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How Much Does It Cost to Study in Denmark? Tuition Fees and Housing

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

In Denmark the cost of a degree depends almost entirely on your citizenship. For students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, higher education is free. Everyone else pays tuition set by each institution, and that fee, together with high rents, is the main cost of studying here.

Who studies for free

Study in Denmark, the official portal of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, puts it plainly: higher education is free for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland, and for students who are entitled to the same status as Danish citizens under EU law. In our catalogue, all 582 programmes cost €0 for these students. All the institutions we list are publicly funded.

What non-EU students pay

All other full-degree students pay tuition. Each university or college sets its own fee, usually per semester or per year, and it differs by programme: medicine and engineering cost more than humanities.

In our catalogue the typical fee for non-EU students is about €15,000 a year. The lowest is around €7,438, for an English-taught business programme in Aalborg. The highest, up to €28,442, are first-year fees for some health programmes at university colleges, which charge a different amount for each semester. Many institutions publish no fee for their Danish-taught programmes; there, ask the admissions office.

Who pays less

Tuition does not apply to non-EU citizens who:

Danish Government Scholarships are awarded by the institutions themselves to a limited number of highly qualified non-EU students on full degrees. A scholarship can cover all or part of tuition, living costs, or both. See also our guide to scholarships and financial aid in Europe.

The SU grant

Danish students receive a monthly state grant called SU. Foreign citizens can get it only if they obtain equal status with Danes. The two most common routes are working in Denmark as an EU/EEA citizen, at least 10 to 12 hours every week throughout your studies, and five years of continuous residence in Denmark. SIRI lists SU among the public benefits a student on a residence permit for study may not receive. SU checks the hours against employers' reports and asks for the money back if the conditions stop being met.

Other costs at the start

Housing

Housing is the biggest cost for everyone, EU students included. A room in a hall of residence (kollegium) is generally cheaper than a room in a private flat, but places are limited. The University of Copenhagen says rents in Copenhagen range from DKK 4,000 to 10,000 a month (about €535 to €1,340), and higher. It estimates total living costs in the city at €1,280 to €1,800 a month.

Plan for a large first payment. In Denmark it is common to pay three months' rent in advance plus a deposit equal to three months' rent. See how to find student housing in Europe.

Funds for the residence permit

SIRI asks non-EU students to document DKK 7,426 for each month of study, at the 2026 level (about €995). For courses longer than a year you show 12 months, at most DKK 89,112 (about €11,920). The money must be in your own name, so a parent's bank statement is not accepted; a scholarship or student loan also counts. If you have already paid the first semester's tuition, SIRI accepts that as documentation of sufficient funds. With the permit you may work 90 hours a month from September to May and full time in June, July and August.

How to keep costs down

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.