More foreign students choose Swedish universities

The number of foreign students studying at Swedish colleges and universities continues to climb to record levels.

Last academic year, one quarter of all new students at Swedish institutes of higher education came from other countries.

And according to preliminary statistics from the Sweden’s National Agency for Higher Education (Högskoleverket), enrollment of foreign students is up an additional 17 percent for the current academic year compared to figures from the previous year, Dagens Nyheter (DN) reports.

Moreover, foreign students make up about 43 percent of the increase in new students enrolled in Swedish universities over the last two years.

Most foreign students are considered “free movers” who choose to pursue higher education in Sweden on their own initiative, and most choose to enroll in technical programmes.

Stockholm’s Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) has around 3,000 foreign students out of a total enrollment of 13,400 full time students and doctoral candidates.

While the majority of the schools exchange students come from other European countries, more than 90 percent of the students enrolled in KTH’s masters programmes come from countries outside of Europe such as China, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)

http://www.thelocal.se/15816/20081120/