6 best universities in Copenhagen 2025

Studying in Denmark according to university programs corresponds to the European system of educational credits.

Types of Bachelor's degree:

• Basic (academic) – 3 years educational program. An academic bachelor's degree is considered a step towards admission to a master's degree, but it is not necessary.
• Professional – 4-4.5 years. The professional bachelor's degree differs from the academic one in a more practical orientation. Graduation work here is not considered a thesis study, but a project related to the future profession. A professional bachelor's degree is associated with certain specialties:
  • IT;
  • Medical care;
  • Schooling.
• Bachelor of Arts – 3 years educational program.

Enrollment in bachelor's degree programs immediately after graduating from a foreign school can be difficult, since the duration of secondary education in Denmark is 12 years. Foreign students need to apply for a bachelor's degree after the 1st or 2nd year of a local university or after passing 2 specialized final exams of a Danish school. In exceptional cases, foreign schoolchildren can enroll on the basis of a foreign educational certificate, subject to a high average score and high indicators of a language certificate.

Studying at the top Copenhagen universities for foreign students (not citizens of the European Union) is paid, on average 10 000-15 000 € per year, which is considered a fairly low cost for Europe. At the same time, the quality of education is not inferior to that in the leading European countries.

The Master's degree takes 2-3 years (depends on the educational direction).

Postgraduate studies last 2-3 years. Many postgraduate programs in Denmark are free for both Danes and foreign citizens.

List of documents to start enrollment procedure at the best private universities in Copenhagen:

• Certificate of proficiency in English (Danish);
• Notarized educational certificate, diploma (translated into English or Danish);
• Motivation letter from applicant;
• Additional requirements:
  • General interview or in specialized subjects;
  • Educational portfolio;
  • Confirmation of work experience in the specialty for master's or PhD programs;
  • Recommendations from teachers or director of the current school of the applicant;
  • Information of future research for admission to graduate school.

Foreign students can start studying in Denmark with preparatory courses at Danish universities or with preparation for children's final exams in high school.

Sam Jones

Recruitment Director for Partnership with INTO Universities (Europe and Central Asia)

What firstly should be considered when choosing a university? Subjects, employer value, percentage of employment in the first year after graduation?

It depends on the student - everyone determines the most important criteria for himself. I would advise you to take several rankings and compare them with each other, plus take into account the cost of the course, the location of the university and its scale, the percentage of graduates' employment. See where graduates continue their studies or where they go to work.

The Danes themselves and citizens of EU countries can enroll in any educational institution and study there absolutely free of charge. However, students who come from abroad are required to pay tuition fees. In Copenhagen, it is quite expensive compared to other European countries. One year at the university will cost from 6,000 to 16,000 euros.

Most programs at universities in Denmark are conducted in Danish. For foreign students, English-language programs have been specially developed that allow them to start learning even without knowing the local language.

Most often, students require the passing of an exam in Danish:

• Danish as a foreign language;
• Danskprøve 2 (third level is required at some universities).

The Danes themselves believe that in order to study in Danish and understand everything that is said in the lectures, it is worth giving at least 3 years to learning the local language.

The ideal situation for foreign students is to enter a preparatory English-language program and parallel the passage of national language courses, which are free for all foreign students.

As for English-language programs, Danish universities accept the results of the IELTS and TOEFL exams.