Founded in 1928, Aarhus University is a large, comprehensive public research university. It is consistently ranked among the world’s top universities and has a strong tradition of research excellence, having produced a Nobel laureate in Chemistry.
Aarhus University is the main university of Jutland, with about 38,000 students and 8,000 staff. Its central campus in Aarhus, Denmark’s second city, is built around a park in a style that is easy to recognise: low yellow brick buildings designed in the 1930s by the architect C.F. Møller, linked by lawns and a lake. The university was founded in 1928 and has since grown into a research institution with strong science and medicine.
The natural sciences are the traditional core. The Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center brings together physicists, chemists and biologists, and the Institute for Storage Ring Facilities operates the ASTRID2 synchrotron, which is used for studies of materials and surfaces. Jens Christian Skou, who worked at Aarhus and shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the sodium-potassium pump, is among its best-known researchers.
Bioscience, agricultural and food science, computer science and the health sciences are further strengths, and the university hospital in Aarhus is one of the largest in Denmark. The Katrinebjerg district next to the campus is a cluster for information technology, with companies and research groups sharing space. The city was European Capital of Culture in 2017, and the university played a role in the programme.
Tuition is free for EU, EEA and Swiss students, while others pay fees that vary by programme. Bachelor programmes are mostly in Danish and many master’s programmes are in English. Admission is based on the first degree and application deadlines for international students fall in the winter. Scholarships exist for some non-EU students.
Aarhus is cheaper than Copenhagen, and a large part of the population is made up of students, which gives the city a youthful tone. Cycling is the normal way to get around. About 150,000 people have graduated from the university.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, Astroscience, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Nanotechnologies, Physics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
AU is a member of the Coimbra Group and the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, and it collaborates closely with public institutions and major companies like Arla Foods and Vestas.
Research:
As a research-intensive university, AU has strong research programs in many areas, particularly agricultural sciences, clinical medicine, chemistry, physics, and bioscience. It hosts several national research centers of excellence.
Famous Alumnis:
Jens Christian Skou, Bjarne Stroustrup, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
8000
Current students***:
38000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
150000
Pros
A highly-ranked, comprehensive university with a wide array of programs and excellent research facilities. Its main campus is beautifully integrated into the city of Aarhus.
Cons
The university’s large size and decentralized structure can be challenging for new students to navigate. Admission to certain programs is highly competitive.
Best For
Students looking for a high-quality, research-based education at a major, internationally recognized university with a broad range of study options.
In terms of fields, University of Copenhagen is the nearest neighbour, with nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics again at the core; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers bioinformatics and statistics as well.
For students who like the life sciences focus of this institution but want another option nearby, University of Southern Denmark fits well: it covers robotics and ecology and sustainability as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 27,000 students against roughly 38,000 here.
A good alternative in the same country is Roskilde University, which likewise covers chemistry, physics and life sciences; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers project management and ecology and sustainability as well.
Both schools build their programmes around based, internationally and recognized, and Aalborg University is the one to compare first within the country, since it is smaller, enrolling about 20,000 students against roughly 38,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Technical University of Denmark follows much the same lines as this institution, with bioengineering as common ground, and it is smaller, enrolling about 13,400 students against roughly 38,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
National University of Córdoba offers an international parallel to this institution, with astroscience, agriculture and chemistry as common ground; it is far larger, with about 136,000 students against roughly 38,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Students considering a move abroad can look at University of Queensland in Australia, where agriculture, nanotechnologies and bioengineering also form the core, and it also offers graduate certificate, graduate diploma and mba programmes, and covers marine science and mathematics as well.
Looking internationally, National University of Rosario in Argentina is where agriculture, bioengineering and chemistry get a comparable treatment; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers statistics and mathematics as well.
For astroscience, chemistry and physics outside the home country, University of Oslo in Norway is a natural reference; it is slightly smaller, at about 28,000 students against roughly 38,000 here, and is also a public institution.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics is Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, and it is also a public institution and also offers mba programmes.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Aarhus University?
The central campus is at Nordre Ringgade 1 in Aarhus, Jutland.
How large is it?
About 38,000 students and 8,000 staff.
When was it founded?
In 1928.
What is it best known for?
Natural sciences, bioscience, nanoscience, health sciences, agricultural and food science, and computer science.
What is the campus like?
It is built around a park, with low yellow brick buildings designed in the 1930s by C.F. Møller, and has been widely admired for its architecture.
What is ASTRID2?
It is a synchrotron at the Institute for Storage Ring Facilities in Aarhus, used for materials and surface research.
Is tuition free?
Yes for students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Others pay fees that vary by programme.
In which language are courses taught?
Bachelor programmes are mostly in Danish and many master's programmes are in English.
Which Nobel laureate worked at Aarhus?
Jens Christian Skou shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the sodium-potassium pump.
Is Aarhus cheaper than Copenhagen?
Yes. Rents and living costs are generally lower, and cycling is the normal way to get around.
Agriculture, Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Innovation, Research and Development, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Practices
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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