The number of students in higher education has increased substantially during the last decade — since 1991 by approximately 50%.  Almost 50% of young people in Sweden go on to higher education within five years of completing their upper secondary schooling. First-time enrolments every year total about 83,000.

Research and higher education in the sciences started in Stockholm in the 18th century, with an education in medicine and various research institutions, such as the Stockholm Observatory. The medical education was eventually formalized in 1811 as the Karolinska Institute. The Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, or KTH) was founded in 1827 and is currently Scandinavia’s largest higher education institute of technology with 13,000 students. Stockholm University, founded in 1878 with university status granted in 1960, has 35,000 students as of 2004. It also incorporates many historical institutions, such as the Observatory, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, and the botanical garden Bergianska trädgården. The Stockholm School of Economics, founded in 1909, is one of few private institutions of higher education in Sweden.

In the fine arts, educational institutions include the Royal College of Music, which has a history going back to the conservatory founded as part of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1771, the Royal University College of Fine Arts, which has a similar historical association with the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts and a foundation date of 1735, and the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting, which is the continuation of the school of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, once attended by Greta Garbo. Other schools include the design school Konstfack, founded in 1844, the University College of Opera (founded in 1968, but with older roots), the University College of Dance, and the Stockholms Musikpedagogiska Institute (the University College of Music Education).

The Södertörn University College was founded in 1995 as a multidisciplinary institution for southern Metropolitan Stockholm, to balance the many institutions located in the northern part of the region.

Stockholm Observatory
AlbaNova University Center
Roslagstullsbacken 21
SE-106 91 Stockholm
(46) 8 553-78500
www.astro.su.se

Karolinska Institutet
Mailing address:
SE-171 77 Stockholm
Physical address:
Nobels väg 5, Solna
Alfred Nobels Allé 8, Huddinge
(46) 8 524-80000
www.ki.se

KTH Valhallavägen (Main Campus)
Mailing address:
Kungl Tekniska Högskolan
SE-100 44 Stockholm
Physical Address:
Valhallavägen 79, Stockholm
(46) 8 790-6000
www.kth.se/eng

Stockholm University
Mailing address:
SE-106 91 Stockholm
Physical Address:
Universitetsvägen 10A, Stockholm
+ 46 8 16-2000
www.su.se

Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
Mailing address:
Box 16317
103 26 Stockholm
Physical Address:
Fredsg. 12/Jakobsg. 27c (Hiss)
(46) 8 23-2925
www.konstakademien.se

Södertörn University College
Mailing address:
141 89 Huddinge
Physical Address:
Alfred Nobels allé 7, Flemingsberg
46 8 608-4000
http://webappl.web.sh.se/