To be eligible for university studies in Sweden, you must show that you meet the English requirements for the course or programme.
What is the requirement?
Bachelor's level
For courses and programmes at the bachelor's level, the general entry requirement for English is studies equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6/English Level 2*.
Master's level
For most master's level courses and programmes, the requirement is also the equivalent of the Swedish upper secondary course English 6/English Level 2*. There are some master's level courses and programmes where English 5/English Level 1* or English 7/English Level 3* is the requirement. Always check the course description page at the university's website to find out exactly what the requirement is.
*New names for English courses
In 2025, Sweden adopted new course names for upper secondary school courses. The actual subject names haven't changed. However, course progression is now described as levels. We've added the new English course names and placed them after the slash (/).
Please note that:
English 6 and English Level 2 are equivalent courses.
English 7 and English Level 3 are equivalent courses.
It's possible to find both old and new English course names referred to in the course and programme descriptions on the universities' websites (we link to them in the course search results).
How can I meet the requirement?
All applicants can meet the requirement with the required score on an internationally recognised English test. Upper secondary and university studies in some countries can also meet the requirement.
Can I meet the Bachelor's requirement with my upper secondary studies?
There are many countries from which you can meet the English 6/English Level 2 requirement with your upper secondary studies.
Can I meet the Master's requirement with my upper secondary studies?
The English requirement for most master's programmes is the equivalent of English 6/English Level 2, while a few have a higher or lower requirement.
First, find out what exactly is required at the course description page on the university's website. You can find a link in the search results or your application here at Universityadmissions.se
If you have previous university studies, you may meet the English 6/English Level 2 requirement for the course or programme you've applied to in either of the following ways.
English as the main subject
Students with a degree equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen where English is the main subject (for example a Bachelor of Arts in English), meet the English requirement.
60 credits with English as language of instruction from an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or certain other English speaking countries
Students with 60 ECTS credits (or the equivalent) from one of the following countries meet the English requirement, if the language of instruction of the credit courses was English.
EU/EEA country or Switzerland
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Bahamas
Belize
English speaking parts of Canada
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
New Zealand
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom
USA
The language of instruction must be clearly stated on official documents. You can also document this by submitting a certificate/letter from your university in addition to your official study documentation.
Please note that these credits cannot be from a preparatory programme or introductory level English courses.
Bachelor's degree from African countries
Students with a bachelor's degree (equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen) from the following countries meet the English requirement:
Botswana
Eritrea
Ethiopia
The Gambia
Ghana
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Malawi
Namibia
Nigeria
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Swaziland
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
You can demonstrate your English proficiency with an internationally recognised test. University admissions accepts a number of different tests, with minimum score requirements. We've provided the required results for the tests we currently accept as guidance.
IELTS
We only accept IELTS Academic, IELTS Online, IELTS UKVI (Academic) and IELTS One Skill Retake (Academic).
Please note that we do not accept IELTS General Training or IELTS Indicator.
Academic modules
For English 7/English Level 3*: an overall score of 7.0 and no section below 6 For English 6/English Level 2*: an overall score of 6.5 and no section below 5.5
Submitting your IELTS test results
We will verify your test score online using the TRF number associated with your test results. In order to do this, we ask you to:
upload a scan of your original IELTS Academic Test Report Form here at Universityadmissions.se (you can also send a copy of your test results using regular mail)
be sure that your test results are available online (this can be checked with IELTS)
If we cannot verify your score, it won't be accepted.
How long are IELTS results valid?
According to IELTS, test results are valid for 2 years. Please note that University Admissions can accept older test results as long as they're available online for verification.
We accept the TOEFL iBT, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and TOEFL iBT Paper Edition.
Please note that we do not accept TOEFL ITP, TOEFL iBT MyBest, Institutional TOEFL, TOEFL Essentials, or the revised TOEFL Paper-delivered Test (available 2017-2021).
For English 7/English Level 3*: Score of 20 (scale 0-30) in written test, total score of 100 For English 6/English Level 2*: Score of 20 (scale 0-30) in written test, total score of 90
Please note: TOEFL Examinee Score Records are not accepted.
Submitting your TOEFL test results
Submit a copy of your test taker score to University Admissions, either by uploading a scan of the original document or through regular mail.
University Admissions will then be able to verify your score online. If your score cannot be verified, it won't be accepted. The TOEFL test can be verified for up to 2 years after the test date.
Please be aware that we handle a large number of applications. It may take us some time to get to yours, so make sure the result is valid for a while after you send it to us.
If you need to an pay an application fee, you must have done so before we are able to process your test result.
University of Michigan, Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) is required for English 6/English Level 2*.
Please note that University of Michigan, Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) does not meet the requirement.
Submitting your Michigan test results
You can upload a scan of your original, official certificate issued by the University of Michigan here at this website. You can also send a copy of your test results to us by regular mail. Your test results will be verified online.
For English 7/English Level 3*: Score of 68 (writing 61) For English 6/English Level 2*: Score of 62 (writing 61)
Submitting your Pearson results
Please submit a copy of your Test Taker Score Report.
Having your Pearson test results accepted requires the following steps:
Submit a copy of your test results to University Admissions, either by uploading a scan of the original document or through regular mail. Test results from PTE Academic Online should be uploaded.
Your test scores must be verified. Using your PTE account, assign your test result to “University Admissions in Sweden”. This will enable University Admissions to verify your test score online. Send your PTE score report to us as soon as you have your test result. University Admissions will not accept results that can’t be verified.
Cambridge English Qualifications/University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL)
For English 7/English Level 3*
C2 Proficiency (CPE), minimum overall score 200 (points awarded since 2015), or
Cambridge English: Proficiency
For English 6/English Level 2
C1 Advanced (CAE), minimum overall score 180 (points awarded since 2015), or
Cambridge English certificate level C1, minimum score 180, or
Cambridge English: Advanced
Please note that a First Certificate in English does not meet the criteria, regardless of the result.
Submitting your Cambridge English test results
Submit a scan of your Certificate or Statement of Results.
Make sure you are registered at Cambridge Candidate Results Online portal so we can verify your results. Share your results with the Swedish Council for Higher Education (University Admissions in Sweden).
*New names for English courses
In 2025, Sweden adopted new course names for upper secondary school courses. The actual subject names haven't changed. However, course progression is now described as levels. We've added these new English course names and placed them after the slash (/).
Please note that:
English 6 and English Level 2 are equivalent courses.
English 7 and English Level 3 are equivalent courses.
It's possible to find both old and new English course names referred to in the course and programme descriptions on the universities' websites (we link to them in the course search results).
Please note that if you're currently living in Sweden, another option is to study English 6/English level 2 at an adult education centre (komvux).
Can I just send in a certificate or letter from my school/university?
No, a certificate or letter from your school or university verifying your proficiency will not be sufficient to meet the English requirements.
There is one exception. A certificate/letter is acceptable if you have the equivalent of 60 ECTS credits (university credits) with English as the language of instruction from one of the countries listed on this page under “60 credits with English as language of instruction from an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or certain other English speaking countries”.
Check the information for your country of study
You can find out if studies from your country of study meet the English requirement at the required documents page.
