Uppsala University
Uppsala universitet
The first Nordic university (1477), home of Linnaeus and Celsius, with English bachelor's degrees in Visby.
- Students
- 49,860
- Tuition
- SEK 99,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1477
- QS World Ranking
- #87
- 2027 edition
About UU
Uppsala University, founded in 1477, is the oldest university in the Nordic countries and remains one of Sweden's two classic university towns. It is where Carl Linnaeus developed his system of taxonomy and Anders Celsius his temperature scale, and more recently where Svante Pääbo, Nobel laureate in 2022, studied.
It is a comprehensive research university organised in three disciplinary domains (humanities and social sciences, medicine and pharmacy, and science and technology) with nine faculties and around 60 departments. There were 49,860 registered students in 2026 and about 7,500 employees. Most teaching is in Swedish: Uppsala runs around 80 international master's programmes but only 8 international bachelor's programmes, most of them on the Campus Gotland site in the medieval town of Visby.
For an international undergraduate, Uppsala makes most sense if one of those English-taught programmes fits, such as Game Design, Egyptology, Holocaust and Genocide Studies or Energy Transition, or if you can study in Swedish. Students who do well here are independent learners who like a lecture-plus-seminar model and want the distinctive social life of the student nations.
Gratiae veritas naturae
“The truth of nature is grace” — university motto
Why students choose UU
Four English-taught Game Design bachelor's tracks (Graphics, Level Design, Programming, Project Management) run on Campus Gotland in Visby, a UNESCO World Heritage town.
Rare English-taught bachelor's in Egyptology and in Holocaust and Genocide Studies draw on Uppsala's long humanities tradition.
The student nations, found only in Uppsala and Lund, run their own housing, clubs, pubs and formal dinners.
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens pay no tuition or application fees, and all applicants use one national portal, universityadmissions.se.
Admissions
Autumn 2027 intake (first admissions round for international students)
Selectivity
No overall admit rate is published. When eligible applicants outnumber places, applicants are usually ranked on their qualifications, with the selection method set per programme.
Typical entry requirements
| Upper secondary / high school diploma | Completed upper secondary education meeting the country-specific rules on universityadmissions.se; Uppsala states that students still in their last year of upper secondary school cannot apply to its bachelor's programmes |
|---|---|
| English (English 6 / English level 2) | IELTS Academic 6.5 (no section below 5.5), TOEFL iBT 90 (writing 20), or Cambridge C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency |
| Programme-specific requirements | Some programmes require particular upper secondary courses, such as mathematics; see each programme page |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 90 IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no section below 5.5; TOEFL iBT 90 total with at least 20 in writing; Cambridge CAE or CPE also accepted. Can sometimes be met through previous studies. |
Deadlines
- First admissions round (international) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months15 January 2027
Opens 16 October 2026; application fee and supporting documents due 1 February 2027; bachelor's results 8 April 2027
- Second admissions round (national) Non-binding In ~6 months15 April 2027
Opens 15 March 2027; results 9 July 2027. Many English-taught programmes are not open in this round, and non-EU students needing a residence permit are unlikely to get one in time.
Dates are from universityadmissions.se and Uppsala's bachelor's pages for autumn 2027. Deadlines are at midnight CET.
How to apply
Apply online at universityadmissions.se (Sweden's national portal), ranking up to your chosen programmes, upload upper secondary documents and English proof, and pay the SEK 900 application fee if you are not an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen. Tuition fees are then paid directly to Uppsala.
What admissions looks for
- A completed upper secondary qualification that meets Sweden's general entry requirements for your country of study.
- English at the level of Swedish English 6, usually shown with IELTS or TOEFL.
- Any programme-specific upper secondary courses.
- Strong grades where a programme is oversubscribed, since applicants are usually ranked on qualifications.
Tips for applying to UU
- 1 Apply in the first round (16 October 2026 to 15 January 2027); that round leaves time for tuition payment and a residence permit.
- 2 Pay the SEK 900 fee and upload every document early, since University Admissions only flags missing items if it reviews your file before the 1 February deadline.
- 3 Uppsala says students in their last year of upper secondary school cannot apply for its bachelor's programmes, so plan to apply after you graduate.
