Norway has 38 state run institutions of higher education and a number of private institutions.
The Norwegian institutions of higher education can be divided into two sectors: the University sector and the
College sector.
The universities carry out research and offer university-level instruction at undergraduate, graduate and doctorate levels, leading to academic degrees. They provide research-based education which combines scholastic breadth and high educational standards within a full range of disciplines. The universities also have special responsibility for graduate and research training and for basic research.
No tuition fees
The colleges offer programs lasting from 1 to 4 years. Most programs are profession-specific, their graduates becoming professional or para-professional personnel in areas such as teaching, engineering, social work, health services, administration, economics, librarianship, journalism, etc. The state colleges, too, are involved in extensive research and development work, and most undergraduate programs offered by state colleges can easily be transferred to undergraduate degree programs at universities.
Foreign students are admitted to universities and other institutions of higher education in Norway mainly through international programs and bilateral agreements with comparable institutions abroad.
No tuition fees are charged at any of the Norwegian universities, except special programs and private and specialized schools. At all public institutions in Norway, higher education is free for international students as well as for Norwegian nationals.
The folk high schools
Another possibility for studying in Norway is the Folk High School. This is actuallly not a high school, but rather a post-school opportunity for students wishing to experience a year together with other young people from Norway and the rest of the world.
The folk high schools build on a holistic view of the students and challenge them to grow individually, socially and academically. Learning-by-doing is the basic educational philosophy of the schools. Their core methods are dialogue-based and experiential. The schools strive for challenging classes and courses, but the educational challenges are embedded in the your personal and social growth, too. This focus on the whole person is the strength and unique character of the folk high schools, where the point is to motivate, teach, inspire and foster commitment in you, the student. The schools give you the freedom to learn in your own way.
The Memorial Fund of May 8, 1970 provides a way for foreign students to experience a year at a Norwegian folk high school. For more information and to apply for a scholarship click here