KTH Scholarship 2026 in Sweden | How to Apply

With a historical acceptance rate of around 8 per cent, based on 65 scholarships awarded from 803 international applicants, the KTH Scholarship ranks among Sweden’s most competitive academic funding opportunities. Offered by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, this prestigious, merit-based award provides full tuition fee coverage for the entire two-year duration of a Master’s degree programme.

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The application cycle for the 2026 intake has officially concluded. The main online application portal closed on 15 January 2026, followed by the supporting document submission deadline on 2 February 2026, with official selection results published directly to candidates’ University Admissions accounts on 26 March 2026.

For prospective international students, the institution follows a strict annual admissions timeline. The international application round for the Autumn 2027 intake is scheduled to open in mid-October 2026. Reviewing the selection criteria, understanding tuition fee exemptions, and gathering academic credentials ahead of the portal opening will be essential for building a winning application for the upcoming cycle. Information verified August 2026 from official KTH Royal Institute of Technology admissions disclosures.

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What KTH’s Scholarship Actually Rewards

KTH Royal Institute of Technology has operated since 1827 and stands today as Sweden’s largest institution for technical education and research. Its scholarship exists specifically to support academically excellent international students who can articulate a genuine connection between their intended studies and sustainable development — not a generic interest in sustainability, but a specific, well-reasoned account of how a KTH master’s degree fits into that broader goal.

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What makes this scholarship distinctive relative to many university awards is how tightly its selection process is woven into standard admissions rather than run separately. There’s no essay, no additional written statement beyond what you’d already submit for admission — the scholarship committee evaluates you using the exact same application materials you submit through Sweden’s national admissions system, University Admissions.

What KTH Scholarship Summary

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the KTH Scholarship, applicants generally need to meet the following:

• You must pay tuition fees: The scholarship targets students who pay tuition fees, so EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who do not pay tuition fees at Swedish universities are not eligible.
• You must rank an eligible master’s programme at KTH as your first choice because the university bases scholarship nominations on your top-ranked programme.
• You must pay the standard application fee to University Admissions — SEK 900 for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, with proof of citizenship required if you’re exempt
• You must meet the specific admission requirements of your chosen programme, since only applicants who fulfil their programme’s admission requirements are eligible for scholarship consideration
• Applicants with conditional eligibility (for example, still finishing a bachelor’s degree) are still eligible to apply for the scholarship

Which Programmes Are Eligible

The scholarship covers all master’s programmes involving two full years at KTH, along with two specific joint master’s programmes — Molecular Techniques in Life Science, and Biostatistics and Data Science — plus the one-year master’s in Architectural Lighting Design. It is explicitly not available for joint Erasmus+ programmes, EIT programmes (including EIT Digital, EIT InnoEnergy, and EIT Urban Mobility), Nordic Five Tech joint programmes, or the joint programme in Computer Simulations for Science and Engineering. Applicants to some of these excluded programmes may instead be eligible for a separate KTH Joint Programme Scholarship, so confirm which specific funding route applies if your intended programme falls into one of these categories.

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How Selection Actually Works

Rather than running as a separate competition, KTH Scholarship selection happens in parallel with the regular admissions process, using the same documents you already submitted through University Admissions. The committee weighs several factors together:

• Your academic grades (GPA or equivalent)
• The ranking and reputation of the university where you earned your bachelor’s degree
• Research experience, publications, relevant work or teaching experience, and any competition awards or extracurricular distinctions
• Your demonstrated motivation to contribute to sustainable development through a KTH master’s degree specifically

Because academic performance, institutional background, and a well-articulated commitment to sustainability all carry significant weight, applicants should use their programme application to make a strong case for themselves. The scholarship does not require a separate essay or written application, so the main programme application serves as the primary opportunity to demonstrate your suitability.

What the Scholarship Provides

The KTH Scholarship provides substantial tuition relief for high-achieving international scholars, structured as a direct tuition waiver rather than a cash stipend:

• First-Year Tuition Waiver: Full coverage (100%) of tuition fees for your first academic year of Master’s study at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
• Second-Year Conditional Coverage: Continued full tuition coverage for the second academic year of two-year Master’s degree programmes.

