IB Diploma and University Admission in Denmark: Grade Conversion, Levels and Quotas
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Denmark accepts the IB Diploma as an entry qualification and lets IB students compete with Danish school-leavers on grades. Two things decide whether you get in: whether your IB subjects match the programme's Danish subject requirements, and how high your converted grade average is.
Is the IB Diploma accepted?
Yes. The IB Diploma, passed with at least 24 points, gives access to bachelor's programmes. There is no separate recognition step: each university or college converts your results itself, following rules set by the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science.
Without the full Diploma, the options narrow:
- IB Certificate or Diploma Programme Course Results with at least 18 points and a grade of at least 3 in all six subjects give access to professional bachelor's and academy profession programmes, according to the University of Southern Denmark (SDU).
- For university bachelor's programmes you must then add supplementary subjects: at the University of Copenhagen and SDU at least one subject at A level and one at B level.
How HL and SL courses match Danish levels
Danish programmes state their specific requirements as upper-secondary subjects at level A (highest), B or C. Universities translate IB courses broadly as Higher Level = A and Standard Level = B. SDU publishes this table:
| Danish requirement | IB course |
|---|---|
| Mathematics A | Mathematics HL |
| Mathematics B | Mathematics SL |
| English A | English A (HL or SL), or English B HL |
| English B | English B SL |
| Danish A | Danish A (HL or SL), or Danish B HL |
| Danish B | Danish B SL |
The University of Copenhagen applies the same pattern to physics, chemistry and history. So a programme that requires Mathematics A, common in engineering, science and economics, needs Mathematics HL.
How IB points become a Danish average
Danish grades run on a 7-point scale whose top mark is 12. Your total IB points are converted into a Danish grade average under conversion rules set by the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, and that average is used in quota 1. The universities do the conversion; you do not apply for it. Some institutions add a floor: the University of Copenhagen requires IB applicants to have an average equivalent to at least 6.0.
There are two ways in:
- Quota 1 ranks applicants by grade average alone. IB applicants are considered here because their average can be converted.
- Quota 2 uses criteria each institution sets. At Copenhagen Business School these include a motivational essay, activities outside school and your grades in the required subjects.
IB applicants are considered in both quotas. Many programmes admit everyone who qualifies; popular ones publish cut-offs well above 10. Compare recent years on our page of entry scores in Denmark.
Deadlines and results
All applications go through Optagelse.dk, which opens in early February.
- Deadline: with an IB Diploma, apply by 15 March at 12:00 noon, even if you are still sitting your exams. The July deadline is only for Danish diplomas.
- Results from a May session: give the university access to your results through your IB coordinator and the IB's results service. The University of Copenhagen asks for this permission before 1 May; its institution code is 002600. SDU's code is 000157.
- November diploma or earlier: upload your diploma and results with the application.
- Answers arrive at the end of July.
Non-EU students then need a residence permit, which normally takes about two months.
Language
At the University of Copenhagen all bachelor's programmes are taught in Danish, and most Danish bachelor's programmes elsewhere are too. You need Danish at the highest level, which an IB student can show with Danish A, or usually with Danish B HL; otherwise you take a test such as Studieprøven. English-taught programmes need English B or A instead; see bachelor's degrees in English in Denmark.
Medicine
Medicine is taught in Danish only and is among the most competitive programmes. At Aalborg University the specific requirements are Danish A, English B and Mathematics A, plus one set of science subjects such as Physics B and Chemistry B. For an IB student this means Mathematics HL, Physics and Chemistry at least at SL, and Danish A or Danish B HL.
Where to look next
- How to get into a university in Denmark
- Document recognition for Denmark
- Bachelor's degrees in English in Denmark
- IB Diploma: universities in continental Europe
Official sources
- University of Copenhagen: IB and other international diplomas
- University of Southern Denmark: IB requirements (in Danish)
- Study in Denmark: how to apply
- Aalborg University: study regulation for the bachelor's in medicine (in Danish)
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.