materials, and access to facilities and digital systems. It does not cover accommodation, living expenses, course literature, or other personal costs. Fee-paying master’s students starting in 2026 or later may qualify for the university’s scholarship structure, but applicants must verify current conditions and deadlines separately. Career support includes individual study and career counselling before and during study, guidance on employment preparation, and information about CVs, interviews, networking, and Swedish working conditions. Registered students who have completed 60 credits may apply for supported Erasmus+ traineeships. Outcomes will differ substantially by programme, language ability, prior experience, and work-authorisation status; the university does not provide a single reliable salary or placement figure for all graduates.