Best University of Gothenburg Scholarship 2027 for International Students

The University of Gothenburg in Sweden offers international students a real chance to study in Europe without paying tuition fees. The Axel Adler Scholarship is the university’s own award for fee-paying students, and it covers the full tuition fee for the whole length of your degree. There is no restriction on citizenship, so Pakistani students can apply, as long as they are required to pay tuition in Sweden.

This guide explains the Axel Adler Scholarship for the 2027 intake: what it covers, what it does not cover, who can apply, the exact deadlines, and how the application works step by step. One fact to read first, because it shapes your whole plan: this scholarship pays your tuition only. It does not pay your living costs, your accommodation, or your travel to Sweden. You still need money for rent, food, and daily life in Gothenburg. Every fact here comes from the official University of Gothenburg website, and the official apply link is at the end of the article.

1. Introduction

The University of Gothenburg is one of the largest universities in Scandinavia, and it sits in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city, on the west coast. The university teaches and researches across almost every field, from the natural sciences and medicine to the arts, humanities, social sciences, and business. For international students, it runs a wide range of international Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes taught in English.

Students from outside the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland have to pay tuition fees to study in Sweden. That fee is set per programme, and it is listed on each programme page. The Axel Adler Scholarship exists to remove that tuition cost for strong students. It is funded by the Adlerbertska Scholarship Foundation, the Adlerbertska Grant Foundation, and the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR). The scholarship is a tuition fee waiver, which means the foundations pay your tuition directly to the university for the full length of your admitted programme.

For a Pakistani student, the appeal is clear. Sweden is known for high quality teaching, a safe and open society, and a strong job market for graduates. Gothenburg is a student city with a lower cost of living than Stockholm, and the university has a large international community. If you win the Axel Adler Scholarship, you do not pay tuition. You still need to fund your own living costs, and you must show that you can support yourself when you apply for a Swedish residence permit. That is a normal part of studying in Sweden, and this guide explains it plainly so you can plan for it.

The scholarship is awarded on academic merit. The university’s academic staff read your CV and your letter of motivation, and they rank the applicants for each programme. There is no separate written test and no interview for this scholarship. What matters is your academic record, the strength of your motivation letter, and how clearly you explain why you chose your programme at Gothenburg.

This article covers the Axel Adler Scholarship in full, and it also explains the other scholarship routes that lead to the University of Gothenburg, including the Richard C. Malmsten Memorial Foundation Scholarship and the Swedish Institute scholarships. If you want to study in Sweden in 2027, read the deadlines in section 12 first, then work through the steps in section 11.

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Quick Facts

Scholarship Name	Axel Adler Scholarship (University of Gothenburg)
Host Country	Sweden
Host University	University of Gothenburg
Study Level	Bachelor’s and Master’s (international campus-based programmes)
Funding Type	Tuition fee waiver: full tuition fees for the duration of the admitted programme. Does not cover living expenses, accommodation, travel, or the SEK 900 application fee
Eligible Nationalities	All fee-paying international students (outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland), including Pakistan. No restriction on citizenship
Study Duration	Full duration of the admitted programme (Bachelor’s up to 3 years; Master’s 1 to 2 years)
Number of Awards	One scholarship per Master’s programme and per eligible Bachelor’s programme; 4 scholarships across the Artistic Faculty; up to 10 extra scholarships if funds allow
Application Deadline	15 January 2027 (apply for studies); 1 February 2027 (pay the application fee and submit documents)
Official Website	gu.se – Axel Adler Scholarship

The Axel Adler Scholarship is a tuition fee waiver. That phrase matters, and the University of Gothenburg uses it on purpose. The scholarship pays your tuition, and it pays it for the whole programme, not just the first year. It does not give you a monthly allowance, and it does not pay for your housing, your food, or your flight to Sweden. When you read the word scholarship in this article, remember that it means a tuition waiver, and plan your living costs separately.

