Norway’s educational system

Elementary school (Barneskole, ages 6–13), lower secondary school (Ungdomsskole, ages 13–16), and upper secondary school (Videregende skole, ages 16–19) are the three parts of the Norwegian educational system. Barneskole and Ungdomsskole are required levels that are generally referred to as Grunnskole (meaning “base-school”).

All youngsters aged 6 to 16 must attend elementary and lower secondary school. Prior to 1997, compulsory schooling in Norway began at the age of seven. Because many schools only provide one of the levels, students frequently must change schools when they join lower secondary school and virtually always have to change schools when they reach upper secondary school.

Anything beyond upper secondary school is considered higher education, and it usually lasts three years or longer. A universal university admissions certificate is required for entrance to most higher education institutions (generell studiekompetanse). This can be accomplished by taking general studies in upper secondary school or by following the 23/5 law, which requires a person to be at least 23 years old, have 5 years of combined schooling and work experience, and pass exams in Norwegian, mathematics, natural sciences, English, and social studies. Special electives in second and third grade are also required for some degrees (e.g., maths and physics for engineering studies.)

When there are more applicants than spots available, pupils are sorted according to their grades from high school. Many students retake their upper secondary school examinations in order to improve their scores and gain entry to programs that require a high GPA, such as medicine, law, and engineering.

Higher education is organized into three categories:

Universities that specialize in theoretical disciplines (arts, humanities, and natural science) offer bachelor’s (3-year), master’s (5-year), and doctoral (8-year) degrees. Professional subjects, such as law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and psychology, are also offered at universities, although these are usually conducted as separate departments with little to do with the rest of the university.

University colleges (høgskole) offer a diverse range of educational opportunities, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, engineering degrees, and professional vocations such as teacher and nurse. The grading system is identical to that used at institutions.

Private schools, which tend to specialize in popular areas like business management, marketing, and fine arts, which have limited capacity in public schools. Private schools aren’t looming huge on the horizon, despite the fact that 10% of students in higher education attend private schools, compared to 4% in secondary and 1.5 percent in primary.

The distinction between vocational and non-vocational higher education is not made formally.