In 2025, 12,810 people from countries outside the EU/EEA were granted residence permits on the basis of asylum. At the same time, 16,382 people received residence permits for studies. Samnytt lists the educational institutions that received the most foreign students.
A total of 88,938 first-time residence permits were issued to people from countries outside the EU/EEA in 2025, according to statistics from the Swedish Migration Agency. Of these, 12,810 people were allowed to stay on the basis of asylum or protection.
Students constitute a larger issue in terms of immigration. In total, 16,382 people were granted residence permits based on studies. Of these, 3,214 received residence permits as dependents of students, not for studies themselves.
The ethnic composition among student immigrants is not the same as among asylum immigrants, and it remains unclear to what extent they return to their home countries after completing their studies.
Universities Receiving the Most Foreigners
Samnytt has requested a list from the Swedish Migration Agency of the universities that received the most foreigners from countries outside the EU/EEA in 2025.
According to these statistics, these universities received a total of 15,018 people in 2025. This figure appears to be somewhat higher compared to the Swedish Migration Agency’s official number regarding total residence permits for studies as presented on their website.
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The list also shows that certain institutions receive substantially more foreign students than others. For example, KTH hosts the second most, even though the university is only the ninth largest in Sweden in terms of total number of students.
Chalmers, Karolinska Institute and SLU also have a higher proportion of foreign students than average.
China in the Lead
As Samnytt has previously reported, the largest number of students in 2025 came from China, totaling 2,714 people.
Following this were India with 2,102 people, Pakistan with 1,337, Sri Lanka with 1,227, and Bangladesh with 1,100.
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Most Actually Show Up
Samnytt has also asked the Swedish Migration Agency how many of those who were granted residence permits for studies in 2024 actually arrived in Sweden and began their studies.
The Migration Agency does not have available statistics in this area and refers to each respective university. The agency states that it is not possible to provide statistics on how many received residence permits for studies in a certain year but later did not complete their education.
However, the agency writes that “our general experience is that it is relatively uncommon for someone who has been granted a residence permit to not register at all.”
The Migration Agency further reports that in 2025, 3,742 extension permits for studies were granted and that residence permits for studies may be issued for up to two years at a time.
It is, however, unclear whether any conclusions can be drawn from the fact that the number of extension permits is much lower than the number of first-time residence permits.