Top Universities in Denmark 2020

The University of Copenhagen continues to be ranked as the best university in Denmark this year.

Below, we have broken down the top five universities in Denmark, according to the QS World University Rankings 2021, to help you decide where in Denmark you should study.

The QS World University Rankings are based on six indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty to student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio and international student ratio. You can find more details about the methodology behind the world university rankings here.

Read on to learn more about the best Danish schools in the world. Alternatively, if you would like to explore the schools in further detail, click here to view the full table.

5. University of Southern Denmark

Fifth in Denmark we have the University of Southern Denmark, placing joint 353rd in the world this year, after rising four places in the world ranking. The university earns its highest score in the international students indicator, with one in five of its students coming from outside Denmark. 

The University of Southern Denmark helps students think critically and develop transferrable skills, which can be used in many different industries. The university has campuses in several cities across Denmark, including Odense, Slagelse, Kolding, Esbjerg, Sønderborg and Copenhagen. 

4. Aalborg University

Photo: Aalborg University

In fourth place we have Aalborg University, climbing an incredible 19 places in the world university ranking this year to reach joint 305th. One of the university’s highest scores this year is for the international faculty indicator and 15 percent of the university’s student population are international students. 

Although its main campus is located in Aalborg, Aalborg University has campuses across several Danish cities, including Aalborg, Esbjerg and Copenhagen. The university offers students a real-world approach to learning, backed up with world-class research.  

3. Aarhus University

FreeImages: Henrik Hedegaard

Despite falling two places in this year’s world university rankings, Aarhus University claims an impressive ranking of 147th worldwide. The university earns a high score in the international faculty indicator this year and around 12 percent of the university’s 40,000 students are international, representing over 120 nationalities.

Aarhus University focuses on research-based learning, with the university’s research output renowned around the world. The school performs well across a range of subjects in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020, particularly  Archaeology, where it places 27^th in the world.

2. Technical University of Denmark

Photo: DTU

In second place we have the Technical University of Denmark, rising nine places to 103rd position in this year’s world ranking. The university performs well in most of the indicators, particularly the student-faculty ratio (ranking 25th in the world) and international faculty (62nd). This reflects the university’s ability to attract and retain excellent faculty members. 

The Technical University of Denmark aims to develop and create value using the natural sciences and technical science, placing in the top 50 worldwide for its Environmental Science course, which ranks 45th in the world in 2020.

1.University of Copenhagen

Photo: Heine Pedersen 

Rising seven places to 76th in 2020, and once again coming out on top in Denmark, is the University of Copenhagen. The University of Copenhagen earns a perfect score in the faculty-student ratio indicator, and nine Nobel Prizes have been awarded to researchers at the university.

Established in 1479 by King Christian I, the University of Copenhagen uses research-based teaching to prepare its 39,000 students for life beyond university. The university also boasts one of the world’s greenest campuses and aims to leave as little environmental and climate footprint as possible.