Høgskoler

Høgskoler are a category of higher education institutions in Norway that provide professional, practice-oriented education. They are typically public or private entities that primarily offer bachelor’s degree programs and engage in applied research, with strong links to industry, public services, and local communities. Historically, høgskoler focused on professional training and did not award doctoral degrees; universities traditionally carried the scope of advanced research and doctoral education. In recent decades, many høgskoler have expanded their offerings to include master’s programs and have increased their research activity, sometimes through partnerships with universities or research institutions.

The governance and quality of høgskoler are overseen within the Norwegian higher education system. They operate under national legislation and policy, and quality assurance is monitored by NOKUT, the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education, which conducts accreditation and evaluation processes. Funding generally comes from the state, and institutions may also rely on regional or private sources.

Høgskoler are distributed across Norway and commonly specialize in fields such as teacher education, health sciences, technology, social sciences, design and arts, business, and humanities. They emphasize applied knowledge, professional competence, and shorter paths into and within the workforce, while also offering opportunities for further study and lifelong learning.

In recent years, the higher education landscape in Norway has seen mergers and reclassifications, with some institutions evolving into universities or university colleges that bear similar roles. The term høgskole remains widely used to describe practitioner-focused institutions that complement more research-intensive universities, and in many contexts is translated as university college.