The number of awards is generous in structure but competitive in practice. One scholarship is given for each Master’s programme and for each eligible Bachelor’s programme, so the total number of awards across the university is large. At the same time, many students apply for each programme, and only the top-ranked applicant for a programme wins it. The university reports that 122 students currently benefit from the Axel Adler Scholarship, which shows that it reaches a wide group of students each year.

2. Types of Scholarship

There is more than one way to fund your studies at the University of Gothenburg. The main route for a new international student is the Axel Adler Scholarship, which is the university’s own award. Two other routes are worth knowing about, and they work in different ways.

Axel Adler Scholarship. This is the University of Gothenburg’s own scholarship for fee-paying international students. It is a full tuition fee waiver for the duration of your admitted programme. It is open to Bachelor’s and Master’s students who apply for an international campus-based programme as their first choice. There is no restriction on citizenship. You apply for it after you have applied for admission, and only after the university invites you by email. The selection is based on your CV, your letter of motivation, and your academic merits.

Richard C. Malmsten Memorial Foundation Scholarship. This scholarship gives fee-paying students a reduction of the tuition fee. It is open to students who apply for a Master’s programme at the School of Business, Economics, and Law at the University of Gothenburg. It is a smaller and more specific award than the Axel Adler Scholarship, and it is tied to that one school. If you are applying for a business, economics, or law Master’s at Gothenburg, check this scholarship on the university website as well.

Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals (SISGP). This is a national scholarship run by the Swedish Institute, not by the University of Gothenburg. It is a fully funded award, which means it covers your tuition plus a monthly living allowance, insurance, and a travel grant. It is open to citizens of a set list of countries, and Pakistan is on that list. There are 24 Master’s programmes at the University of Gothenburg on the SISGP list. You apply for this scholarship through the Swedish Institute, and it has its own application window and its own rules. We have a separate guide to it on this site. The SISGP is the most generous option, but it is also the most competitive, and it asks for work experience. The Axel Adler Scholarship does not ask for work experience, which makes it open to more applicants.

SI Scholarship for Women in STEM. This is another Swedish Institute award, and it is fully funded for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is open to women from ten designated countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. Pakistan is not on that list, so Pakistani students cannot apply for this particular award. We mention it here so that you do not waste time on a route that is closed to you. There are 14 Master’s programmes at the University of Gothenburg on the Women in STEM list.

For most Pakistani applicants, the realistic routes are the Axel Adler Scholarship and the SISGP. The Axel Adler Scholarship is the one this guide covers in full, because it is the university’s own award and it is open to every fee-paying student, including Pakistanis, with no work experience requirement and no citizenship restriction.

3. Degree Level

The Axel Adler Scholarship is open to students at two degree levels: Bachelor’s and Master’s. Both levels are covered, but the rules are slightly different, so read this section carefully.

At Bachelor’s level, the scholarship is open only to a set list of eligible international campus-based Bachelor’s programmes. The University of Gothenburg lists these eligible Bachelor’s programmes on the Axel Adler page. They are: Software Engineering and Management; Computer Science and AI; International Relations; Business and Economics; BFA Program in Metal Art; BFA Program in Wood Oriented Furniture Design; and BFA Program in Craft with Specialisation in Crafting Futures. If your Bachelor’s programme is not on that list, you cannot receive the Axel Adler Scholarship for it. One scholarship is awarded for each eligible Bachelor’s programme.

At Master’s level, the scholarship is open to all international campus-based Master’s programmes at the University of Gothenburg. One scholarship is awarded for each Master’s programme. That means every international Master’s programme at the university has one Axel Adler Scholarship attached to it. The Master’s programmes cover a wide range, from the natural sciences and medicine to the social sciences, humanities, arts, and business. The only clear exclusion is distance learning programmes. The university states that distance learning Master’s programmes, such as Education for Sustainable Development, are not eligible.

For programmes at the Artistic Faculty, the rule is different. A total of four scholarships are available across all Master’s and Bachelor’s programmes at the Artistic Faculty, rather than one per programme. If there are enough funds, up to ten extra scholarships may be given to the Master’s and Bachelor’s programmes that have the highest number of scholarship applicants.

