IB Diploma and University Admission in Sweden: Points, Subjects and the Merit Rating
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Sweden accepts the IB Diploma without any separate recognition step, and the rules, set by the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR), are the same at every university. What matters is how your courses map onto Swedish entry requirements, how your points become a merit rating, and which admission round the date of your diploma allows.
Is the IB Diploma accepted?
Yes. An IB Diploma that lists the subjects taken meets the general entry requirements for bachelor's studies, and University Admissions in Sweden also accepts a Non-regular IB Diploma. You do not need a recognition statement from UHR before applying: your documents are assessed as part of the application.
The English requirement is met inside the diploma:
- English 6, the general requirement: English B SL, when the language of instruction was not English.
- English 7, needed by some programmes: English A (HL or SL), English B HL, or English B SL when English was the language of instruction.
Meeting specific requirements
Most programmes add specific requirements expressed as Swedish upper-secondary courses. University Admissions publishes the IB equivalents for diplomas from 2021 onwards. A grade of at least 4 is needed for the course to count:
| Swedish course | IB equivalent |
|---|---|
| Mathematics 3c | Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL |
| Mathematics 4 | Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL |
| Mathematics 5 | Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL |
| Mathematics specialisation | Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL |
| Physics 2, Chemistry 2, Biology 2 | the subject at SL or HL |
| Social studies 1b | the IB Diploma itself |
| Swedish 3 | Swedish A (or Norwegian or Danish A) |
Grade 3 can be accepted for Biology, Chemistry and Physics at HL, and in some cases for mathematics at a lower equivalent level.
Two examples from the universities' own pages:
- Lund University, Bachelor Programme in International Business, requires English 6, Mathematics 3b or 3c and Social studies 1b. An IB Diploma with English B SL and Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL at grade 4 or higher meets all three. In the international round, places are given 100% on grades.
- Karolinska Institutet, Bachelor's Programme in Biomedicine, requires Biology 2, Chemistry 2, Mathematics 4 and English 6. An IB student needs Biology and Chemistry, plus Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL or a higher mathematics course.
How IB points become a merit rating
When there are more eligible applicants than places, applicants are ranked by a merit rating on a scale up to 22.5. For the IB, UHR's regulations (UHRFS 2024:7, appendix 5) convert your total points into a preliminary comparison figure:
| IB total points | Comparison figure |
|---|---|
| 24 | 13.18 |
| 28 | 15.76 |
| 32 | 17.53 |
| 36 | 18.88 |
| 40 | 19.70 |
| 43–45 | 20.00 |
On top of this, up to 2.5 merit points can be added for courses beyond the programme's requirements: up to 1.5 for a Language B or ab initio course other than English or Swedish, up to 1.0 for English A or English B HL, and up to 1.5 for mathematics above the level the programme requires. IB applicants compete in the same grade group as other school-leavers. A retake can change the group you are placed in, so ask University Admissions before you rely on one.
For many programmes we show the lowest merit rating admitted in recent years; see entry scores in Sweden. Many English-taught programmes admit everyone who is eligible.
Deadlines: November or May diploma
For studies starting in autumn 2027:
- November 2026 diploma. Apply in the international round (16 October 2026 to 15 January 2027). Your IB coordinator releases your results through the IB Results Service to the recipient code "UHR" by 1 February 2027.
- May 2027 diploma. Do not apply in the international round: University Admissions cannot assess you in time. Apply in the national round instead (15 March to 15 April 2027), and your coordinator releases your results to "UHR" by 5 July 2027.
- Diploma already awarded. Upload a scan of the diploma with your results; do not use the Results Service.
The national round mainly covers programmes taught in Swedish, and its results come in July, which leaves little time for a residence permit. For non-EU students finishing in May, applying a year later is often the realistic plan.
Medicine
Medicine in Sweden is taught in Swedish. At Karolinska Institutet the specific requirements are Biology 2, Physics 2, Chemistry 2 and Mathematics 4, which in IB terms means Biology, Physics and Chemistry plus Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL or higher. You also need Swedish 3, which an IB student meets with Swedish A or with the TISUS test.
Where to look next
- How to get into a university in Sweden
- Bachelor's degrees in English in Sweden
- Document recognition for Sweden
- IB Diploma: universities in continental Europe
Official sources
- University Admissions in Sweden: IB studies
- University Admissions in Sweden: IB diplomas 2021 and later
- UHRFS 2024:7, regulations on entry requirements and selection (in Swedish)
- Lund University: Bachelor Programme in International Business
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.