A great student city
Copenhagen is a great city to live in. Especially for students.
Here you will find a great student culture and exciting career opportunities if you want to pursue a career in Copenhagen - both during and after your studies. Find out more about the Danish capital - both academically and socially and hear what a handful of international students say about living in Copenhagen.
The green, cycle-friendly Danish capital is consistently ranked one of the top cities to live in, especially for students. In fact, Copenhagen has been awarded as ’The Most Livable City’ in 2021 according to this year’s Monocle’s Liveable Cities Index. Good education options, cosy, student-friendly cafés, great local transportation and a safe environment make Copenhagen a popular choice for both Danish and international students.
Endless cultural possibilities in Copenhagen
Moving is a big decision whether you are considering staying in Denmark for one semester or two years to complete a master’s degree programme. Choosing the right programme and university is probably your first priority, but what about the surroundings, the culture and the language? Studying abroad in Denmark is much more than just academia. Below, you can learn more about Copenhagen and Denmark.
Copenhagen is a multicultural and beautiful city
"There is more to life than working"
Ran from South Korea shares her experiences with Danish family culture, fashion in Copenhagen and her student job at the University of Copenhagen. Ran also talks about how to get around in Copenhagen quickly and safely by bicycle.
Top rankings
One of the best student cities in the world
Copenhagen ranks among the best student cities in the world – on many parameters.
- Copenhagen is the world’s best city to visit (Lonely Planet, 2019).
- Copenhagen is the most liveable city for European expatriates (ECA International, 2019).
- Copenhagen is one of the happiest student cities in the world (Topuniversities.com, 2020).
- Denmark is the happiest place to study abroad in 2021 (Masterspotal, 2021).
- Denmark is the world’s least corrupt country (Corruption Perception Index, 2019).
- Denmark is the second happiest nation in the world (UN World Happiness Report, 2019).
- Denmark ranks second in the EU on the gender equality index (the Global Gender Gap Index, 2020).
Climate and geography
Compared to its neighbours, Denmark is a quite small country. It takes less than three hours to go by train between Copenhagen and the second-largest city, Aarhus in Jutland. With approx. 7,000 km of coastline you are never far away from the sea in Denmark – especially in Copenhagen, where you can easily take a plunge, either in the harbour’s clean waters or at the grand beach Amager Strand.
The climate in Denmark is generally mild. Winters are cold (0 to 5 degrees Celcius) but beautiful - often but not always with snow. Copenhagen is famous for its Christmas markets, and in both autumn and wintertime you can always find an indoor concert other indoor events. Springtime brings people outside where they soak up the first sharp rays of sunshine. The temperatures vary. In general, it is between 10 and 24 degrees Celsius.
Summers change a lot, ranging from windy and rainy periods to heatwaves that bring crowds to the country’s many beaches and in general 20-25 degrees Celcius.
Autumn is the chance for mushroom hunting in forests and lots of indoor ‘hygge’ (‘cosiness’) and between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius.
However, in Copenhagen, it is always easy to find cosy cafés with student-friendly prices - both indoor and outdoor.
"Danes have been very welcoming to me"
Samuel from Nigeria points out his favourite summer spot in Copenhagen and shares his thoughts on opportunities in Denmark, what he learned that will be useful in his future career and why Danes are not as reserved as rumour has it.
Practical information
Are you moving to Copenhagen? Then there are a couple of things you should remember to think about.
CPR Number - what is it and why do you need itDanish residence permitHealth and safety in DenmarkLeaving Denmark after your studies
Getting around in Copenhagen
Even though Copenhagen is a busy metropolis, it is fairly easy to get around the city by bike, public transport, or on foot.
Public transport
Busses and the Metro run all over the city and the S-train connects Greater Copenhagen with the city centre. This also applies to the four UCPH campuses. Find out how easy it is to find public transport in Greater Copenhagen at Rejseplanen.dk (English version)
Biking in Copenhagen
Jump on your bike and enjoy cruising the world’s most cycle-friendly city. You will be joining 62% of the city’s residents who ride a bike daily to work or school – only 9% drive. Consequently, all kinds of people bike: students, professionals, parents with toddlers, children, teenagers, tourists.
The municipality of Copenhagen has made massive investments in designated cycle paths, traffic lights that prioritise cyclists, new bridges for pedestrians and cyclists and bicycle superhighway routes to residential suburbs.
Survival guide to Denmark
Download our survival guide and learn how to meet the Danes, how to find a student job, how to find a place to live etc.