Why Uppsala University?
Uppsala University is recognised around the world as a leading, first-class university dedicated to advancing science, higher education and international student mobility. Here you will meet and collaborate with other ambitious students from all over the world.
As one of Sweden’s most internationally prominent institutions of academic education, research and scholarship, Uppsala University’s foremost aim is to safeguard and pursue the open and unbounded quest for knowledge. If you have what it takes, and you want to be part of our mission, Uppsala should be one of your top choices in Europe.
On this page, we will tell you about three factors that influence both life in Sweden and studies at Uppsala University: work-life balance, sustainability and research.
Work-life balance
In Sweden, we think it is important to have a healthy balance in life. Everyone should be able to combine both career and personal life regardless of who they are. This is made possible with generous parental leave policies, getting paid to stay home and take care of sick children and five weeks paid vacation, among other things.
The Swedish social welfare system is world renowned for making these things possible and the accessible outdoors is great for stress relief. At Uppsala University we believe that life outside of the classroom is just as important as inside. That is why we work closely with student nations and student unions to make your student life as inspiring and enjoyable as possible.
Read more about work-life balance:
Sustainability
We only have this one planet, so we had better take care of it. Sweden is far from perfect, but we try to strive for long-term sustainable solutions. The world is in dire need of experts to bring sustainability into all areas of our society, and Uppsala University aspires to play a leading role in the transition to a more sustainable society through education and research. More than 20 of our international Master’s programmes are related to sustainability and aim to help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to rise in your future career as a decision-maker, manager, planner, educator and researcher in a sustainable future.
For the second consecutive year, Uppsala University is ranked 11th in the QS World University Ranking: Sustainability. This is a global ranking focused on the performance of higher education institutions in sustainable development. The subcategories in which the University ranks highest are environmental research (6), health and well-being (10) and environmental education (12).
Read more sustainability:
Research intensive
As one of Sweden’s most internationally prominent institutions of academic education, research and scholarship, Uppsala University’s foremost aim is to safeguard and pursue the open and unbounded quest for knowledge. Our Master's programmes are tied to strong research areas and as a student, you will be immersed in a research-intensive environment.
Among the University’s alumni there are 15 Nobel Prize laureates, 8 of whom received their prizes for discoveries made during their time at Uppsala University. No wonder many of our Master's graduates go on to PhD studies somewhere in the world.
Read more research at Uppsala University:
Current rankings
#82 - Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023 (the Shanghai ranking)
#105 - QS World University Ranking 2023
#140 - Times Higher Education 2023
#12 - QS World University Ranking: Sustainability 2024