Free Tuition Universities in Norway for International Students and How to Apply

Why not find out where and how to study for free in Norway. In Norwegian universities and colleges, 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 may 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. 

Read also; /tuition-free-universities-in-europe/

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). 

Cost of Living

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.

Academic Requirements 

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.

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 programmes 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 programmes

Admission requirements are decided by individual university and University College based on an academic evaluation of the applicants. Applicants for Masters programmes 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 programme 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.

Read also; /top-10-tuition-free-universities-in-the-world/

Tuition fees at the universities in Norway

Tuition fee is free for everyone including international students that are studying in Norway.

Universities in Norway for International Students

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.

Top Universities in Norway; As a thing of Joy to every scholar, 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 Tromsø, 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

Read also; study-in-norway-free-and-low-tuition-universities-cost-of-living-in-norway-and-visa-application-requirements/

Please find below the current list of tuition free universities in Norway for international students.

The information you will see below is to help you for your start. (links to the universities’ websites  are provided copy and search on your address bar)

  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology – http://www.ntnu.edu; NTNU offers all students a distinct advantage over many other universities in Europe and North America: there are no tuition fees here. However, students do need to cover their own living expenses. Furthermore, all international students who are not citizens of EU/EEA/EFTA countries must be able to document that they have enough funding to live in Norway in order to be granted a student visa.Quota Scholarship Scheme
  • Oslo and Akershus University Colloege of Applied Sciences – https://student.hioa.no/en; As a state owned institution HiOA do not charge tuition fees. This applies to both Norwegian and international students. There is a mandatory fee, the semester fee, covering membership in the Student Welfare Organization, use of printers etc. The semester fee is currently NOK660 per semester. If you plan to attend HiOA as an exchange student , you are automatically exempt from any fees.
  • University of Nordland – formerly Bodø University College – http://www.nord.no/en; University of Nordland does not charge tuition fees. However, the Norwegian Government requires that students from outside the European Union (EU) can provide a minimum amount of money to cover living expenses for one academic year in Norway. The current amount of money to be transferred to University of Nordland is NOK 92 500 for the academic year.
  • University of Bergen – http://www.uib.no/education; The only fee to be paid at the University of Bergen is the semester fee to the Student Welfare Organisation (SiB), currently NOK 480. The University of Bergen is a public institution and therefore does not charge tuition fees. This applies both to Norwegian and international students.
  • Bergen University College – http://www.hib.no/en; Bergen University College offers an accommodation guarantee at SiB Student accommodation. This guarantee is only valid if you apply within 1st of May and 1st of November and if your courses start at the beginning of the semester, in August and January.
  • BI Norwegian Business School – http://www.bi.edu; The tuition fee is waived for students from BI’s partner universities who are nominated as an exchange summer programme student by their home university. Students from BI partner universities who are not nominated get a 50% tuition fee reduction. The BI Norwegian Business School offers a number of summer programme scholarships. Scholarships are awarded based on both academic and personal qualifications, as well as financial need. They consist of a full or partial waiver of the tuition fee.
  • The Artic University of Norway – https://en.uit.no/education; There are no tuition fees for international students at UiT, but living costs in Norway are quite high, compared to other European countries. The semester fee is currently NOK 500, approx. 65 US Dollar
  • Hedmark University of Applied Science – http://www.hihm.no/English/Student; Generally all ordinary study programmes at Higher Education Institutions in Norway are tuition free for Norwegian as well as international students.
  • Lillehammer University College – http://www.hil.no/eng/; Application deadlines: May 1 for the fall semester and October 15 for the following spring
  • MF Norwegian School of Theology – http://www.mf.no/en; All international students must arrive in Oslo with adequate funding to pay for student fees, registration fees, accommodation and various living expenses. Apart from a relatively small student fee/ registration fee there is no tuition fee to study at MF.
  • Molde University College – Specialized University in Logistics – http://www.himolde.no/english; International students from countries where a visa is required for entering Norway and the Schengen countries, only need to document a minimum of NOK 90800 per academic year or NOK 45400 per semester to cover for their own living expenses while studying in Norway.
  • Bergen Academy of Art & Design, Norway – http://www.khib.no/english; KHiB is part of the public education system in Norway, which means that students do not pay tuition fees. International students should be prepared to provide funding to cover living expenses and material from their home countries. Application closing dates: MA in Fine Art: 1 February, MA in Design: 2 April.
  • Narvik University College – https://nuc.hin.no/international-office; To obtain entry permit from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration for studying in Norway, NOK 92 500.- (2012) should be deposited in a Norwegian bank account, preferably not later than the 1th of June. This money is supposed to cover living expenses in Norway for one year. Applicants must fulfill all requirements before 1 July. Application deadline is 1st of March.
  • Nesna University College – http://www.hinesna.no/english; The admissions criteria for international students depend on your nationality, as it must correspond to the Norwegian admissions criteria to higher education.

Endeavour to visit the schools’ webpages for deep information. I hope you enjoyed the post?

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