Experience Norway while learning Norwegian. Photo: Torkild Groven, Karmøy folk high school
Is it your dream to learn Norwegian? To experience Norway behind the scenes? To live and learn among Norwegian students?
Folk High Schools are very popular in the Nordic countries but are almost unknown in the rest of the world. Folk high schools are one-year boarding schools offering a variety of exciting non-traditional and non-academic subjects, as well as academic subjects. The idea of folk high schools is learning for life, an opportunity to grow both individually, socially, and academically in small learning communities. All students live on campus in close contact with staff and their fellow students. One important part of the folk high school experience is to form a community, in and out of class.
There are over 80 folk high schools in Norway – from the Svalbard in the north, to Mandal in the south. Some schools are in the major cities but most of them are situated in smaller towns or in the countryside.
The folk high schools do not grant degrees or conduct exams. They are a supplement to the regular education system, with the aim of nurturing «the whole person». You develop knowledge in a subject you will make use of every day for the rest of your life: yourself. By taking away the pressure of grades and exams, you learn to motivate yourself.
The term «folk high school» is a literal translation of the Norwegian word folkehøgskole. However, this translation may give you the wrong idea.
Folk high schools are not «high schools» in the sense of upper secondary school institutions designed to prepare students for college or work through exams. Folk high schools are separate from the rest of Norway’s educational system.
Students can be of any age and can have any level of educational experience. Indeed, these are schools for all people, all «folk«. However, most of the students who attend folk high schools are young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. And in most of the schools, you have to be 18 years old before you start.
Most of our foreign students pick one of the Norwegian language and culture classes. But if you already know some Norwegian–or if you’re a fast learner–you’re welcome to choose one of the other classes that we offer.
The schools are in themselves free, even for foreign students, but you have to pay for room and board and for school trips and things you need for classes. This is all included in a fixed price that you can find in the description for each course.
The international students at our schools are:
Everyone is equally welcome.
If you need a student visa to be able to study in Norway, you should apply now as it might take some time for you to get the visa.
The schools start admitting students for the next school year from November 15th the year before. We don’t have a deadline for our applications but the folk high schools admit students by «first come, first served.» That means that some courses may be filled up early, which again means we recommend that you apply as soon as possible.
Check out all the different classes you can attend at a Norwegian folk high school
Find your folk high school
