High School Study Abroad in Sweden

With a sparse population, high school programs in Sweden are concentrated in the main cities.

Stockholm. The country’s capital, largest, and arguably coolest city embodies the Swedish spirit. Despite being an innovation powerhouse, proudly progressive, and open to all kinds of people, Stockholm retains its heritage, memorialized in an indigenous architectural style that melds influences from both international sources and traditional folk.

Gothenburg. The industrial port city is Sweden’s second-largest city and boasts its own take on Scandinavian ingenuity. Known for its food scene, Gothenburg is definitely worth considering when looking for high school travel in Sweden. Located on the North Sea, Gothenburg has an abundance of green space. And when you run out of parks, there is no shortage of islands to explore!

Looking for something different? Sweden is known the world over for its extremes, namely for its near-polar geography and its incredibly warm culture. That being the case, one might be tempted to describe the country with blanket terms, saying Sweden is “cold” or is “home to friendliest/most progressive/coolest people.” While arguably true, travelers will appreciate the regional variation that Sweden boasts from Kiruna in the north to Vaxjo in the south.

From an early age, Swedish students participate in an innovative academic system that emphasizes individualism and self-discipline. If you are interested in high school abroad in Sweden, there are several great ways to learn while traveling or living abroad.

Homestays and student exchanges set the stage for the deepest of dives into Swedish life and culture over the course of a semester or year. Living with a host family and attending a local high school with Swedish classmates—this is the closest way to experience life in Sweden without up and moving!

Experiential learning programs, often shorter than an academic year, provide opportunities for teen travel in Sweden while diving into hands-on projects that can focus on social projects, arts, and STEM.

Language immersion programs bridge the gap between enrolling in an academic year and short-term programs. The main objective is to quickly learn the language and the best way to do it is to live the language.

Summer programs abroad in Sweden. Committing to a whole semester can be a challenge and that’s where summer programs fit in. Keep the momentum going between school years and see a different part of the world, all while pursuing your own interests!

Program fees for Sweden high school programs vary based on the kind of program and duration. Residential high school programs in Sweden, where students live with a host family while attending a local school, average out to about one thousand dollars monthly over the academic year, while teen travel in Sweden that is heavy on activities, such as experiential or outdoor learning, can cost several thousand dollars per month. To defray the costs of high school programs in Sweden, check out our scholarships page, and be sure to set up a FundMyTravel account to have friends or family help out.

Spending an academic semester or year in Sweden will provide student travelers with unparalleled opportunities to get to know the country and its people firsthand. Most Sweden high school programs, especially language immersion and homestays, place students with host families, providing the chance to learn the language and to live (and eat!) like a local. Shorter programs focused on teen travel in Sweden may accommodate students in hotels or hostels, while accommodations in experiential and outdoor programs can be as wild as the programs themselves. 

Visa requirements for teen travel in Sweden depends on the nature and length of the program. For programs under 90 days that qualify officially as tourism, most students will find that no visa is required, while long-term students may need a residence permit. As Sweden is part of the Schengen Area, upon arrival students will be able to travel to the 25 other countries in the region. Most Sweden high school programs will provide assistance when visas are needed, but you can contact local authorities or check out GoAbroad’s embassy directory for more information and resources pertaining to visas.

With its cosmopolitan cities, traditional villages, epic outdoors, and forward-thinking culture, Sweden is a great place to travel for high school. Even though it’s in the far north reaches of Europe, Sweden has some of the highest rates of English proficiency, meaning it can be extremely accessible for most high school students. Our choicest piece of advice is to be sure to take in as much of the country as possible—from the rocky western coastline, to the mountains in the north, to the world-class cities. Each facet is as unique as it is integral to Sweden’s makeup.

Traveling at any age can open someone up to new perspectives, but traveling abroad during high school sets students up for experiences that can have deep, lasting impacts. Studying abroad gives travelers a unique glimpse into alternative ways of seeing the world, opening up the chance to not only learn from books, but to also learn from people. And what better place to learn than Sweden? After all, this is the home of the people who figured out how to perfectly fit countless furniture parts into one box. How much more ingenious can you get?