Universities in Denmark

Situated at the gateway between northern and western Europe, Denmark may be a relatively small country, but it's a heavyweight study destination. Five universities in Denmark make the top 400 of the QS World University Rankings® 2016/17, with the University of Copenhagen leading the way in joint 68th place.

Tuition is free for students from the EU, and fees are certainly not extravagantly high for those from further afield. Most courses are taught in Danish (especially at undergraduate level), but you’ll also find a good selection of programs taught in English, and some in German.

Read more about Denmark’s top universities:

University of Copenhagen 

The University of Copenhagen is the highest-ranked university in the whole Scandinavian region, at joint 68th in the QS World University Rankings 2016/17. Established in 1479, it is Denmark’s oldest institution and the second oldest in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University in Sweden. It is home to around 40,500 students, including almost 4,000 international students, with four campuses, all of which are located in or around the capital Copenhagen. Most courses are taught in Danish, although there are a few in English and several in German.

Technical University of Denmark 

Denmark’s first polytechnic institute, the Technical University of Denmark was founded in 1829 by the famous Danish physicist and chemist, Hans Christian Ørsted. Today, it is one of Europe’s leading engineering institutions, ranked at 109th place in the QS World University Rankings 2016/17. Currently the university is home to more than 10,600 students enrolled across 25 departments. Its campus is located in Kongens Lyngby, a city just north of Copenhagen. The university’s official colors are red and gray, and it’s famous for its rugby and volleyball teams.

Aarhus University 

Denmark’s second university, Aarhus University, ranks at 117th place in the world. Despite being much younger than the University of Copenhagen, it is the country’s second-oldest non-technical higher education institution. Founded in 1928, Aarhus University has expanded a lot since its creation and is currently the largest in Denmark. Around 44,500 students are enrolled, studying a wide selection of different subjects. Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II is among the institution’s most famous alumni, having studied political science here in the 1960s.

Aalborg University 

Denmark’s fourth representative in the QS World University Rankings, Aalborg University is currently in joint 374th place. Established in 1974, the university is home to 20,656 students. It has three campuses, of which the main is located in the city of Aalborg. The other two are in Esbjerg and Copenhagen. Since 2007, the university has been divided into four faculties – Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science, and Faculty of Medicine. Aalborg University is a popular choice among international students, with over 15% of the university’s student body coming from outside of Denmark.

University of Southern Denmark 

Denmark’s fifth entry in the QS World University Rankings 2016/17, the University of Southern Denmark is ranked joint 390th. It was founded in 1998 after the merger between Odense University, Southern Denmark School of Business and Engineering, and South Jutland University Centre. In 2006, the Business School Centre in Slagelse, the National Institute of Public Health and the Odense Teknikum were also incorporated into the institution. Thus, today the university has seven campuses, located in Odense, Slagelse, Copenhagen, Kolding, Esbjerg and Sønderborg. More than 32,000 students are currently enrolled in the University of Southern Denmark, almost 20% of whom are from abroad.

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