Welcome to Stockholm
A city in perfect balance
In Swedish, the word lagom means “just the right amount,” or everything in balance. In Stockholm, you can feel that balance all around you. Stockholm is the biggest city in Scandinavia, yet it feels cozy and easy to navigate. Its 14 islands are full of incredible nature and lush green space, yet everything is effortlessly connected by world-class public transportation. It’s home to both ancient castles and modern start-ups. It’s elegant and polished, yet it’s the most affordable of the Scandinavian capital cities.
In the heart of the city is DIS Stockholm: a place where high quality education, community, and exploration come together.
Meet the team at DIS Stockholm
Hear from DIS Stockholm students
Step into DIS Stockholm
A supportive, vibrant community in the heart of the city
The DIS Stockholm building feels full of light: an architectural marvel surrounded by glass walls with sleek corridors and brightly colored hallways. Along each corridor, you’ll find spacious classrooms and labs, rooms for studying and meetings, and the Student Hub, where students hang out and study between classes. On the ground floor is Oktav, a popular cafe serving everything from coffee and pastries to gourmet lunches.
DIS Stockholm also shares the building with the Royal College of Music, so you’ll often hear a solo violinist practicing a new piece or a pianist preparing for their next recital. Here, you are part of the rhythm of the city and local student life.
The center of student life
With classrooms, the Student Hub, dedicated DIS staff, and many cozy gathering spaces, DIS Stockholm helps our students feel a strong sense of community abroad. Most days, you will probably find yourself bumping into friends between classes, studying alongside your fellow students, or grabbing lunch downstairs.
Small class sizes—big learning opportunities
Designed to help you get the most out of your academics, DIS Stockholm prioritizes intimate class sizes for higher engagement and more tailored instruction. This makes it easier to get to know your fellow students and faculty on a deeper level in a supportive learning environment.
Explore the building
DIS Stockholm is located in a modern, award-winning building. Take a look inside to see the Student Hub, study spaces, and even some of our classrooms.
Explore our local neighborhood, Ă–stermalm
Ă–stermalm
Known for its elegant pastel-colored buildings and classic European feel, Ă–stermalm is a stunning, central neighborhood in Sweden’s capital city and home to DIS Stockholm.
Wandering around Ă–stermalm, you might sample a cardamom or saffron bun from an award-winning bakery, stop by the historic food market, study in the Royal Library, or relax in a popular local park called HumlegĂĄrden.
The “Stadion” stop and the Tunnelbana
Living like locals, many students take public transportation to DIS Stockholm. Luckily, the Stockholm Metro—also known as the Tunnelbana or T-bana—is a student favorite, and the “Stadion” stop is just outside our building.
Named after the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stadion is painted with bright rainbows because the Stockholm Pride festival usually happens in Ă–stermalm. Stadion isn’t the only station with art, though; the Tunnelbana is the world’s longest art gallery, each station adorned with unique art that’s relevant to the history and culture of each station.
Learning through Swedish culture: Vikings, hiking, and fika
You probably already know more Swedish culture than you think; take the next step by living in it.
There are plenty of well-known Swedish names, like actors Stellan Skarsgaard and Ingrid Bergman; sports stars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Björn Bjorg, and musicians including ABBA, Robyn, Avicii, and Zara Larsson.
Or maybe you’re more familiar with IKEA, Swedish meatballs, and Vikings as they are portrayed in modern shows and films.
But there’s so much more to discover by living in Stockholm and learning from the culture around you. You can visit real historical sites behind the Viking myths, learn uniquely Swedish terms like fika and lagom, practice your language skills, and dive deeper into the biggest cultural exporter of Scandinavia.
Footsteps of the Vikings
Vikings are so common in pop culture today, we might forget that these were real, complex societies who are still being debated today. In Stockholm, you can explore that history up close.
Just a short ride from Stockholm, the city of Uppsala was home to important kings even before the Viking Age and remained a seat of power. You can visit the site to see several royal grave mounds and other historic sites.
ABBA, Avicii, Max Martin, Zara Larsson, and Swedish pop music dominance
Whether you know it or not, Stockholm has been home to the creators of some of your favorite music. No wonder Spotify was also born here.
You can study the songwriting and production that makes Swedish pop music iconic, or enjoy the history, visit the ABBA museum, and catch a local concert.
Allemansrätten – the right to access nature
Swedes hold a deep cultural connection to nature. The right to freely access nature is protected by Swedish law and Stockholmers exercise it often, going on hikes, swims, skiing, or kayaking.
Sweden is a huge country with loads of nature for you to explore, from lake-filled forests and islands along the archipelago, to Arctic tundra, mountains, and even the northern lights.
A history of progressive policies
Live in a city known for its long history of activism and progressive policies.
Stockholm has consistently led the charge on a wide variety of issues, from labor rights to gender and sexual equality, sustainability, education, and universal access to healthcare.
Long history of gender and sexual inclusivity
Sweden was among the first countries to legalize homosexuality in 1944. In 1972, it became the first country to allow people to legally change their gender.
You can explore Sweden’s history and live your own life in a country that ranks as one of the most gender equal countries today.
Early on sustainability
In 1972, Stockholm hosted the first-ever United Nations conference on the environment, which became the foundation for modern global environmental governance.
Since then, Sweden has continued to be a major home for sustainable efforts and activism.
Hen, the Swedish gender-neutral pronoun
Originally coined in the 1960’s, hen is a gender-neutral pronoun that gained official recognition and was added to the Swedish dictionary in 2015.
Hen is just one way that Swedish culture works to include various identities, backgrounds, and personal preferences.
A European hub for technology, business, and engineering
Stockholm is a major European hub for finance, technology, and innovation.
The city is home to tech unicorns and major industry players like Spotify, Klarna (the buy-now, pay-later finance app), and game developers like King and Mojang, known for Candy Crush and Minecraft respectively.
It also has renowned research institutions, hubs of investment and finance, and huge companies like H&M, Ikea, and Volvo.
All of it comes together to give Stockholm an exciting, big-city atmosphere.
Startup hub
Stockholm is a vibrant center for technology companies and startups, meaning it also attracts some of the best talent from around Europe to work here.
You can learn from professionals working in the industry and visit tech companies ranging from startups to giants like Spotify.
Local university partnerships
DIS Stockholm partners with local world-class research institutions like the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Karolinska Institutet, giving you access to these leaders in the fields of computer science, engineering, and biotechnology.
Commute in style
Stockholm has an energetic atmosphere all the way down to the design of its subway stops.
The Tunnelbana, Stockholm’s extensive metro system, has over 90 uniquely decorated stations, giving your journey a sense of personality at each stop.
