Masters in Copenhagen

Greetings! I am your host, the MASTER AND MORE editor, and would like to welcome you to Denmark – perhaps for some of you, for the second time! As in our thorough article starting with ‘Velkommen til Danmark!’, we had an exciting overview of the Danish higher education system, the latest offered Masters opportunities and the unique way of life, mostly from a student point of view. Today, however, it is time to set up a smaller scale and put the capital of Copenhagen under the spotlight. Let’s get straight into it!

Why should you consider Copenhagen a Masters study destination?

Situated in the eastern parts of the Kingdom of Denmark, or more precisely – on the island of Zealand - Copenhagen is a centuries-old city which was initially established by the Vikings. Back in the 11th century, this people was vastly spread around the Scandinavian region, with many historians claiming that København quickly developed as a fishing village. Nowadays, the capital is a cultural, economic and political center, both from a national and international perspective. Did you know that the European Environment Agency is located in Copenhagen?

With a well-developed service sector and high number of popular companies that own Carlsberg, Jack & Jones, Lego, Pandora and many more, Copenhagen is also a preferred tourist destination due to many unique landmarks such as the Christiansborg Palace, the Little Mermaid statue, Nyhavn and Tivoli Gardens. Not long ago, the city also introduced the Copenhagen Metro, but as we all know, the Danes are also fond of their bicycles. Next, how about a quick ride to the universities within the city?

Well then, you are in for a long trip! Below, you can find the top-ranked universities in Copenhagen according to two of the leading ranking sources:

Interestingly, three different university types are present in the leading ranks – but hold on to your horses, that’s not all folks! Copenhagen is also home to:

• Aalborg University Copenhagen

• Aarhus University – Danish School of Education, Copenhagen

• IT University of Copenhagen

• Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts

• National Film School of Denmark

• Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College (private)

And to make things clear, Aalborg University can be also added to our list of world-leading Danish universities, as it is placed in the Top 201-250 by the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings for 2020 and under the position of 324th according to the QS Top Universities 2020. The main campus, however, is headquartered in Aalborg, while Copenhagen hosts a separate campus.

Furthermore, we have the same situation with Aarhus University, placed 115th and 145th as in the previous order, with the campus Emdrup located in Copenhagen. In the end, however, it is interesting to see such a rich diversity of universities offering specialised education in Arts, Business, IT and Engineering - all within one city!

Tuition fees, grants and scholarships for a Masters in Copenhagen

Perhaps most of you know that there are no tuition fees applied for higher education in Denmark if you are a student coming from a member country of the EU/EEA or Switzerland. For prospective students arriving from other countries, tuition fee rates range between EUR 6,000 and EUR 16,000 per year. Needless to say, figures mostly depend on your field, length and type of study and of course, university of choice.

Methods that can help you to avoid an unbalanced budget, are numerous and offered through many sources including the Danish government and the universities themselves. For example, if you choose to enroll at the University of Copenhagen, you can benefit from a detailed online listing, which contains Masters scholarship opportunities depending on your country of origin. In a similar manner, you can easily find such information for the Technical University of Denmark or get to know more about exchange possibilities that can be tuition fee-free at the IT University of Copenhagen.

Finally, in order to point out as many options as possible, you could apply for a state educational grant. And there is no chance to not include Nordplus, which is an ideal programme for students already enrolled at a Baltic or Nordic university.

Living as a student in Copenhagen – accommodation, living costs and transportation

First of all, how about we start with forming a monthly budget? In general, you can expect expenditures in the area of up to EUR 1,500 per month for a balanced student life in Copenhagen. Of course, here we are not including tuition fees or any university-related costs, but rather the finances required for your everyday well-being.

And unfortunately, one of the more expensive aspects of living as a student in Copenhagen is accommodation. Offers on the private market can reach pricing up to EUR 600 per month for a 10-20 m2 rented room. Should you decide to go for more space, then you can definitely expect to see 4 digits, or about EUR 1,000 for 60 m2 apartments. And with utilities often excluded, this housing option might seem unrealistic for the first few months at a Danish university.

As for public accommodation, universities in Denmark are typically not owners of any housing facilities for enrolled students. However, through cooperation with different public and private institutions, they tend to provide places to stay at halls of residence around Copenhagen. For instance, the Copenhagen Business School is a perfect example of a higher education institution having access to eight student dorms around the city open for application. For each one, there is information regarding bathrooms, cleaning, furniture, laundry, Internet access and, last but not least, public transport connections.

To prepare for some sort of pricing, you can plan a budget between EUR 250 and EUR 500 per month for this sort of housing. Make sure to check what your chosen Danish university can offer in the form of accommodation before consulting private agencies.

Secondly, we have costs for living that mostly revolve around food, leisure, shopping and sport activities. For a more realistic overview and experience, how about we go through some prices in DKK (Danish krone) and then simply bring out an overall calculation in EUR.

For a meal at an inexpensive restaurant, you can prepare to pay around DKK 125 and DKK 53 for a Cappuccino and glass of water at the café. After a visit at the local supermarket, your total can consist of:

• 1 l milk – DKK 8.84

• 500 g fresh bread – DKK 20.17

• 1 kg rice – DKK 13.95

• 12 eggs – DKK 23.38

• 1 kg local cheese – DKK 79.46

• 1 kg beef/chicken meat – DKK 75.48

• 1 kg apples, bananas and oranges – DKK 40.77

• 1 kg tomatoes, potatoes and lettuce – DKK 38.15

• 1 month of access to a fitness studio – DKK 27.82

• 1 cinema ticket – DKK 110.00

• 1 pair of Nike sport shoes – DKK 777.60

The bottom line is that we are looking at almost EUR 200, which is an excellent figure. However, it is important to not miss out on arranging your health insurance for access to the Danish healthcare system. The same applies for arranging your personal student card for public transport and everyday use at a reduced price. Combined, the costs for both could estimate EUR 100 – EUR 150 each month.

• Have you found some of our latest city-based guides for your Masters study choice abroad? Stay tuned and watch out for our next destinations!