The scholarship is paid for the full duration of your admitted programme. For a Bachelor’s degree that is normally up to three years, and for a Master’s degree it is one or two years, depending on the programme. You do not need to reapply for the scholarship each year, as long as you stay on the same programme and meet the conditions.

4. Available Subjects

The University of Gothenburg offers international programmes across almost every subject area. At Master’s level, all international campus-based programmes are eligible for the Axel Adler Scholarship, so you can apply in any field that the university teaches in English, as long as the programme is campus-based and not distance learning.

The university’s international Master’s programmes include subjects such as computer science and artificial intelligence, software engineering, data science, biology, chemistry, physics, marine science, environmental science, public health, medicine, psychology, sociology, political science, international relations, economics, business, finance, marketing, law, education, history, languages, literature, philosophy, fine arts, music, and design. The full list is on the university website and on universityadmissions.se, where you can filter by subject and by level.

At Bachelor’s level, the eligible programmes are the seven listed in section 3. Those are the only Bachelor’s programmes for which the Axel Adler Scholarship is given. The list is short because the university runs fewer international Bachelor’s programmes in English than Master’s programmes. The seven Bachelor’s programmes are: Software Engineering and Management; Computer Science and AI; International Relations; Business and Economics; BFA Program in Metal Art; BFA Program in Wood Oriented Furniture Design; and BFA Program in Craft with Specialisation in Crafting Futures.

If you are unsure whether your chosen programme is eligible, check the programme page on the University of Gothenburg website. The programme page states whether the programme is international and campus-based. You can also contact the university at scholarships@gu.se and ask. Do not assume a programme is eligible. Confirm it before you pay the application fee and submit your documents, because the scholarship is only given for eligible programmes.

5. Scholarship Benefits

The Axel Adler Scholarship gives you a full tuition fee waiver for the duration of your admitted programme. The foundations pay your tuition directly to the University of Gothenburg, so you never see a tuition invoice for the years you hold the scholarship. The waiver covers the full tuition fee, not a part of it. There is no fixed cash amount, because the tuition fee is different for each programme, and the scholarship simply removes that fee in full.

Here is what the scholarship covers, in plain terms:

• Full tuition fees for the whole length of your admitted programme, paid directly to the university by the funding foundations.
• No tuition invoice for the years you hold the award, as long as you remain on the same programme.

Here is what the scholarship does not cover. This part is just as important, and the university states it clearly:

• Living expenses. You must pay for your rent, food, transport, and daily life in Gothenburg yourself. The scholarship gives no monthly allowance.
• Accommodation. Housing is not included. You must find and pay for your own place to live.
• Travel costs. Your flight to Sweden and your travel home are not paid by the scholarship.
• Application fee. The SEK 900 fee you pay when you apply through universityadmissions.se is not refunded, and the scholarship does not pay it.

Because living costs are not covered, you need a realistic budget for Gothenburg. Rent, food, transport, and study materials add up over a year, and the Swedish Migration Agency will ask you to show that you can support yourself when you apply for a residence permit. That proof is a normal part of the visa process for Sweden, and you should plan for it from the start. Do not assume that a tuition waiver alone is enough to live in Sweden. It is not. The waiver removes the largest single cost, which is tuition, but the cost of living remains your responsibility.

For comparison, the Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals is a fully funded award that does cover tuition plus a monthly living allowance, insurance, and a travel grant. That is a different scholarship with different rules, and it is much more competitive. The Axel Adler Scholarship is simpler and open to more students, but it only removes tuition. Choose the route that fits your situation, and if you are eligible for both, you can consider both.

6. Eligible Nationalities

The Axel Adler Scholarship has no restriction on citizenship. That is stated plainly on the University of Gothenburg website, and it is one of the reasons the scholarship is so useful for students from Pakistan and from other countries outside Europe.

