How to Get Into a University in Norway as an International Student
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Norway has two routes into a bachelor's degree. Programmes taught in Norwegian go through Samordna opptak (the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service), run by the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir). Most programmes taught in English are applied for directly at the institution, with earlier deadlines.
Our catalogue has 885 full-time bachelor's and integrated programmes in Norway. Only 27 of them are taught in English; for most of the choice you need Norwegian.
Route 1: Samordna opptak, for programmes in Norwegian
Samordna opptak covers undergraduate admission at all public institutions and some private colleges. It says the system is meant mainly for Norwegian citizens and residents; applicants with foreign education who cannot document Norwegian apply directly to the institution.
The dates for the autumn 2026 intake were:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 February | The application portal opens |
| 1 March | Earlier deadline for some groups, such as the Police University College and early admission |
| 15 April | Ordinary deadline for applying and for uploading documents |
| 1 July | Last day to reorder choices and upload spring results |
| 20 July | Offers from the main round |
| 24 July | Last day to accept |
NHH Norwegian School of Economics already gives 1 February to 15 April 2027 as the period for autumn 2027. You can list up to 10 programmes in order of preference. If you get an offer, every choice below it drops out, so rank them as you really want them.
Route 2: applying directly, for programmes in English
Each institution sets its own dates, usually months earlier for applicants from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, to leave time for the study permit. Examples for autumn 2027:
- University of Oslo, Technology Systems: Science and Engineering: applications from 15 October to 1 December 2026.
- NHH, Business, Economics and Data Science: 1 to 15 November 2026 for non-EU/EEA nationals, and 1 January to 15 February 2027 for EU/EEA nationals.
- BI Norwegian Business School, a private school, gives 1 March as the priority deadline for international applicants.
The entry requirement: the GSU list
The general requirement is generell studiekompetanse (Higher Education Entrance Qualification). For foreign certificates, HK-dir's GSU list sets it country by country, and it is binding for bachelor's admission. Examples:
- A German Abitur is enough on its own.
- From India, you need a school certificate plus at least one year (60 ECTS) of university studies.
- From the USA, a high school diploma plus one year of college or three AP exams with grade 3 or better.
Some programmes also have specific requirements, such as mathematics and physics for engineering, or an admission test.
Language requirements
Applicants with education from outside the Nordic countries must document Norwegian for programmes taught in Norwegian. Accepted proof includes:
- Bergenstesten (Test in Norwegian, advanced level), passed in both the written and oral parts. Folkeuniversitetet discontinued it in October 2022: earlier passes still count, and one passed part can be combined with B2 or better in the remaining parts of Norskprøven.
- Norskprøven, HK-dir's Norwegian test, with B2 or C1 in all four skills.
English is required too, unless your country's GSU entry exempts you; Samordna opptak accepts, for example, IELTS Academic 5.0, TOEFL iBT 60, or PTE Academic 51. English-taught programmes usually set higher scores of their own. See IELTS and TOEFL for European universities.
How places are given
When there are more qualified applicants than places, they are ranked by points. School grades become grade points (foreign grades through HK-dir's conversion tables), and points for some science and language subjects, age and other factors are added. Applicants with foreign diplomas compete in the ordinary quota; the other main quota is for young holders of a first Norwegian school diploma.
For many programmes we show the entry score: the points of the last applicant offered a place in the main round. See entry scores in Norway. New rules come in gradually: from 2027, ties are decided by lottery instead of age, and from 2028 most extra points, including age points, are removed.
Step by step
- Choose the language, and with it the route: Samordna opptak or the institution.
- Check your country on the GSU list and each programme's specific requirements.
- Book language tests early and apply by the deadline that applies to you.
- Accept your offer in time. Non-EU/EEA students then apply for a study permit.
Where to look next
- How much it costs to study in Norway
- Student visa for Norway
- Document recognition for Norway
- Student housing in Norway
- All 885 programmes in Norway
Official sources
- Samordna opptak: Information in English: Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service
- Samordna opptak: Tidsfristar: deadlines (in Norwegian)
- HK-dir: The GSU list: requirements by country
- Samordna opptak: Language requirements
- University of Oslo: Technology Systems, admission without Norwegian: an example of direct admission
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.