Education in Sweden is mandatory for all children from grade 1 to grade 9 - generally starting in the year of the child’s seventh birthday up until the end of the spring term of the calendar year of the child’s 16th birthday. The school year in Sweden runs from mid/late August to early/mid June. The Christmas holiday from mid December to early January divides the Swedish school year into two terms. Homeschooling is forbidden, unless there are "exceptional circumstances".

From the age of one year children can be admitted to pre-school (förskola). Pre-schools both help provide an environment that stimulates children's development and learning, and enable parents to combine parenthood with work or studies. During the year before children start compulsory school, all children are offered a place in a pre-school class (förskoleklass), which combines the pedagogical methods of the pre-school with those of compulsory school. Between ages 6/7 and 15/16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school (grundskola), divided in three stages. The vast majority of schools in Sweden are municipally-run, but there are also autonomous and publicly-funded schools, known as "free schools". The education in free schools has many objectives in common with the municipal school, but it can have an orientation that differs from that of the municipal schools. A handful of boarding schools, known as "private schools", are funded by privately-paid tuition.

In 2008, statistics showed that of all Swedes aged 25–64, 15% have completed only compulsory education (as the highest level of attainment), 46% only upper secondary education, 14% only post-secondary education of less than 3 years, and 22% post-secondary education of 3 years or more. Women are more educated than men (26% of women vs 19% of men have post-secondary education of 3 years or more). The level of education is highest among those aged 25–34, and it decreases with age.[8] Both upper secondary school and university studies are financed by taxes. Some Swedes go straight to work after secondary school. Along with several other European countries, the government also subsidizes tuition of international students pursuing a degree at Swedish institutions.