About Uppsala University

Uppsala University was founded in 1477 and is the oldest university in the Nordic countries. Today, the university has about 40,000 students. The university’s ancient traditions, expert knowledge, and comprehensive experience provide a stable foundation for all activities. Uppsala University is ranked among the top-100 universities in the world. Uppsala University is constantly evolving and recreating itself. New interdisciplinary programs of study, updating of campus settings, and the promotion of cutting-edge research are some of the key tools in this process. However, the strong foundation required for this ongoing transformation is the historical diversity of the University’s nine faculties and the tradition and culture handed down through the centuries.

The city of Uppsala and the county of Uppland

Uppsala is a large and lively centre in terms of education, research and student life. However, although being the 4th largest city of Sweden, Uppsala is from an international point of view a small, calm and safe place. This charming old town is easily accessible by northbound train or bus from Stockholm (1 hour) and Arlanda international airport (30 minutes). Uppsala is located within the county of Uppland in a historically rich landscape, which a millennium ago was one of the most prominent centres of the Viking culture.

Beside the castle and the dome the older university buildings, many of them highly interesting and beautiful, dominate the city centre around the small river Fyrisån. Most impressive are the university house and the university library, Carolina Rediviva. The character of Uppsala is to a large extent dependent on the presence of the two universities (Uppsala University in the city centre and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences just south of the city). The students are a dominating and important part of the society, giving the population a youthful and modern impression.

Student life

The long university tradition and strong research in Uppsala guarantees a high quality education as well as an exciting student life. In contrast to most European cities the students of Uppsala have made the bicycle the most important mode of city transportation. Most facilities and necessities for sports and recreation found in a larger city are present in Uppsala, and more or less everything is easily reachable by bicycle on safe roads. If you want a wider range of opportunities, the considerably bigger and busier Stockholm is only an hour away by train.

In the central part of the city are the thirteen students “Nations” located. These are student clubs dating back to the 17th century, offering many kinds of social and recreational activities, from newspaper and reading room, library, bar, restaurant, discotheque, to yearly large festivities (“gasques”). Each Nation is connected to and bears the name of a certain region in Sweden. It is not compulsory to be a member of a nation, but it is recommended. Most students join the nation representing the region they are native from. As a foreign student you are free to choose which nation you want to join.

Student dorms and apartments are spread over the city and its vicinity. The living is mainly based on corridors with a number of rooms sharing the same kitchen, and with male and female students in the same corridor. The monthly rent is approx. EUR 300, somewhat depending on the standard. As a foreign student you will have good opportunities to meet with Swedish and foreign students in the corridors.