The real test is not your passport. It is whether you are required to pay tuition fees in Sweden. Students who are citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland do not pay application or tuition fees in Sweden, so they are not eligible for this scholarship. Students from every other country, including Pakistan, are required to pay tuition fees, and that is what makes them eligible to apply for the Axel Adler Scholarship.

Pakistani students are eligible. There is no quota for Pakistan, and there is no separate list of countries for this scholarship. If you are a Pakistani citizen, you live in Pakistan or elsewhere, and you are required to pay tuition fees in Sweden, you can apply, as long as you meet the other requirements in section 7.

A few points to keep in mind:

• Pakistan is eligible for the Axel Adler Scholarship. There is no citizenship restriction, and Pakistanis are fee-paying students in Sweden.
• Pakistan is also eligible for the Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals. That is a separate national scholarship with its own country list, and Pakistan is on it.
• Pakistan is not eligible for the SI Scholarship for Women in STEM. That award is open only to women from ten named countries, and Pakistan is not one of them. Do not apply for that route.
• EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens are not eligible for the Axel Adler Scholarship, because they do not pay tuition fees in Sweden.

If you hold more than one citizenship, the rule that matters is whether you are required to pay tuition fees. If you hold an EU or EEA citizenship and you can study in Sweden without paying fees, you do not need this scholarship. If you are a Pakistani citizen with no EU or EEA citizenship, you are a fee-paying student and you can apply.

7. Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Axel Adler Scholarship 2027, you must meet all of the following requirements, as set out on the official University of Gothenburg page:

• You must be required to pay tuition fees in Sweden. This means you are a citizen of a country outside the EU, the EEA, and Switzerland. Pakistani citizens meet this condition.
• You must apply for an international campus-based programme at the University of Gothenburg as your first choice. The programme must be international, it must be taught on campus in Gothenburg, and it must be your first priority in your application on universityadmissions.se. If Gothenburg is your second or third choice, you will not be invited to apply for the scholarship.
• You must submit your application for studies by 15 January 2027. This is the deadline to apply for your programme through universityadmissions.se. Late applications are not accepted for the scholarship.
• You must pay the application fee and submit documents showing that you meet the entry requirements by 1 February 2027. The application fee is SEK 900, and you pay it through universityadmissions.se. Your documents must show that you meet the general and specific entry requirements for your programme.

There are a few more conditions that follow from the way the scholarship works. You must meet the entry requirements for your programme, including the English language requirement and any subject-specific requirement. Your programme must be one of the eligible programmes described in sections 3 and 4. For Bachelor’s programmes, that means one of the seven listed programmes. For Master’s programmes, that means an international campus-based programme, not a distance learning programme.

There is no age limit stated for this scholarship, and there is no work experience requirement. That is an important difference from the Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals, which does ask for work experience. For the Axel Adler Scholarship, your academic record, your CV, and your letter of motivation are what count.

If you do not receive the invitation email, you cannot apply for the scholarship. The university sends the invitation around 10 February 2027 to the email address registered in your universityadmissions.se account. If you are eligible and you have not received the email, check your spam folder first. If you still cannot find it, contact the university at scholarships@gu.se.

8. English Language Requirements

You must meet the English language requirement for your chosen programme, and that requirement is checked as part of your admission application on universityadmissions.se. The University of Gothenburg does not set a separate English test just for the scholarship. The English requirement comes from the programme you are applying for, and you prove it in the same way as every other international applicant.

Most international applicants prove their English with a recognised test such as IELTS or TOEFL, or with previous studies taught in English, depending on what the programme accepts. The exact test scores and the documents you need are listed on the programme page and on universityadmissions.se. The requirement can differ from one programme to another, so check the page for the programme you want before you apply.

Your English result must be submitted with your other admission documents by 1 February 2027, which is the same deadline as for your transcripts and your degree certificate. If your English proof arrives late, your application may be marked as incomplete, and that can cost you both the admission and the scholarship invitation. Plan your test date early, and leave enough time for the result to reach you and for you to upload it.

