Guidance on how to study in Denmark. Top 12 schools and universities in Denmark, study fees, rankings

Denmark is a developed country  in the south of Scandinavia. High standard and safety of living  is the main advantages of the country. Foreign school children choose Denmark for an education abroad also because of high quality of education, which helps in the future to enter top universities in Europe.

Unlike other Scandinavian countries, Danish universities have a large number of educational programs in English already at the bachelor's level. Foreign students can also use English in everyday life, as many people here know foreign languages. However, those who want to find a job here after graduation will need to know Danish.

Level of study in Denmark can be on the same level  in some cases as at the top European countries , and a diploma obtained at Danish universities guarantees employment abroad.

Higher education in Denmark took 5th place in the ranking of the best countries according to Universitas 21 and 2nd place among the Scandinavian countries in 2022. Educational staff at the best universities in Denmark try to keep up with the times and use innovative educational methods.

Educational process in Denmark for international children usually begins with a year, and sometimes even earlier. Preschool educational institutions (nurseries, kindergartens) are not engaged in teaching a child, but in his development of a formation of social skills and identification and development of creative abilities.

A lot of attention is paid to the form of play during educational process, international children spend a lot of time outdoors. Children are admitted to the nursery from 6 months, to kindergartens – from 3 years.

Denmark secondary education consists of following steps:

• Preparatory class;
• Secondary education (primary school + secondary classes);
• Additional 10th grade according to the need and desire of the student;
• Senior secondary school;
• Professional secondary educational institutions.

Preparatory classes enter for children  5-6 years old. The peculiarity of preschool education in Denmark is that children are not in a hurry to give an educational load. Before school, an international child is not required to be able to read and write, this is not taught even in preparatory classes. In this country, it is believed that it is more important to awaken interest in knowledge and creative initiative in a child before school.

Foreign children go to schools in Denmark at the age of 7, take exams in the 9th grade and receive a certificate of compulsory secondary education. After grade 9, international students make a choice: they go to high school to prepare for university or to a professional college, after which they can immediately start working.

Professional educational institutions have a practical approach, theoretical education is accompanied by internships. Some professions can begin to be mastered already during compulsory secondary education.  In Denmark, the list of professions and vocational education programs is updated annually.

Educational programs of preparation for higher education in Denmark are represented by:

• Gymnasium (2-3 years);
• Special 3 year educational block:
  • STX (natural and social directions);
  • HHX (economical direction);
  • HTX (engineering direction).
• HF - 2 years program (professional colleges).

The peculiarities of obtaining secondary education in Denmark are that foreign students may not attend school at all, but be on remote or home schooling. It is enough to meet the accepted educational standards by the time of the final exam (and intermediate checks). Schools and teachers also do not impose common programs and methods, but check the knowledge and skills of children.

Studying in Denmark according to university programs corresponds to the system of earning educational credits, like in other part of Europe.

Best universities in Denmark pay great attention to the structure of the educational process. Great attentiona is paid to the group assignments during educational process:

• Group presentations;
• Work in a team in the laboratory;
• Discussions on popular topics.

In addition to group classes, the student must prove himself individually, in particular, working on projects.

Universities in Denmark work closely with local and international programs, so they often recommend their students as interns. Practice is a mandatory part of education and obtaining future qualification and it takes a whole semester.

Types of Bachelor's degree:

• General type – 3 years educational program. An academic bachelor's degree is considered a step towards admission to a master's degree;
• 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;
• 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 Denmark universities for foreign students (not citizens of the European Union) is paid. Tuition fees starts from 10.000€. 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.

Educational language courses in Denmark differ for some factors:

• Type of chosen program;
• Accommodation options;
• Extracurricular activities;
• Duration of the course;
• Intensity option;
• Excursion part;
• Personal lessons.

At the same time, regardless of the choice, in any case, a high level of quality of educational services is guaranteed.

Denmark - General information

Statistics - Rankings in Denmark

Statistics - Education in Denmark

Statistics - Universities in Denmark

Cost of living in Denmark

Accommodation in Denmark