Norway is the country that takes higher education to a unique international level. Most of the Norwegian public universities don’t charge any tuition fees. This applies to all international students, regardless of their country of origin.
Studying abroad in Norway will be a challenging but rewarding experience. It will lead to a valuable academic degree, which will be a remarkable addition to your CV.
To make it easier for you, we made a quick guide with everything you should know about the costs of studying and living in Norway.
Tuition fees in Norway for international students
In Norway, most public universities don’t charge tuition fees. This is valid for undergraduate degree courses, Master’s programmes and PhDs, and for students from all countries, regardless if they are members of the EU/EEA or not.
- There is only a student union fee that has to be paid in full, which is between 30 – 60 EUR/semester.
Private universities charge tuition fees, and they vary between:
- 7,000 – 9,000 EUR/year for Bachelor’s programmes
- 9,000 – 19,000 EUR/year for Master’s programmes
Some of the universities you should definitively check out in Norway are:
- University of Oslo
- University of Bergen
- BI Norwegian Business School
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
- NHH Norwegian School of Economics
Here is a list with more tuition-free universities in Norway:
- UIT the Arctic University of Norway
- University of Stavanger
- University of South-Eastern Norway
- The Oslo School of Architecture and Design
Costs of living in Norway for international students
Attending a university in Norway involves living costs comprised of accommodation, books and other study materials, food and utilities. Although the living costs per month can be above average European nations, they are still some of the best for a Nordic country. And, as a bonus, the Norwegian standard of living and quality of life is very high.
On average, you can expect to pay anywhere between 800 – 1,400 EUR/month to live in Norway. Expenses can be much higher in large cities. Here are some of the costs of living you can expect to pay in cities like:
- Oslo: 1,200 – 2,000 EUR
- Bergen: 1,100 – 1,800 EUR
- Tromso and Trondheim: 1,000 – 1,600 EUR
- Other smaller cities in Norway usually have an average monthly living cost of 800 – 1,000 EUR.
Accommodation costs
Students in Norway pay around 36% out of the total living costs on accommodation. The most popular options are student housing and renting/sharing an apartment. In general, you can pay anywhere between 300 – 700 EUR/month. Prices vary a lot depending on the city in which you live, how close you are to the city centre, and whether you live alone or with other students.
Food costs in Norway and inexpensive shopping
You will usually spend between 250 – 400 EUR/month on food. You can save some money by learning how to cook and buying from grocery stores that sometimes offer discounts or from accessible supermarkets, such as Rema 1000, Rimi, Kiwi, Bunnpris, Meny, Ultra, and Ica.
If you plan an evening out, you will spend 20 EUR in an inexpensive restaurant and 70 EUR in a mid-range one, for a meal for two. If you also want to drink something light, you will spend an extra 4 EUR. Beer is usually around 8 EUR.
Transportation costs
In Norway, 41% of the students use public transportation and use their discounts provided by the university student card. The total cost of a monthly transport pass is between 55 and 72 EUR. Here are other transportation options:
Taxis: the starting price is 10 EUR and 1.5 EUR/kilometre
Bike rental: between 12 – 25 EUR/day
Extra costs
During your studies, you will need books, magazines, and other materials for your courses and research. These usually reach around 50 EUR/month, but you can also buy used books from libraries and second-hand shops to save some money. For social activities, you should prepare around 50 – 120 EUR/month.