Your letter of motivation for the scholarship is also written in English, and it is read by academic staff. A clear, well written letter in good English helps your application, because the staff use it to judge your motivation and your fit for the programme. Write it yourself, in your own words, and ask someone you trust to read it before you submit it.

9. Required Documents

The documents fall into two groups: the documents for your admission application, and the documents for the scholarship application. Keep them separate in your mind, because they go to different places and they have different deadlines.

For your admission application (through universityadmissions.se, by 1 February 2027):

• Academic transcripts from your previous studies, showing the courses you took and the grades you received.
• Degree certificate if you have already completed your previous degree, or proof of your current studies if you are in your final year.
• Passport or national ID to prove your identity and your citizenship.
• English language proof as required by your programme, such as an IELTS or TOEFL result, or proof of previous studies in English.
• Programme-specific documents if your programme asks for them, such as a portfolio, a writing sample, or a statement of purpose. Check your programme page for the full list.

For the scholarship application (in the scholarship application system, after the invitation email):

• CV. You write your CV in the scholarship application system. You cannot upload or attach a separate CV file. Your CV is used in the selection process, so make it clear, honest, and focused on your academic record and any relevant experience.
• Letter of Motivation. You write your letter of motivation in the scholarship application system as well. You cannot upload or attach a separate letter. In your letter, you can highlight the qualifications that are already in your CV, and you should explain why you chose your programme and what you want to do with it. The letter is read by academic staff, and it is a central part of the selection.

One point to note: you cannot upload or attach documents to the scholarship application. Your CV and your letter of motivation are typed directly into the scholarship application system. That means you should draft them in advance, in a separate document, and then paste or type them into the system when the invitation arrives. Do not wait until the last day to write them.

Make sure the name and the email address on your universityadmissions.se account are correct, because the scholarship invitation is sent to that email address. If your email address is wrong or out of date, you will not receive the invitation, and you will not be able to apply for the scholarship.

10. Selection Criteria

The selection for the Axel Adler Scholarship is based on academic merit, and it is carried out by the academic staff of the relevant faculty or department. There is no central written test and no interview. The staff read the material you submit in the scholarship application, and they rank the applicants for each programme.

The two main pieces of material are your CV and your letter of motivation. The staff use them to judge your academic strength, your motivation for the programme, and how well you fit the programme you have chosen. Your academic merits, such as your grades and your previous studies, may also be taken into account. That means your transcript and your degree result matter, and a strong academic record helps.

The selection is done programme by programme. One scholarship is awarded for each Master’s programme and for each eligible Bachelor’s programme. That means you are competing with the other applicants who chose the same programme as their first choice, not with every applicant to the whole university. A strong application to a less crowded programme can be a better bet than a weak application to a very popular one, but you should always choose the programme that fits your academic background and your goals, not just the one with fewer applicants.

For programmes at the Artistic Faculty, four scholarships are shared across all Master’s and Bachelor’s programmes, so the competition there works a little differently. If there are enough funds, up to ten extra scholarships may be given to the Master’s and Bachelor’s programmes that have the highest number of scholarship applicants.

There is no fixed score or cutoff that the university publishes. The ranking is done by academic staff, and it is based on the quality of your CV, your letter of motivation, and your academic merits. Write a letter that is specific to your programme. Explain what you have studied, what you want to study next, and why Gothenburg is the right place for it. Avoid general phrases that could apply to any university. Be specific about your programme, your interests, and your plans.

11. How to Apply Step by Step

Follow these steps in order. The process has two parts: first you apply for admission, then you apply for the scholarship. You cannot apply for the scholarship before you have applied for admission, and you cannot apply for the scholarship without the invitation email.