- 4 Most English-taught bachelor's programmes are in Visby on Gotland, not in Uppsala itself, so check the campus on the programme page.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in SEK
Uppsala offers a very limited number of tuition-fee scholarships for admitted international bachelor's students, open only to students from selected countries. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and holders of permanent (or non-study temporary) Swedish residence are exempt from fees.
- SEK 900 per semester applied for
- Application fee (non-EU/EEA)
- 2,097 (1,362 FTE)
- Fee-paying international students
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (autumn and spring)
Bachelor's Programme in Game Design (four tracks)
English-taught game design in Visby with specialisations in graphics, level design, programming and project management.
Bachelor's Programme in Egyptology
An English-taught bachelor's in a field few universities offer at undergraduate level.
Bachelor's Programme in Holocaust and Genocide Studies
A rare English-taught programme in genocide studies.
Bachelor's Programme in Energy Transition - Sustainability and Leadership
An English-taught programme combining energy systems with leadership.
Law, Business and Economics, Medicine (Swedish-taught)
Uppsala's most popular study programmes, alongside nursing and social work.
Research
- SEK 6,457 million in revenue for research and PhD programmes, 58% of research funding from external sources.
- Doctoral education in 152 subject areas with 2,415 PhD students.
- Svante Pääbo, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2022, is an Uppsala alumnus.
Schools & faculties
- Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy
- Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology
- Campus Gotland (Visby)
Student life
Student life in Uppsala centres on the student nations, associations traditionally organised by home province, which exist only in Uppsala and Lund. Nations run pubs, clubs, choirs, sports, balls and formal dinners, and also build and rent student housing. The historic centre around the cathedral, the Gustavianum and the main university building is compact and walkable, and cycling is the norm. In Visby, the Campus Gotland community is smaller and tighter-knit, in a walled medieval town by the Baltic Sea.
- Student nations, unique to Uppsala and Lund, with housing, pubs and formal dinners
- Historic buildings including Universitetshuset and the Gustavianum
- Campus Gotland in the World Heritage town of Visby
- Around 660 freestanding courses taught in English
Housing. Student housing from the nations and student unions does not cover all students, so international students should apply for housing as soon as they are admitted.
Location
Uppsala is a classic Swedish university town north of Stockholm, with frequent trains to the capital and to Arlanda airport. It is green, safe and bike-friendly, with long dark winters and bright summers. Visby, where most English-taught bachelor's programmes run, is a small walled medieval town on the island of Gotland, reached by ferry or plane.
Nearest airport: Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
Notable alumni
- CL Carl LinnaeusBotanist and father of modern taxonomy
- AC Anders CelsiusAstronomer who devised the Celsius temperature scale
- DH Dag HammarskjöldUN Secretary-General, posthumous Nobel Peace Prize 1961
- SP Svante PääboGeneticist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2022
- HB Hans BlixDiplomat and head of the International Atomic Energy Agency
- HB Hjalmar BrantingFirst Social Democratic Prime Minister of Sweden
- ES Emanuel SwedenborgScientist and theologian
- NZ Niklas ZennströmCo-founder of Skype and Kazaa
Frequently asked questions
What is Uppsala University's QS ranking for 2027?
Uppsala University is joint 87th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, an improvement on its previous position.
When is the application deadline for Uppsala bachelor's programmes starting in autumn 2027?
Applications open on universityadmissions.se on 16 October 2026 and close on 15 January 2027. Supporting documents and the application fee are due by 1 February 2027.
How much is tuition at Uppsala for non-EU students?
Between SEK 49,500 and SEK 90,000 per semester depending on the programme. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens pay no tuition.
What IELTS score does Uppsala require?
For most bachelor's programmes, IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no section below 5.5, or TOEFL iBT 90 with at least 20 in writing.
Does Uppsala offer bachelor's programmes in English?
Yes, a small set of 8, mostly in Visby on Gotland: four Game Design tracks, Egyptology, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Energy Transition, and Leadership, Quality Management and Improvement.
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.
- Uppsala University - Rankings (QS 2027 news)
- Uppsala University - Facts and figures
- Uppsala University - Bachelor's studies (autumn 2027 dates)
- Uppsala University - Bachelor's entry requirements
- Uppsala University - Tuition fees for bachelor's students
- Uppsala University - Scholarships for bachelor's students
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