Norwegian colleges and universities have been receiving lots of applications from foreign students of late, but it may have as much to do with finances as the quality of courses on offer.
Norway remains one of the few countries in Europe, if not the world, that charges no tuition at its public schools. So even though the cost of living in Norway is high, the lack of school fees can make a college education in Norway a bargain.
At the University of Stavanger, the number of applications from foreign students has outpaced those of Norwegian students, reports newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad.
“Norway will soon be the only country where it’s free to study,” the head of foreign students at the University of Stavanger, Magdalena Brekke, told Stavanger Aftenblad. She noted that Denmark has recently imposed tuition and Sweden is in the process of doing the same.
“In Britain and the US, students have to pay tens of thousands per semester,” Brekke noted. “So clearly Norway is attractive.”
A political debate has emerged over tuition in Norway, especially since schools like the University of Oslo are suffering from budget shortfalls and lack of capacity. A majority in the social welfare state continues to defend the lack of tuition, on the grounds that higher education should be available to all at no cost.
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