Denmark has several universities and business schools offering law and law-related degree programs, especially in Danish law, business law, international law, European law, and legal research. Danish universities also appear in major international rankings, and the University of Copenhagen is listed by the university as the highest-ranking university in Denmark and among the top 1% of universities worldwide.
Prospective international students should note that many core law degrees in Denmark are taught in Danish. However, students interested in advanced legal study may find English-taught electives, exchange opportunities, international research environments, and related interdisciplinary programs depending on the institution. Let’s take a look at Denmark’s top law institutions.
Top Law Schools in Denmark
1. University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is a public research university in Copenhagen. Founded in 1479, it is Denmark’s oldest university and one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe. It is also listed by the university as the highest-ranking university in Denmark and among the top 1% of universities worldwide.
The university opened with the traditional medieval faculties of theology, law, medicine, and philosophy. Over the centuries, it has grown into a large research and education institution with a strong international profile.
The Faculty of Law at the University of Copenhagen has a large and diverse university environment within law in Denmark. It offers the Danish Bachelor of Laws, a three-year program consisting of 180 ECTS credits and taught only in Danish. Its Master Degree in Law, LL.M., is also taught only in Danish. The Faculty also offers a Ph.D. program, continuing education, credit-student options, and opportunities for exchange and guest students.
2. Aarhus University
Aarhus University is a public research university established in 1928 in Aarhus, Denmark. The university describes itself as a top 100 research-intensive university and offers more than 50 English-taught Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs. It also has an international student body, with students representing more than 120 nationalities.
The Department of Law at Aarhus University offers research-based Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. degree programs in law and business law. Its Bachelor’s programs include Law and Business Administration and Commercial Law, while its Master’s programs include Law and Business Administration and Commercial Law. The Ph.D. program in Law is a salaried, three-year research program in which students conduct research, receive supervision, and write a Ph.D. dissertation. The Department also offers continuing and further education, including a flexible Master’s degree program in Law.
3. University of Southern Denmark
The University of Southern Denmark was established in 1998 through a merger of Odense University, the Southern Denmark School of Business and Engineering, and the South Jutland University Centre. Today, SDU offers programs across several fields and campuses in Denmark.
SDU’s law offerings include a Bachelor’s program in Law in Odense and a Master’s program in Law. Both are taught in Danish. The Bachelor’s program gives students theoretical and methodological qualifications in fundamental legal disciplines and qualifies them to apply for the Master’s program in Law. The Master’s program allows students to study legal areas in depth, choose law electives, and pursue options such as study abroad, internships, or seminar projects.
SDU also offers Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in Business Administration and Commercial Law. The Bachelor’s program combines law with business economics, while the Master’s program includes property law, business economics, legal and business-economics electives, and a thesis. The Department of Law also provides a three-year Ph.D. program in Law for students with a degree in law, business law, or an equivalent field.
4. Copenhagen Business School
Copenhagen Business School is a major business school in Denmark with international accreditation. CBS is Triple Crown accredited through EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB, a distinction held by a limited group of business schools worldwide. Its academic programs cover business administration, languages, social sciences, management, economics, politics, law, and related fields.
CBS Law focuses on business law from a societal and commercial perspective, including the interaction between international law, EU law, and national law. CBS Law provides research-based teaching across CBS programs and is responsible for legal courses offered at CBS. Its degree-related teaching includes Business Administration and Commercial Law at Bachelor’s and Master’s levels, as well as courses connected to auditing, tax law, general business administration, graduate certificates, and the Master in Tax Law. CBS Law is also part of the CBS Ph.D. School and supervises Ph.D. fellows affiliated with CBS Law.
As an aspiring international law student, you should compare each university’s language of instruction, program structure, admissions requirements, tuition rules, and career pathways before applying. Denmark offers strong legal education options, but many professional law programs are Danish-taught, so program-specific research is essential.
We hope this article on the Best Law Universities in Denmark was helpful. Feel free to check out the Study in Denmark and Available Programs for International Studnets!
