List of free tuition universities in Norway, tuition fees, cost of living, admission requirements, deadlines and how to apply are today's topic of discussion. But before I take you to that, I want you to know that Norway is readily becoming a popular study destination among international students. The number of universities and university colleges offering Bachelor’s and Master's program in English are tremendously increasing every day.
It is one of the few remaining countries in the world where tuition fee is free for everyone including international students. The Norwegian Government also offers scholarship programs to cover living costs in Norway. In Norwegian higher education institutions, students don't pay tuition fees. But this is not the case in the Private Universities there. Also, highly professional courses are not absolutely free as some tuition fees might apply. MSc courses at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norwegian universities and state university colleges as a rule, do not charge tuition fees from international students. This is true! But you need to pay for your living expenses unless you are studying on scholarship.
In general, Educational system in Norway is 3+2+3 yrs. (Bachelor's, Master's and Ph.D.) as in most other countries. EU, Students may be allowed to work up to 20 hours per week (some restrictions apply).
Universities in Norway: Higher education in Norway is comprised of both public and private universities. Some are specialized, some comprehensive, and some – known as ‘university colleges’ – concentrate mainly on providing undergraduate-level education in a range of more vocationally focused subjects.
Cost of living and Study: Cost of living in Norway is more affordable than in many other countries. During your tuition period in Norway, you need to pay for your own books/teaching materials. Norwegian state universities and state university colleges as a rule, do not charge tuition fees from international students but they will only need to pay a semester fee of around NOK 300-600 ($50-100) each semester ( it varies). On living in Norway, the State Educational Loan Fund estimates the average expenditure for students to be about NOK 9000 a month (approx. EURO 1 000). Although expenses vary from person to person, this estimate is expected to cover board and lodgings, clothing, transport, medical and dental care and other necessities. Unless you are on scholarship then you have a change of song.
Below is a current list of Tuition Free Universities in Norway for international students.
Top Free Universities in Norway
As a thing of Joy to everyone, four universities in Norway feature in the QS World University Rankings® 2016/17. These are the University of Oslo (ranked joint 113th in the world), University of Bergen (joint 177th), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (259th) and University of Troms the Arctic University of Norway (joint 377th).
Agder College
Agricultural University of Norway (NLH)
Alesund College
Bergen College
Bergen University
Gjøvik College
Lillehammer College
Molde College
National College of Art & Design, Norway
Nesna College
Nord-Trondelag College
Norwegian Institute of Technology, Trondheim
Norwegian School of Management
Oppland College
Ostfold College
Sor-Trondelag College (HiST)
Stavanger College
Stord/Haugesund College
Telemark College
UNIK - Center for Technology at Kjeller, University of Oslo
University of Oslo
University of Tromso
University of Trondheim
Vestfold College
Volda College
Agder College
Agricultural University of Norway (NLH)
Alesund College
Bergen College
Bergen University
Gjøvik College
Lillehammer College
Molde College
National College of Art & Design, Norway
Nesna College
Nord-Trondelag College
Norwegian Institute of Technology, Trondheim
Norwegian School of Management
Oppland College
Ostfold College
Sor-Trondelag College (HiST)
Stavanger College
Stord/Haugesund College
Telemark College
UNIK - Center for Technology at Kjeller, University of Oslo
University of Oslo
University of Tromso
University of Trondheim
Vestfold College
Volda College
Study in Norway in English: International Students aspiring to study in Norway shouldn't be afraid as English is also used as language of instruction in numerous courses. More than 200 master’s programs taught are done so in English, and many English-taught undergraduate programs are available as well. English language programs offered at the University of Oslo include subjects in humanities, social sciences, law, theology, mathematics and natural sciences, education, medicine, dentistry, energy, development, gender studies and ‘Norwegian for Academics’ which you don't need to, previously, have knowledge of the Norwegian language before fitting in.
Tuition fees: Tuition fee is free for everyone including international students that are studying in Norway.
Admission requirement: I have listed below the general requirements. These are minimum requirements determined by NOKUT - the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education. Please note that institutions may have higher and/or additional requirements for all or some programmes.
Academic requirements: A compilation of country-specific information called the GSU-list (formerly SIS list) outlines what level of education applicants from different countries need to reach for entry into Norwegian higher education, including any requirements concerning proficiency in English. But for courses where the language of instruction is Norwegian, proficiency in the Norwegian language is also required.
Undergraduate studies; an international student must show his/her high/secondary school's result which is an equivalent to passing the exam at the end of Norwegian secondary school. This is the general basic requirement for entry to Norwegian universities and university colleges.
For students from some countries at least one year of completed studies at the university level is required in addition.
Please check the GSU-list for detailed information regarding additional requirements for your country.
Some study programs have special admission requirements, usually relating to specialist subjects or fields of study from secondary school. Please check with the institution you intend to apply for information about these special qualifications.
Master's programs; Admission requirements are decided by individual university and University College based on an academic evaluation of the applicants. Applicants for Masters Programs must have normally obtained an undergraduate/Bachelor's degree or equivalent of at least 3 years' duration. The degree must include courses equal to at least 1 1/2 years of full-time studies in a subject relevant to that of the program applied for. In some cases, the first (and rarely, the second) year of study at a foreign higher education institution will not be recognized as higher education in Norway.
Applications and Deadlines: In order to avoid being misled on how to apply on time or obtain the necessary application forms and information about the application deadlines you will have to contact each university or university college. Also, as generally known, the application deadline for foreign students is usually between December 1 to March 15 for courses starting the following autumn (August). Please note that some institutions have separate "pre-qualification" deadlines that are earlier than this.
Endeavor to visit the schools' webpages for deep information. I hope you enjoyed the post? Share it using the social media below. Contact me for help via globewizard@gmail.com