Linnaeus University - LNU (reviews)

Being an out-of-country student at Linnaeus University has been surprisingly easy. I was terrified at first, but as soon as I got there, I saw how warm and kind the professors and students were, along with the staff. Managing social life and schooling might be difficult because there is always something going on. Nevertheless, I’m doing fine. If you ever become bored with the food served on campus, there are excellent cafes and restaurants close by. The fact that the accommodations were bigger than I had anticipated added to the surprise. I truly feel at home at Linnaeus University.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5 — one extra star because tuition was free)

I studied Software Technology at Linnaeus University between 2022 and 2025.

In my experience, the quality of teaching was mediocre. I quickly stopped attending lectures because most added little beyond what I could learn independently.

Industry connections were almost nonexistent: no internship support, no company-led workshops, no hackathons, and no clear pathways into the tech sector. The only recurring event was the annual job fair, but many representatives seemed unsure what they were seeking; most offered no internships or projects and there was rarely any follow-up, so it felt more promotional than student-focused.

Entrepreneurship support was minimal. When we started a student project, there was no funding, no events, no network, and very limited guidance — essentially just one counsellor providing basic advice.

Faculty culture felt very political and unresponsive to student feedback. When issues were raised formally, they were often dismissed, though quiet changes were occasionally made later.

I personally experienced hostile and dismissive behaviour from a lecturer in the tech faculty, which I reported to the Student Union in 2024 along with other classmates. The case was closed in the lecturer’s favour, yet the university quietly implemented some of the changes we had requested. The complaint process left me uncertain about its independence, and I believe there’s a need for more transparent procedures and external oversight.

On the positive side, there are a few excellent professors who genuinely care about their students and involve them in research, but they are a small minority and you have to actively seek them out.

Overall, I’m deeply disappointed with the university’s approach to education and student development. I feel I wasted three years of potential growth and opportunity here. Prospective students should do thorough research and speak directly with current students before enrolling.

Here, learning is easy and reliable. Each lesson fits into a bigger framework that gradually boosts students’ self-esteem. The teachers ensure that everyone keeps up and are kind and encouraging. They foster a friendly environment where asking questions is always welcome. The facilities are consistently clean and well-maintained. The labs are kept prepared for any practical activity, and the classrooms are cozy. The campus has quiet study areas, is well-designed, and is simple to navigate. It’s a serene and effective environment for learning.

The university seems to run quasi-scam policies with the immigration to hold foreign students’ money when possible. I started an administrative inquiry against them. The Chancellor of Justice and the Higher Education Authority have now decided about it, 3 years later with a good lawyer’s assistance. This may need to be brought to the European court and international press. The staff at the international office is amateurish and has literally no maturity or basic preparation for their jobs, so far appearing to be corrupt. This includes rectors

The answer did not mention tackling the scheme inside the Swedish government through the administrative inquiry. Therefore I advise not to apply. They’ll use every subterfuge in their apparatus to keep the tuition fee if you’re prevented from taking the course. Their system is orchestrated to steal the tuition fee. As it is operating now, it’s basically a trap behind the façade of an international university

This will damage Sweden’s reputation

I’m starting now to contact the BBC, Deutsche Welle and the European Court. The material will include Linnaeus University, Migrationsverket, Higher Education Authority and the Swedish State

Migrationsverket agents treat you as an animal. I feared for my safety. Their misconduct almost got me banned from Schengen

Now a realistic picture in contrast with the website. Swedish students do not merge with foreigners. It’s an unwritten law. There is an invisible but impenetrable wall between locals and foreigners. A stark money-driven attitude tends to overwhelm whatever otherwise innate empathy
In Vaxsjö people get drunk on a regular basis and drive under the influence, you hear cars with super loud music spreading chaos everyday as you try to study, giving the city a Black American neighbourhood feeling. People call the police out of some imaginary suspicion due to panic, get scared by a neighbour, police start canvassing and one can easily get involved in something by mistake, due to the general situation, limiting one’s mobility and free enjoyment of public spaces. I ended up keeping shop receipts as alibis

That’s the atmosphere. Not at all like the pictures on the website. Loneliness is brought to a unique level in Sweden. It’s a test of psychological strength

The website is misleading and full of compromising errors, which I partially corrected

UKÄ took 2 years to recognize the university’s error and took no relevant measure. Which means in practice the university is not regulated by the authority. They can do whatever they want to international students. It is not easy to regulate, corruption being so ingrained in their characters. They lie in official statements

It is outrageous, but fraud is being established as protocol and a mere procedure within Swedish institutions

But it was an important step. Now they’re not untouchable anymore. Justitiekanslern decided it was the university’s error. A refund was ordered, after 3.5 years. This proved the university is not trustworthy

Now they are attempting fraud again with the same sort of bureaucratic mechanisms which are difficult to defend because they have the upper hand and they are clearly guided by a malicious intent, i.e. a so called organi-cultural deviance

My advice. Well.. it’s up to you to decide. I can say that it hasn’t been pleasant to deal with such kind of miserly characters for years. Individuals who are capable of acting low in order to take people’s money. Individuals with such malicious view of life, where policies and rationales are used to manipulate and satisfy numbers and corporate objectives and humans have no value as such. It is disgusting and disillusioning. I can’t tell if I am stronger or sadder now. I’d prefer to not have applied in the first place. It’s such an irrelevant struggle, but it’s a duty. I was naïve.. I used to respect universities and education professionals, even with a certain solemnity. To learn what a university can become under market ideology. And how low and unscrupulous people can get. And that there is nothing left of an educational ideal. It is depressing, indeed

I strongly advise not to apply

At least I am glad I’m not like them. And maybe this is an important thing
It includes collusion with the Swedish Imigration Agency to misappropriate applicants from their tuition fees when they are prevented from taking the course

There is a bureaucratic aparatus orchestrated for this purpose. They call it a mitigation of reimbursements
It appears that the Swedish State, through a collusion of Migrationsverket and Linnéuniversitet (possibly other universities), has set an administrative apparatus based on organi-cultural deviance, which allows the effect of mistreatment and pecuniary damage to foreign fee paying students
This process in practice uses the university as bait and after the payment the university will use its apparatus to use such tuition fees as profit
It appears that a strong culture of manipulation of the bureaucratic framework and of taking advantage of office, seems at present to be established within the Swedish State in relation to the aforementioned institutions

This behaviour seems to be an official type of fraud. A fraud which is shielded by abuse of office. It is a type of abuse and misconduct which leaves the victim with limited or scarce means of defence if any at all, since all acts will be justified as law abiding, even wben it is clear that a misappropriation is being carried out and the justifucation defies common sense and logics

This is made possible because tge staff has the upper hand on the use of the rules. This way, rules tgat are not applicable in the context will be forcibly applied with no possibility of fulfilment of the requirements for refund

This is complemented by an utter administrative incompetence where even the wording of rules is not proper
I caused tge correction of the rules through the regulatory authorities
Also the victims are usually not in Sweden and are strongly disheartened to search for justice

I know this seems a very serious accusation. However I have two processes with the regulatory institutions in Sweden and I am starting a process of gross misconduct