High School in Sweden

Eligibility Requirements

Participants must be between the ages of 15,8 – 18 years old on the day of departure.

The AFS Program

After your host parents greet you with traditional hospitality, it shouldn’t be long before you feel at home in their open, friendly community. By going to a local high school, you’ll be totally immersed in a new language and customs, and what you learn during the day will be reinforced at night when you spend time with your host family. This is your chance to break out of your comfort zone and join in this diverse and ever-evolving culture.

Your high school

School begins in mid-August and goes until mid-June.

Most AFSers attend the second or third year of the Swedish Highschool – called “gymnasieskola.” Students attend one of the 17 national three-year programs. All of the programs offer a broad general education and basic eligibility to continue studies at the post-secondary level.

AFSers are placed in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of gymnasieskola (high school), depending on age and availability at the hosting school. In some cases, very young students may be placed in grade 9 (junior high school).

Available classes will vary depending on school and what kind of program the student is placed in. Swedish schools offer a very wide variety of programs, each with a different educational focus. The most common programs, and those that most AFS students are enrolled in, are Natural Science

(naturvetenskap) and Social Science (samhällskunskap). The host school will choose the program based on the student’s application and his/her interests.

AFSers will be placed in different programs based on availability and space in schools. Schools in Sweden cannot meet all students’ wishes regarding specific subjects in school. Students are generally expected to take the set curriculum for their chosen program, though there are some free choices. Students can sometimes be exempted from specific subjects if absolutely necessary (for example, due to a lack of background knowledge in that particular subject).

School generally runs from 8am to 3 or 4pm. School days can look very different from program to program and class schedules change daily. Some days have very few lessons, while others are full from morning to afternoon. Classes consist mainly of lectures classroom discussion. Sometimes students do projects and essays as part of the learning of a subject.

All instruction, with the exception of foreign languages, is done in Swedish.

For more information on fees, grants and fundraising.

Returning Home

“Life-changing” is hard to describe, yet it’s nearly always the first thing that AFSers say when asked about their experience abroad.
“Transformed” is another one. When you return home, if you’re like most AFSers, you’ll bring with you a sense of accomplishment unlike any other. You’ll have gained maturity and independence, discovered new passions, and feel like you can do anything you set your mind to. That transformation isn’t visible only to you, though – others see it as well. AFSers gain critical skills for college and careers, ranging from language fluency to intercultural competence and critical reasoning. “Life-changing” means it’s only the beginning.