These European universities are tuition-free

Studying abroad in Europe is a dream for many, and while most eventually find their way to fulfill that wish, others simply cannot afford it.

While the region boasts some of the best universities in the world — which comes with its own hefty price tags — they’re also often located in some of the most expensive cities out there. So, if your country of origin’s currency is weaker against where you’re going, you’re in for a financially-strapped ride.

Luckily, though, there are silver linings to look out for — namely, the tuition-free universities in Europe.

While they are catered towards students from European Economic Area (EEA) and European Union (EU) countries, there are a few countries that offer free tuition to all students regardless of their nationality.

Intrigued? Here are the best tuition-free universities in Europe for non-EU and non-EEA students:

4 tuition-free universities in Europe for international students 

Reykjavík is the centre of Iceland’s cultural, economic, and governmental activity and is among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world. Source: AFP

University of Iceland, Iceland

Public universities in Iceland do not have tuition fees, although they do have an annual registration or administration fee which all students must pay. This comes up to around 75,000 Icelandic króna (US$561.80) at the University of Iceland, the country’s best ranking university. 

Located in the heart of Reykjavik, this university’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes cover subjects from across education, engineering and natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies.

Better yet, the university collaborates with over 400 universities worldwide, allowing students to join exchange programmes (they’re active participants in the Nordplus and Erasmus+ exchange programmes) and explore beyond Iceland’s shores too.

Studying abroad can be expensive, but these tuition-free universities in Europe let you earn a quality education without going into huge debt. Source: AFP

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Germany

In Germany, all domestic and international undergraduate students can study for free at any public university in the country. Students only need to pay a small amount that covers administration fees and other miscellaneous costs per semester. 

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), ranked #59 in the QS World University Rankings 2025, is one of these tuition-free universities in Germany. Here, you’ll only be required to pay the Studierendenwerk (Munich Student Union), which totals around 162.30 euros (US$175.22) per semester.

Many of LMU’s master’s programmes are taught in English. This includes, but is not limited to, Astrophysics, Data Science, Economics, International Health, Journalism, Neuroscience, and Political Science.

Masaryk University, Czech Republic

One way to enrol in one of the tuition-free universities in Europe is to learn in the local language. Take Masaryk University in the Czech Republic for example — here, programmes taught in English are charged very relatively affordable fees, but those taught in Czech are completely tuition-free.

Disclaimer though, you’ll need serious working knowledge of Czech.

The university offers help in this through a preliminary language course one year prior to your enrolment — the perfect preparation before you dive into one of the 300 fields of study available across eight faculties: Medicine, Science, Arts, Education, Pharmacy, Economics and Administration, Informatics, and Social Studies.

Boats are docked during the fish market at the harbour in Helsinki, Finland, on October 6, 2023. Source: AFP

Tampere University, Finland

According to Studyinfo, the official website maintained by the Finnish National Agency for Education, those studying in programmes taught in Finnish or Swedish are not required to pay fees regardless of nationality.

One place you can opt for your education in Finland is Tampere University, one of the most multidisciplinary universities in the country.

Here, you’ll find seven faculties: Built Environment, Education and Culture, Engineering and Natural Sciences, Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Management and Business, Medicine and Health Technology, and Social Sciences.

Disclaimer: This article was last updated on March 26, 2025.