Best universities in Norway 2026

All universities in Norway are divided into three types:

• Universities

There are only 10 research universities in Norway and all of them are exclusively state-owned. This status implies that a wide range of fundamental sciences (natural, humanitarian, social) can be studied at the university. Since 2005, in order to obtain university status, at least 5 master's and 4 PhD programs must be accredited at the university. Over the past 15 years, 6 state universities have received university status, including the prestigious Norwegian University of Technology.

• Profile universities

Specialized universities provide studying of specialists of a certain profile. Here the foreign students can study architecture, design, business, management, music, sports sciences, theology or economics at a high level. They are well designed for those who want to fully immerse themselves in the environment of their future profession.

• University colleges

Colleges were created by combining smaller technical and vocational schools. They are, as a rule, small educational institutions where specialized programs in applied sciences are widely provided. The main purpose of creating colleges is to prepare nurses, teachers, educators, engineers and managers. Colleges are located in every region of Norway, including in very small towns.

Quality across all these institutions is overseen by NOKUT, the Norwegian agency responsible for accreditation, periodic reviews and supervision of higher education. NOKUT accredits studying programs and institutions and conducts evaluations to ensure and develop educational quality. In 2025 and 2026 it reviewed the quality assurance systems of five multi-campus higher education institutions, which together account for approximately 68,000 students.

University colleges in Norway are equivalent in status to higher education institutions and include both elements of vocational schools and university functions. Colleges have two-year diploma programs in Norwegian, after which the graduates can transition to a university and continue their studies from the third year. The colleges also offer bachelor's and master's degree programs in applied sciences and arts (teaching, IT, nursing, accounting, logic, acting, journalism, etc.).

Undergraduate studies at university colleges in Norway are conducted mainly in Norwegian, but the students can find up to 20 master's degree programs in English. English-speaking students are invited to familiarize themselves with research at the colleges of Estfold, Molde, Nord University, the West Norwegian University of Applied Sciences and the University of Applied Sciences of Inner Norway.

State profile universities in Norway are extremely in demand among applicants and it is difficult to enter them not only for a foreign student, but also for a local student. The competition for universities such as the Norwegian School of Economics, the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences and the School of Architecture and Design in Oslo ranges from 4.5 to 9.5 people per place.

Also, there are specialized private universities: two theological universities and the Norwegian School of Management (one of the largest universities in Norway — more than 19 thousand students). There are also 6 private university colleges in Norway. If the program is not funded by the state, the tuition can reach USD 23,727 per year of study, depending on the program type.

Sam Jones

Recruitment Director for Partnership with INTO Universities (Europe and Central Asia)

What firstly should be considered when choosing a university? Subjects, employer value, percentage of employment in the first year after graduation?

It depends on the student - everyone determines the most important criteria for himself. I would advise you to take several rankings and compare them with each other, plus take into account the cost of the course, the location of the university and its scale, the percentage of graduates' employment. See where graduates continue their studies or where they go to work.

Requirements vary from university to university in Norway, but the standard package of documents includes:

• Completed online application;
• Official documents on education, certified by apostille and notarized translated into English or Norwegian: school certificate and all diplomas of higher education together with appendices;
• Motivation letter;
• Resume;
• Recommendation letters.

Additionally, an academic essay, a research plan and other documents may be required.

• The University of Oslo is famous not only for the fact that it is the oldest higher education institution in Norway, which is why locals call it simply "university". In various rankings, it is considered as one of the best universities in the Scandinavian countries. Media studies are recognized to be the strongest discipline at the university.
• Norwegian University of Natural and Technical Sciences appeared due to the merger of several educational institutions in 1996. The Norwegian University of Natural and Technical Sciences is the largest educational institution in the country: its campuses are located in Trondheim, Gjøvik and Ålesund. Here the student will face the most practically oriented courses. Architecture and engineering are recognized as the best disciplines.
• If an applicant is looking for a strong research institute in Norway, then he will certainly pay attention to the University of Bergen. Modern laboratories, a large number of research grants and academic freedom — all this attracts scientists and students interested in scientific activity. For its research, the university was awarded by the Ministry of Education in 2011. Today, the University of Bergen has focused on the development of the following fields: oceanology, archaeology and anthropology.
• The University of Tromso is the northernmost university, but this does not prevent it from being popular among international students: 17% of the students came from abroad. The higher educational institution was founded in 1968. Linguistics stands out positively against the background of the disciplines taught at the university.
• BI Norwegian Business School, established in 1943 in Norway, is today one of the largest in Europe. This is the only private institution among the top 5 universities in the country. BI offers both MBA, Bachelor's and doctoral programs. Applicants to the bachelor's degree can study in Norwegian, at the other stages of education teaching is conducted exclusively in English. Employers all over the world highly value BI graduates. The best areas are sociology and management.

Whether you pay tuition at a Norwegian university depends on your citizenship. Degree-seeking students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland must normally pay for studying at Norwegian institutions, while students from Norway, Switzerland and the EU/EEA area are exempted from tuition at public higher educational institutions.

Several groups remain exempt from tuition even at public institutions. These include doctoral candidates, exchange students and students enrolled through the NORPART, NORHED and NORSTIP programs, the Students At Risk (StAR) scheme, the Fulbright program and Erasmus Mundus joint-degree schemes.

Scholarship options are limited. The Norwegian government offers no individual scholarships open to all international degree students, so in most cases funding has to be arranged through other schemes. The main routes are the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters programs, in which Norwegian institutions currently take part in 16 such programs, and Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans.

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