Required Documents

The administrative workflow for the KTH Scholarship is unique in its efficiency: there are no separate supporting documents required specifically for the scholarship application itself. Evaluation for this award relies entirely on the academic, professional, and personal credentials submitted directly to the University Admissions in Sweden central portal (universityadmissions.se) for your Master’s programme application.

Once the dedicated scholarship portal opens in December, candidates simply log in and submit a short, standalone online form. However, because the selection committee bases its decision on your primary study application, your central admission portfolio must be flawless, fully verified, and uploaded prior to the firm document submission deadline (which fell on 2 February for the 2026 cycle).

• Official Bachelor’s Degree Certificate / Diploma: High-resolution scans of your original degree certificate alongside an official English translation if issued in another language. Final-year undergraduate students are permitted to apply by providing an official statement of expected graduation from their current university.
• Complete Academic Transcripts: Official, year-by-year academic transcripts detailing all completed university-level coursework, grades, and credits.
• Proof of English Language Proficiency: Valid test results demonstrating required competence—typically an overall IELTS Academic band score of 6.5 (with no section below 5.5) or a TOEFL iBT score of 90—unless exempt based on previous English-medium university instruction.
• Valid Passport / Identity Document: Clear scan of the biographical page of your valid international passport.
• Programme-Specific Summary Sheet: A specific academic layout required by many KTH departments (e.g., Computer Science, Engineering Management) detailing how past university credits match the prerequisite courses of the target Master’s degree.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV): A structured, well-organized overview of your academic background, relevant work experience, research projects, technical skills, and achievements.
• Letter of Motivation & Sustainability Statement: A compelling essay addressing your academic drive, professional aspirations, and specifically how your studies at KTH will contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Letters of Recommendation: Signed reference letters (typically 1 to 2) from university professors or professional supervisors endorsing your academic capability, analytical thinking, and leadership potential.

How to Apply

1. Review KTH’s full list of eligible master’s programmes, confirming your intended programme isn’t among the excluded joint or EIT programmes.
2. Create an account on University Admissions (universityadmissions.se) once the international application round opens, and select your programmes, ranking your top KTH choice as your first priority.
3. Upload all required admissions documents and pay the application fee (SEK 900 for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens) by the document submission deadline.
4. Once the KTH Scholarship application specifically opens, complete the short scholarship form — no additional documents required.
5. Submit your scholarship application before the stated deadline, historically January 15.
6. Check your University Admissions account regularly for updates because KTH does not confirm receipt of your documents. If you do not receive a confirmation, do not assume there is a problem.
7. Await results, published directly in your University Admissions account on the announced results date, historically in late March.

Application Deadline

The 2026 cycle opened December 1, 2025, closed January 15, 2026, at midnight CET, required document submission by February 2, 2026, and announced results on March 26, 2026 — all now behind us. For the Autumn 2027 intake, the international application round through University Admissions is expected to open in mid-October 2026. Based on the scholarship’s established annual timeline, the KTH Scholarship deadline will likely fall around 15 January 2027, with scholarship decisions expected in late March 2027. Applicants should confirm the exact dates once KTH publishes the official 2027 timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the KTH Scholarship still accepting applications for 2026?

No. The 2026 cycle closed on 15 January 2026, with scholarship results announced on 26 March 2026. The next application round, for Autumn 2027 entry, is expected to open in mid-October 2026.

How competitive is this scholarship really?

Very. In 2025, KTH awarded 65 scholarships out of 803 applicants — a selection rate of roughly 8 per cent.

Do I need to submit a separate essay or personal statement for the scholarship?

No. There’s no additional scholarship-specific essay. The committee evaluates your candidacy using the same documents you submitted through University Admissions for your programme application.

Is my second year of funding guaranteed if I’m on a two-year programme?

No. Second-year funding is granted only if your first-year academic results are satisfactory — it isn’t automatic just because you received the scholarship initially.

Can EU/EEA/Swiss citizens apply for this scholarship?

Generally, no. The scholarship is specifically intended for fee-paying students, while EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are typically exempt from tuition fees at Swedish universities and therefore do not qualify.

Does the scholarship cover living expenses in Sweden?

No. It covers tuition fees only. You’ll need to separately demonstrate sufficient funds for living costs as part of your Swedish residence permit application.

Disclaimer: All programme details, deadlines, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of August 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on KTH Royal Institute of Technology’s official scholarship page before applying. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with KTH Royal Institute of Technology.

Official Application Portal