Welcome to Iceland!
Iceland was founded more than 1.000 years ago during the Viking age of exploration and settled by a mixed Norse and Celtic population. It had a pretty significant literary role during Middle Age with its sagas. Despite its far-northern location, Iceland is not an extremely cold country. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the climate is surprisingly mild for such a latitude. Fishing is an important business on the island.
Iceland is a very avant-garde country, and one of the oldest democracies in the world. Its inhabitants have preserved a biological homogeneity due to the island’s distance from the European continent, and are now target of international genetic research.
The country has two unique statistics: it has Europe’s largest glacier, and about one-third of the Earth’s total lava flow has poured out of the volcanoes of Iceland in the last 500 years. Fire and ice are mashed together in a spectacular environment in this geologically active island. Eruptions are frequent and visitors sometimes have the opportunity to see one. Iceland has also more hot springs and solfataras than any other country in the world.
What are the best universities in Iceland for semester students?
Are you still undecided whether or not Iceland might be an appealing destination for you? On wearefreemovers you can find a selection of 2 academic institutions offering you the possibility of spending a semester or a full academic year in Iceland. Let’s check some statistics about them.
Here you can see the positions of the Icelandic institutions among the world’s best universities rankings.
| NAME | QS | THE | ARWU | CWUR | CWTS | Eduniversal palmes | U.S. News & World Report's Best Global Universities Rankings | Webometrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bifröst University | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Reykjavik University | - | 301–350 | - | 1879 | - | 3 | - | - |
Well, there is not so much to say with only two listed universities. It is normal though for a not so populous country to have few higher education institutions. Reykjavik University enjoys a good recognition in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and in the Eduniversal ranking, with 3 palmes of excellence out of 5.
Costs and fees
Iceland is an extremely expensive country. Monthly costs of living for a single person are close to 1100€. Keep in mind that, as a student, you could have access to various discounts which can include food, travel, and accommodation expenses.
When it comes to university’s fees, Iceland is fairly expensive, with a median 3115€/semester for free mover students.
Which Icelandic cities are available to free movers?
Currently there are only 1 city that accept free movers in Iceland. Have you ever dreamt of studying in Reykjavik?
