University of Copenhagen
Københavns Universitet
Denmark's oldest and highest-ranked university (1479), where Niels Bohr worked; all bachelor's are taught in Danish.
- Students
- 36,758
- Tuition
- DKK 100K
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1479
- QS World Ranking
- #90
- 2027 edition
About UCPH
Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) is Denmark's oldest university and consistently its highest-ranked. It has six faculties (Health and Medical Sciences, Humanities, Law, Science, Social Sciences and Theology), 36 departments and more than 200 research centres, spread over four campuses in Copenhagen and one in Taastrup. It also runs eight museums and gardens, including the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
UCPH counts 10 Nobel laureates among its people, including Niels Bohr, whose institute made Copenhagen a centre of 20th-century physics. In 2025 it had 36,758 students and 10,738 employees, of whom 6,237 were researchers. Its alumni include 37 Danish prime ministers.
The key fact for international undergraduates: all 78 bachelor's programmes are taught in Danish, and applicants need Danish at the highest level or a pass in Studieprøven i dansk. UCPH is a strong choice if you are Danish or Nordic, bilingual, or ready to learn Danish to an academic level. Otherwise most international students join at master's level, where 120 programmes, many in English, are offered. Undergraduate places are allocated through Denmark's national portal, optagelse.dk, using a two-quota system.
Coelestem adspicit lucem
“It (the eagle) beholds the celestial light” — university motto
Why students choose UCPH
UCPH is ranked 34th in the world by ARWU 2026, the highest of any university in Denmark, and 5th in Europe in the CWTS Leiden Ranking.
Quota 2 admission, through a Danish-language test and an interview, gives a route in for students whose grades cannot be converted to a Danish GPA or fall below 6.0.
City Campus sits in the historic centre of Copenhagen around Frue Plads, and the Niels Bohr Institute carries on the physics tradition Bohr built there.
Students from the EU/EEA, the Nordic countries and Switzerland study tuition-free.
Admissions
Summer/autumn 2027 intake (applications via optagelse.dk by 15 March 2027 for quota 2)
Selectivity
No single admit rate. Places are split into quota 1 (admission purely by converted grade point average, with programme-specific cut-offs) and quota 2 (a Danish-language test of language and mathematical-logical tasks, followed by interviews for the best performers). Applicants with non-EU/EEA, non-Nordic school diplomas and IB/EB holders who need an individual assessment can only use quota 2.
Typical entry requirements
| Danish language | Danish A (native-language level) or academic Danish shown by passing Studieprøven i dansk; required for every bachelor's programme |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | Full IB Diploma converted to a Danish GPA of at least 6.0, plus programme-specific subjects at the right levels (for example Mathematics HL = Danish Matematik A) |
| Non-EU/EEA, non-Nordic upper secondary diplomas | Individual assessment; some countries' diplomas must be supplemented with one or two years of higher education or extra A- and B-level courses; quota 2 only |
| EU/EEA diplomas | Converted to the Danish grading scale; quota 1 and/or quota 2 |
| English language | Bachelor's teaching is in Danish; the key language requirement is academic Danish (Danish A or Studieprøven i dansk). Any English subject level required is listed in each programme's specific admission requirements. |
Deadlines
- Quota 2 and quota 1 with additional documentation (all foreign/international diplomas) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~5 months15 March 2027, 12:00 CET
Admission requirements can be met until 5 July; quota 2 test in April, interviews May to June, offers on 28 July
- Quota 1 (Danish and qualifying EU/EEA exams) Non-binding In ~9 months5 July 2027, 12:00 CET
Admission by grade point average only
These are UCPH's standing annual deadlines, 15 March and 5 July at 12:00. Applications with foreign or international diplomas must be in by 15 March regardless of nationality. Late diplomas from students just finishing school may be accepted until 15 August. The exact quota 2 test registration date in March is announced each year.
How to apply
Apply at optagelse.dk (Denmark's national admissions portal), upload signed and stamped documents, and sign with MitID or email a signed signature page to optagelse@ku.dk. Quota 2 applicants must separately enrol for the quota 2 test via Mit KU in March, sit it in April and, if among the best, attend an interview in May to June.
What admissions looks for
- A qualifying upper secondary exam equivalent to the Danish upper-secondary exam, with the required subjects at A, B or C levels.
- Academic Danish, shown by Danish A or Studieprøven i dansk.
- In quota 1, a high enough converted grade point average for the programme's cut-off.
- In quota 2, strong performance in the language and mathematical-logical test and in the interview.
Tips for applying to UCPH
- 1 Start with Danish: without Danish A or Studieprøven, no bachelor's application can succeed, so plan a year or more of language study.