• Step 1: Choose your programme. Go to the University of Gothenburg website and to universityadmissions.se, and find an international campus-based programme that fits your background and your goals. Check that the programme is eligible for the Axel Adler Scholarship. For a Bachelor’s degree, that means one of the seven listed programmes. For a Master’s degree, that means an international campus-based programme, not a distance learning programme. Read the entry requirements, including the English requirement, and make sure you meet them.
• Step 2: Apply for admission by 15 January 2027. Submit your application for your chosen programme through universityadmissions.se, and list the University of Gothenburg programme as your first choice. This is the most important step for the scholarship, because only first-choice applicants are invited. If you list Gothenburg as your second or third choice, you will not receive a scholarship invitation. Submit before the deadline, and do not leave it to the last day.
• Step 3: Pay the application fee and submit your documents by 1 February 2027. Pay the SEK 900 application fee through universityadmissions.se, and upload the documents that show you meet the entry requirements. That includes your transcripts, your degree certificate, your passport or ID, and your English language proof. Check your programme page for any extra documents it asks for. Your application must be complete by 1 February 2027.
• Step 4: Wait for the invitation email around 10 February 2027. If you applied to a Gothenburg programme as your first choice and you meet the requirements, the university will send you an email with instructions on how to apply for the Axel Adler Scholarship. The email goes to the address registered in your universityadmissions.se account, and it arrives around 10 February 2027. Check your inbox and your spam folder. If you are eligible and you have not received the email, contact the university at scholarships@gu.se.
• Step 5: Complete the scholarship application. Follow the instructions in the invitation email to open the scholarship application system. Write your CV and your letter of motivation directly in the system. You cannot upload or attach documents, so type your CV and your letter into the system. Draft them in advance, so you are not writing them at the last minute. Submit the scholarship application by the date given in the invitation email.
• Step 6: Wait for the result by email. The university sends the scholarship results by email. For Master’s programme applicants, the results are sent on 12 April 2027. For Bachelor’s programme applicants, the results are sent on 15 April 2027. The result tells you whether you have been awarded the scholarship for your programme.
• Step 7: Accept the offer and prepare for Sweden. If you are awarded the scholarship and you are admitted to your programme, follow the instructions to accept your place. Then start your residence permit application with the Swedish Migration Agency, and gather the proof that you can support yourself during your studies, because the scholarship covers tuition only and not living costs. Arrange your housing in Gothenburg early, because student housing is in high demand.

12. Deadline

The deadlines for the Axel Adler Scholarship 2027 are fixed, and the university does not extend them. Put these dates in your calendar now, and work backwards from them so that your documents and your payments are ready in time.

Stage	Date
Apply for your programme at the University of Gothenburg (first choice) via universityadmissions.se	15 January 2027
Pay the SEK 900 application fee and submit documents showing you meet the entry requirements	1 February 2027
Invitation email with scholarship application instructions sent (around this date)	10 February 2027
Scholarship application period (after the invitation email, exact closing date in the invitation)	February 2027
Scholarship results sent by email (Master’s programme applicants)	12 April 2027
Scholarship results sent by email (Bachelor’s programme applicants)	15 April 2027

The two dates that matter most are 15 January 2027 and 1 February 2027. If you miss 15 January, you cannot apply for admission in this round, and you cannot be considered for the scholarship. If you miss 1 February, your application will be incomplete, and you will not receive the scholarship invitation. The invitation email around 10 February 2027 is the bridge between the admission application and the scholarship application, so watch your inbox closely in early February, including your spam folder.

The University of Gothenburg Axel Adler Scholarship is a strong option for a Pakistani student who wants to study in Sweden in 2027. It removes the full tuition fee for the whole programme, it is open to every fee-paying student with no citizenship restriction, and it does not ask for work experience. The trade-off is clear: you must fund your own living costs in Gothenburg, and you must apply early, with Gothenburg as your first choice, by 15 January 2027. If you have a strong academic record and a clear motivation letter, this scholarship is worth your effort. For the official information, visit the Axel Adler Scholarship page on the University of Gothenburg website, and check the universityadmissions.se portal for your programme. Good luck with your application.

Related Scholarships

If this scholarship fits you, these fully funded scholarships may also be worth a look.

• Swedish Institute Scholarship
• DAAD Scholarship
• Erasmus Mundus Scholarship
• Eiffel Excellence Scholarship

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