Education

• Introduction
• Primary and Secondary Schooling
• Private Schools
• Colleges and Universities
• Research Ties with Industry

Introduction

The Swedish educational system, organized similarly to that of most western nations, has several special features:

• Free tuition for all levels of schooling, from elementary and secondary schools through universities and graduate schools.
• Students consistently rank highest in international comparisons in
  science, mathematics, and languages.
• Very close research relationships between industry and universities and technical institutes.
• Growing number of private schools, financed partly by national grants.
• High percentage of high school students study abroad, improving their foreign language skills and broadening international cultural appreciation.
• Extensive adult education programs sponsored by special-interest groups and public agencies.

Primary and Secondary Schooling
Sweden has compulsory schooling between the ages of 7 and 16. Almost all pupils (98 percent in 1995/96), continue to non-compulsory senior high school, which consists of a further 3 years of theoretical and college preparatory studies and vocational training. After that, many go on to colleges or universities.

Each municipality decides on the organization of its school system, within a framework established by the Government and Parliament. There are extensive national standards that guarantee all students equal minimum entitlements to instruction in the same subject matter. This means there is little difference in teaching standards, curriculum and student requirements from one municipality to another, whether a large city or a small town.

There has been discussion in recent years about lowering the school starting age. As a result, since 1991, children have the right to start school at the age of 6 if their parents desire and if their municipality has capacity. Municipalities are now responsible for arranging preparatory school activities starting at age 6. (Most children have been in daycare centers for several years prior to this.)

The high school system (gymnasium) covers grades 10 through 12. It offers 16 programs or course lines, all lasting three years. These are designed to provide a broad basic education and qualify students for university or college studies. Most programs are divided into a variety of specialties, which a student can select after the first year. Two of the programs, natural sciences and social sciences, are more university-oriented than the others.

Education through high school is free, with a few minor exceptions. There are no charges for such things as textbooks, healthcare and school bus services. In general, school lunches are free.

At all levels, the school year consists of autumn and spring semesters, with a ten-week summer vacation, a three-week holiday over Christmas-New Year, and one week around Easter. There is also a week-long spring break, often called "sports vacation". Schools have a five-day week, with Saturdays and Sundays free.

Private Schools
The number of private primary and secondary schools has increased in recent years. These schools are financed partly through national grants and partly through student fees. Private schools offer studies corresponding to the national primary or secondary schools, but often have a greater international focus than public schools. Several are run by religious denominations, such as Jewish and Moslem.

Instruction in languages other than Swedish, and alternative study programs such as Montessori, are offered in a number of cities and towns. Grades range from primary through high school, and are often attended by children of diplomats, foreign business people, foreign researchers and scientists, and others. International schools in English are located in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Helsingborg, Jönköping, Linköping and elsewhere. French and German schools are found in Stockholm and Gothenburg. There are three boarding schools in Sweden, in Gränna, Lundsberg and Sigtuna, all providing instruction in English.

Colleges and Universities
Sweden has six universities and some 30 colleges and technical institutes. Most of them offer masters and doctoral degrees.
College and university tuition is free, but students pay for books, extracurricular activities, and for their own living expenses. Low-interest state student loans are available, with repayment over a long-term schedule.
Most universities have exchange programs for students from all over the world. In order to qualify, foreign students must have passed the equivalent of the Swedish university entrance examination. Although Swedish language skills are required in order to earn a degree, many individual courses are held in English.
Some of the largest and best known universities and institutes are as follows:

Stockholm University is a metropolitan university offering a broad study program. Its specialties include social science research with an international focus, molecular biology, natural resource and environmental research, journalism and mass communications, and cinematography.

The Royal Institute of Technology, in Stockholm, is Sweden's oldest and largest technical institute, offering degrees in a wide range of engineering and technical specialties. It is particularly known for leading-edge research in fields that include electronics, computer and information technology, and biotechnology.

The Stockholm School of Economics is Sweden's best-known business school. Graduates are recruited by major Swedish and international corporations and financial institutions. The school has an exchange program with a number of similar educational institutions throughout Europe and offers a CEMS Masters program.

Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, internationally renowned for its medical research, offers broad study programs in medicine and dentistry, as well as in physical therapy and optometry. Karolinska is the awarding institute for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Uppsala University, founded in 1477, is the oldest university in Scandinavia. Its technical/natural science faculty is Sweden's largest in relation to the number of students. Uppsala offers Sweden's only study program in pharmacology.

Lund University, with branches in Malmö, is Scandinavia's largest unified institution of higher learning. The entire spectrum of departments is represented. Highly-advanced research is conducted in a number of fields, particularly in food processing technology, biotechnology and biomedicine.

Chalmers University of Technology, in Gothenburg, is internationally-known for programs in engineering physics, computer engineering, industrial engineering and management, and architecture. Chalmers has 20 interdisciplinary centers, several run jointly with Gothenburg University. Its doctoral programs account for more than a quarter of research degrees awarded annually in Sweden. Specialties include microelectronics components, applied mathematics for industry, systems-oriented information technology, and construction materials with an emphasis on polymers and biocompatibles. A competence center enhances research cooperation with industry.

Gothenburg University is one of the nation's largest, with research and study programs in five disciplines and a special emphasis on medicine and dentistry.

School of Economics and Commercial Law, Gothenburg University. The school has seven disciplines, of which the key areas are economics, business economics, and cultural geography. Instruction is partly in English.

Linköping University is the nation's youngest university, and has a future-oriented interdisciplinary profile. Linköping Institute of Technology, which is part of the university, conducts advanced research in information technology, and is the home of the National Center for Supercomputer Technology, jointly owned with Saab.

Umeå University offers studies in all areas, often applying an interdisciplinary approach. These include technical biology, gastronomy and scientific journalism. Research is focused on biotechnology, behavioral sciences, economics, computer science and athletics. It has one of Europe's few graduate schools of industrial design, which works closely with Swedish and international manufacturing companies.

Research Ties with Industry
Sweden is often considered as having the most effective research activities in the world, second only to those of Japan. This is primarily the result of firmly-established and extensive cooperation between private companies and universities, colleges and institutes. Study programs at educational institutions are increasingly tailored to specific needs of the industrial and commercial sectors. In addition, universities, colleges and technical institutes serve as seedbeds for companies in future-oriented sectors.

A large number of new companies have been spun off from university research since the early 1980s. Technology parks, containing an array of burgeoning companies, have been created around several of Sweden's universities, including those in Lund/Malmö, Linköping, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Uppsala. These companies are mainly active in areas where local universities specialize, such as information technology, environment, food processing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The Swedish technology parks are linked by an organization known as Swedepark.

© 1996 by Invest in Sweden Agency