- 2 If your diploma is from outside the EU/EEA and the Nordic countries, you can only apply through quota 2, which means registering separately for the April test.
- 3 Submit officially signed and stamped documents with certified translations before 15 March; UCPH does not assess late applications.
- 4 Check the specific A/B/C subject levels for your programme, since IB HL and SL map to different Danish levels.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in DKK
Citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA, the Nordic countries and Switzerland pay tuition (DKK 100,000 or 130,000 a year for bachelor's programmes, charged per semester) unless they hold a permanent or qualifying Danish residence permit. Danish and eligible EU students may receive the Danish State Educational Grant (SU).
- None
- Tuition for EU/EEA/Nordic/Swiss students
- DKK 100,000 or DKK 130,000 per year depending on programme
- Non-EU bachelor's tuition
- EUR 1,280-1,800 per month
- Estimated living costs in Copenhagen (UCPH)
- DKK 1,120
- Master's application deposit fee (non-EU)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters per academic year
Physics (Niels Bohr Institute)
Taught at the institute founded around Niels Bohr, one of the university's 10 Nobel laureates.
Medicine
A Danish-taught six-year route (bachelor's plus master's) in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.
Law
Denmark's oldest law faculty, on City Campus in central Copenhagen.
Economics and Political Science
Social Sciences programmes at a university that counts 37 Danish prime ministers among its alumni.
Research
- Ranked 5th in Europe in the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2025 for top-10%-cited publications.
- 14,151 research publications and DKK 11.7 billion in revenue (2025).
- Runs the Natural History Museum of Denmark, the Medical Museion and other research gardens and museums.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Theology
Student life
UCPH has no single campus. Students belong to one of four Copenhagen campuses (City, South, North and Frederiksberg) or to Taastrup, depending on their faculty. Most students cycle between flats, halls and campus. Danish student culture centres on study groups, Friday bars run by student associations, and a big introduction week for new students. Bachelor's degrees take three years, and most students continue straight to a two-year master's.
- Four Copenhagen campuses and one in Taastrup
- Eight museums and research gardens, including the Natural History Museum of Denmark
- 34 Olympic medals won by 21 alumni
- Elite sport arrangements for student athletes
Housing. UCPH does not guarantee housing for bachelor's students; Copenhagen's rental market is tight, so start looking as soon as you apply.
Location
Copenhagen is a compact, safe and famously bike-friendly capital, with harbour swimming in summer and long dark winters. It is expensive, especially rent, but has excellent public transport and a direct train to the airport and across the Øresund bridge to Sweden. English is widely spoken, but daily life and your bachelor's degree will be in Danish.
Nearest airport: Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup (CPH)
Notable alumni
- NB Niels BohrPhysicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 1922
- SK Søren KierkegaardPhilosopher, father of existentialism
- TB Tycho BraheAstronomer
- HC Hans Christian ØrstedPhysicist who discovered electromagnetism
- OR Ole RømerAstronomer who first measured the speed of light
- HT Helle Thorning-SchmidtPrime Minister of Denmark 2011 to 2015
- BL Bjørn LomborgPolitical scientist and author of The Skeptical Environmentalist
- LM Lars MikkelsenDanish actor
Frequently asked questions
Can I study a bachelor's at the University of Copenhagen in English?
No. All 78 UCPH bachelor's programmes are taught in Danish, and you need Danish A or a pass in Studieprøven i dansk to be admitted. English-taught options are at master's level.
What is the University of Copenhagen application deadline?
All applicants with foreign or international diplomas, and all quota 2 applicants, must apply on optagelse.dk by 15 March at 12:00. Quota 1 applicants with Danish exams have until 5 July at 12:00.
What is quota 2 at UCPH?
Quota 2 is admission by a Danish-language test (language and mathematical-logical tasks, held in April) followed by an interview for the best performers. It is the only route for non-EU/EEA, non-Nordic diplomas.
What is the University of Copenhagen's QS ranking?
UCPH is joint 90th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and 1st in Denmark. It is also 90th in THE 2026 and 34th in ARWU 2026.
Is the University of Copenhagen free for international students?
It is tuition-free for EU/EEA, Nordic and Swiss citizens. Other nationalities pay DKK 100,000 or 130,000 a year depending on the bachelor's programme, unless they hold a qualifying Danish residence permit.
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.
- University of Copenhagen - Rankings (facts and figures)
- University of Copenhagen - Facts and figures
- University of Copenhagen - Bachelor (78 programmes, taught in Danish; deadlines)
- University of Copenhagen - Bachelor admission requirements
- University of Copenhagen - Non-EU/EEA and non-Nordic countries
- University of Copenhagen - IB and other international diplomas
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