15557_not-searchable
/en/utdanning/statistikker/utniv/arkiv
15557
One in four have a tertiary education
statistikk
2006-09-14T10:00:00.000Z
Education;Immigration and immigrants
en
utniv, Educational attainment of the population, educational attainment (primary and lower secondary school, upper secondary school), university college/university), educationLevel of education, Education, Immigration and immigrants, Education
false

Educational attainment of the population1 October 2005

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One in four have a tertiary education

Around 25 per cent of the Norwegian population aged 16 years and over have a tertiary level education. 44 per cent have completed upper secondary school, while 32 per cent have lower secondary school as their highest completed level of education.

Residents of Oslo are amongst the countries most educated, with 40 per cent of the nations capital holding tertiary degrees and 13 per cent holding postgraduate degrees. It should be noted, however, that Oslo has a relatively large proportion of residents with unknown education level. These people are primarily immigrants who completed their education outside of Norway. The counties Rogaland, Hordaland, South-Trondelag and Troms, where Norway's universities are located, have average or above average proportions of residents with a tertiary education. Inland counties Hedmark, Oppland and Nordland lie at the bottom end of the scale with just 18-19 per cent of residents having completed higher education.

More women than men have a tertiary education

26 per cent of women in Norway have a tertiary education, compared with 24 per cent of men. The proportion of men who have completed a postgraduate degree, however, is almost double that for women. This gender difference is most apparent amongst men and women aged 50 years and over. More women than men have lower secondary school as their highest completed education, while the opposite trend is apparent at the upper secondary school level.

Almost half the women aged 25 to 29 years have completed a tertiary degree, compared with under one third of men of the same age. 9 per cent of men aged 30 to 39 years have postgraduate degrees. Over 50 per cent of women and 39 per cent of men aged 67 years and over have not gone beyond lower secondary school.

International guidelines

The figures for 2005 are based on new definitions for what is required to attain each level of education in Norway. The main effect has been to raise the demands for attaining upper secondary and tertiary education. These new definitions are more in line with international guidelines for level of education, thereby improving the compatibility of Norway's figures with other countries. For more information, refer to 'About the Statistics', sections 4.2 and 6.1.

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