Applying for a Bachelor’s degree in Norway (2025)
Norway: a unique student experience
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| 12 | universities offer Bachelors in Norway in English |
| 34 | Bachelors are available |
Norway offers high quality of life and world-class education in a setting that is both modern and embedded in beautiful nature. Getting a Bachelor in Norway is an experience that will transform you!
Bachelors programmes in Norway typically last 3 years (for 180 ECTS credits). Application deadlines at Norwegian universities are among the earliest in all of Europe, especially for non-European students. Read our application guide so you can plan with plenty of time to spare:
There are only a couple dozen Bachelors in Norway in English. Is the right one for you among them?
Students who are citizens of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland can study at public universities in Norway tuition-free. Other international students have to pay tuition fees that are typically between 150,000 and 190,000 NOK per year (ca. €13,000 to €17,000). The exact fees can be found on the respective university websites.
The few private institutions in Norway charge tuition fees from all students, but there may be different amounts between Europeans and non-Europeans.
(If you find information that claims that Norway offers free tuition all students, then unfortunately that is outdated. The Norwegian government introduced fees for non-European students in 2023.)
Students who have to pay the tuition fees need to pay the full annual amount before the start of the semester; it is generally not possible to split the payment into multiple instalments. This is important to know regarding your study visa application (see the section below), since you need to prove that you can pay for your studies in addition to funding your general cost of living.
To enrol in a Bachelor’s degree in Norway, you generally need a high-school diploma (or equivalent) - and depending on the country where you went to school, you may need to already have finished one year of university studies.
The official “GSU list” shows all information relevant for applicants of each country. Look for the country where you went to school. If it says “+ 1 year university/college” that means you are expected to have completed one year of university already before you can enrol in a Bachelor in Norway. (That is not some arbitrary obstacle to make your life harder. In fact, it is the opposite: The reason is usually that in those countries, school is finished earlier than in Norway, or there might be other differences that could mean that the first year at a Norwegian uni might be too difficult.)
For all countries within the EU/EEA, the school-leaving certificate is enough. (The only exception is if you went to school in Northern Cyprus, in which case you need to have finished that initial university year before applying in Norway.)
You will also see if there are specific English requirements. For many countries, if you’ve had English classes in school, you might luckily be exempt from any additional English requirements. If not, then TOEFL, IELTS, and other widespread tests are accepted.
To apply for Bachelors in Norway, you use the shared national application platform, Søknadsweb. You don’t have to pay an application fee.
As part of your application via Søknadsweb, you are expected to upload all required documents, such as:
Norway has very early Bachelor application deadlines compared to other countries in Europe! Exact dates vary for each university, and they are also different depending on your nationality. If you want to start your studies in the autumn semester:
You can expect to receive your admissions results usually by April or May. You can check or ask the exact date in advance to make the waiting time easier!
Scholarships to study in Norway are hard to come by. The government does not offer any individual scholarships. Universities may offer their own merit-based grants and you can ask the admissions teams about this.
To fund your studies in Norway, you may also want to look at part-time work. You’ll find the rules to be very generous:
Wages in Norway are comparatively high, even for student jobs. You can probably find suitable options without knowing Norwegian, but learning the language will be helpful nonetheless.
Most things in Norway are expensive, and so is accommodation. On top of that, it will be difficult to find a place to stay while you’re still in your home country. As a first step, it’s a good idea to reach out to the Student Welfare Organisation at your university (Studentsamskipnad in Norwegian). Helping international students like you with finding housing is one of their responsibilities.
If you are not a citizen of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland: As a non-European international student, you’ll need a study permit for Norway (elsewhere also called “student visa”); and to apply for one, you first need proof that you already found accommodation in Norway. See the next step for more.
Students who are citizens of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland do not need a visa to study in Norway and can skip this step.
All other international students have to apply for a so-called study permit. There are a range of criteria to meet to be granted the Norwegian study permit:
As an international student, you have to:
Did it all work out? Congratulations! Now you need to plan your move to lovely Norway. From most countries in Europe and elsewhere, flying into Oslo is the most convenient option - potentially with a connecting flight within the country. Note: When your classes start in August, it will be summer, but it will get cold soon thereafter, so make sure to buy warm clothing in time.
Bachelor programmes in Norway typically last 3 years. The academic year usually starts in August.
For citzens of the EU/EEA or Switzerland, education at public universities in Norway is tuition-free. International students from other countries have to pay somewhere between €13,000 and €17,000 per year in tuition fees. Private institutions and business schools charge all students but fee levels are lower for citizens from the EU/EEA or Switzerland.
Ready to study in Norway?
