Universities in Greenland

University study in Greenland means Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland, in the capital, Nuuk. Greenland is a self-governing part of the Danish Realm with a very small population, 56,945 people on 1 July 2026 according to Statistics Greenland, and its university is a small institution with a strong Arctic focus. Ilisimatusarfik teaches and does research in the humanities, social sciences and health sciences.

For most international students, Ilisimatusarfik is an exchange destination for one semester. Full degree programmes are taught in Danish and Greenlandic, which limits them in practice to students who speak those languages.

How university study works in Greenland

Ilisimatusarfik awards bachelor's degrees, master's degrees (kandidat) and doctorates through its PhD school, and it also offers continuing education and single courses. On 1 September 2026 it welcomed 203 new students. Its enrolment figures for 2026 list programmes such as:

• Business Economics
• Law, at bachelor's and master's level
• Cultural and Social History, at bachelor's and master's level
• Social Science, at bachelor's and master's level
• Teaching, Nursing and Social Work
• the SILA Bachelor in Biology
• Translation and Interpreting, and Theology

The university uses ECTS credits; a full semester equals 30 ECTS. The autumn semester runs from early September to the end of January and the spring semester from early February to the end of June. Each semester has about 14 weeks of teaching followed by exams, and courses have between five and thirty students.

Admission for international students

All programmes are taught in Danish and Greenlandic, and only a few courses are offered in English: depending on the semester, guest students may be able to take up to 30 ECTS in English. Ilisimatusarfik does not offer Greenlandic language courses. To follow courses in Danish or Greenlandic, guest students must be Nordic citizens or prove that they can use the language at academic level.

Guest (exchange) students must be full-time students who have completed at least two full years at an accredited institution. Students who come through Erasmus+, Nordplus, UArctic or another cooperation agreement have priority. The home university nominates the student, who then applies online with a transcript and, for English-taught courses, a TOEFL or IELTS result. The deadlines are 1 May for the autumn semester and 1 October for the spring semester. In autumn 2026 the university hosted 17 international exchange students. Single-course students apply by 1 June (autumn) or 1 December (spring), with the same admission requirements as full-time students.

Greenland is outside the Schengen area and has its own residence rules, handled by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). Citizens of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland need no visa or permit. Everyone else, including EU/EEA citizens, must apply for a residence permit as a student, as a rule before entering Greenland. Conditions include admission to a programme at a publicly accredited institution, enough money to support yourself and a reasonable level of Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German. SIRI charges no fee and gives a normal processing time of three months (checked October 2026).

Costs and funding

There are no tuition fees for guest students at Ilisimatusarfik. Single-course students pay DKK 500 per ECTS credit. The university estimates the cost of living and studying in Nuuk for a single person at about DKK 5,000 per month, and guest students apply for housing through the Government of Greenland. Nordic and European students may be able to use mobility grants such as Erasmus+ or Nordplus through their home university.

Is Ilisimatusarfik right for you?

• Subject: it suits students of Arctic studies, social science, law, cultural history, language and health who want to study these fields in Greenland
• Language: check how many English-taught courses are available in your semester before you apply
• Agreements: an exchange agreement with your home university gives you priority
• Recognition: ECTS credits make transfer to a European home university easier; agree your courses with your home university in advance
• Timing: apply early, because both the university deadline and SIRI's processing time are long

Frequently asked questions

Where can I study at university in Greenland?

At Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland, whose campus, Campus Ilimmarfik, is in Nuuk. It offers bachelor's, master's and PhD programmes as well as single courses.

Can I study in English at the University of Greenland?

Only partly. Programmes are taught in Danish and Greenlandic, but depending on the semester guest students may be able to take up to 30 ECTS of courses in English.

Do exchange students pay tuition at Ilisimatusarfik?

No. Guest students pay no tuition fees, but they cover their own travel and living costs, estimated by the university at about DKK 5,000 per month in Nuuk.

Do EU citizens need a residence permit to study in Greenland?

Yes. Only citizens of the Nordic countries are exempt; EU/EEA citizens must apply to SIRI for a residence permit as a student.