Denmark

Read more about The organisation of the academic year

In Denmark, higher education institutions have the autonomy to organise their academic calendars within the framework of national legislation. While there is no uniform structure mandated across all institutions, common practices have emerged.

The organisation of the academic year 2025/2026 is as follows:

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Academic year
Type of support

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Minimum, maximum, and most common annual fee amounts (in EUR)

Cycle
Type of Students
Status of Students

FEES

Home and EU/EEA/EFTA full-time students do not pay fees.
International students pay fees set by higher education institutions. The overall principle is that the fees match the expenditures.
There is no official part-time status in the ordinary education system. Part-time programmes only exist in adult and continuing higher education, where students pay fees.
Student category "students on non-state subsidised places" does not exist.
No matter the length of the study period, home students do not pay fees.
Data on share of fee payers is not available at national level as fees are set by the higher education institutions.

Annual grant amounts (in EUR)

Cycle
Type of Students
Status of Students
Type of Grants

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - GRANTS

Universal grants are available to home full-time students.
International students are eligible for award of grants on the condition that they have a status of Danish citizens and therefore must fulfil some specific conditions. They receive the same amount of grants as home students.
Grants are paid in monthly instalments for 12 months period on yearly basis. State grants are available to all full-time students whose income does not exceed a defined amount (18,412 DKK per month in 2023) in the month where the student receives the grant. For students living with their parents, the grant amount depends on the parental income. The amounts reported are relevant for the start of the academic year (2023). All grants are taxable and the payable amount depends on individual circumstances.
The grants for 2024 are as follows: the minimum amount is 1,060 DKK per month (12,720 DKK per year), the maximum amount is 6,820 DKK per month (81,840 DKK per year), and the most common amount is 6,820 DKK per month (81,840 DKK per year). In 2024, the student's income must not exceed 19,056 DKK per month in order for him/her to be eligible for grants. For students living with their parents, the grant amount depends on the parental income. In 2024, for students who live with their parents, the minimum grant is 1,060 DKK per month for 12 months per year and the maximum amount is 2,940 DKK per month.
94% (first cycle), 87% (second cycle) and 91% (short cycle) home students received universal grants.
There is no age limit for award of grants.

Annual loan amounts (in EUR)

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - LOANS

Loans are available to home full-time students. State loans are available to all students who are eligible for grants.
International students are eligible for award of loans on the condition that they have a status of Danish citizens and therefore must fulfil some specific conditions. They receive the same amount of loans as home students.
The loan amounts are annually regulated and the reported amounts apply to 2023. Students who are providers are able to take a supplemental loan of up to 1,686 DKK per month (20,232 DKK per year). It is also possible for students who are providers only to take on a supplemental loan. Students, who do not have more state educational grant left can take on a 'completion loan' of 8,697 DKK per month (104,364 DKK per year) within the last 12 or 24 months of their education.
The loan amounts for 2024 are as follows: the maximum amount is 3,489 DKK per month (41,868 per year). Students who are providers can take on a supplemental loan of up to 1,745 DKK per month (20,940 DKK per year). Students, who do not have more state educational grant left can take on a 'completion loan' of 9,001 DKK per month (108,012 DKK per year) within the last 12 or 24 months of their education.
18% in first and second cycle and 21% of home students in short cycle received loans. 4% of international students in first cycle, 2% in second cycle and 6% in short cycle received loans.
The minimum age limit for students to apply for a publicly subsidised loan is 18 years.

Objectives and accessibility

Home-based ECEC provision is regulated by the Act on Day Care Facilities (Dagtilbudsloven), which stipulates that home-based ECEC can either:

Be managed by the municipality as municipal day care in private homes;
Be managed by a private supplier based on an agreement with the municipality.

Read more about Educational guidelines

Steering documents

The Act on Day Care Facilities states that all ECEC settings must draw up their own pedagogical curriculum. The curriculum has to describe how the pedagogical learning environment is established. Furthermore, the educational curriculum is to document the learning and development of the 0-6-year-olds. Each ECEC setting decides how to implement the curriculum. Every second year, the curriculum is to be evaluated and the evaluation must be published.

Read more about Organisation of centre-based ECEC

Admission requirements and choice of settings

The Act on Day Care Facilities stipulates guaranteed ECEC availability, which entails that municipalities are obliged to offer a place in an age-appropriate ECEC institution to all children older than 26 weeks and until they start school around the age of five/six years.

Read more about Access

Place guarantee to ECEC

In Denmark, children are legally entitled to publicly subsidised ECEC provision. This entails that municipalities are obliged to ensure ECEC provisions for all children between the age of 26 weeks (approximately six months) and until they start primary and lower secondary school (usually around the age of six).

Read more about Organisational variations and alternative structures

There are no organisational variations or alternative structures in general upper secondary and vocational upper secondary education in Denmark.

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Denmark

National Information

National Information

National Information

Minimum, maximum, and most common annual fee amounts (in EUR)

FEES

Annual grant amounts (in EUR)

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - GRANTS

Annual loan amounts (in EUR)

DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT - LOANS

Further readings

Objectives and accessibility

Steering documents

Admission requirements and choice of settings

Place guarantee to ECEC

Eurydice Tools

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