Universities and colleges - StatRes
About the statistics
1. Administrative information
1.1. Name
Universities and colleges - StatRes
1.2. Subject group
04.02.40 - Universities and colleges
1.3. Frequency and timeliness
Annual
1.4. Regional level
Educational institution
1.5. Responsible division
360 - Division for Education Statistics
1.6. Legal authority
Statistics Act sections 2.2, 2.3 and 3.2.
1.7. Legal document(EU)
Not relevant.
1.8. International reporting
Not relevant.
2. Background and purpose
2.1. Purpose and history
Universities and university colleges are a part of StatRes. The object of StatRes is to present statistics on central government input, to various central government activities, the results of this input in terms of activities and services, and the outcomes of the input. The purpose of such statistics is to give the general public and the authorities improved knowledge of state activities.
The StatRes project was started in 2005 and the first figures were published in October 2007. The development of StatRes takes place in cooperation with the Ministry of Government Administration and Reform, which also is financing parts of the project.
2.2. Users and applications
StatRes’ target group are users of statistics with some knowledge of and interest in central government activities who require on information on resource use, activities, services and outcomes of state activities. Such users could be the general public, the media, politicians, pupils and students. StatRes shall also provide the authorities with information which supplements other information used in the governance of central government activities.
3. Statistics production
3.1. Population
The population includes all state-owned universities and university colleges except military colleges.
3.2. Data sources
Student statistics:
Pursuant to the Statistics Act, Statistics Norway collects student data at individual level from the administrative systems of the various tertiary institutions. The most common administrative systems are M-STAS, which is used primarily by university colleges and FS, which is used primarily by universities. Information provided by the students themselves upon registration at an institution makes up the basis of the statistics. Information on completed doctoral degrees is collected from NIFU STEP.
Credit points:
Since there is no information in type of funding in education statistics in Statistics Norway, credit point figures used in unit costs and other productivity indicators are collected from the Database on Information on Research and Higher Education (DBH).
Publication points:
Figures are collected from the Database on Information on Research and Higher Education (DBH).
Application and entry figures:
Figures are collected from the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS - Samordna opptak).
Input statistics, account figures:
For all universities and university colleges except for the Norwegian Police University College, accounts data are collected from the Database for Information on Research and Higher Education (DBH) which is a database for information about Norwegian universities and university colleges. The system is operated by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD) sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Research (KD).The universities and university colleges submit their accounts in Excel or PDF format to this database, which is publicly available through the home page of NSD (in Norwegian only). For the Norwegian Police University College the source of data is the figures reported by the Norwegian Government Agency for Financial Management (SSŲ) for the Central Government Budgetary Accounts (Report to Stortinget, no. 3).
Man-year statistics:
Register-based employment statistics in Statistics Norway are based on individual register data from several registers. Information related to employees and employment is collected from the Register of Employees (the National Insurance Administration), the End of the Year Certificate Register and the Tax Register (the Directorate of Taxes), and payroll registers. Variables concerning the enterprises, such as industry and institutional sector, are collected from the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises (BoF). Additional information is collected from registers about persons engaged in job creation programmes, maternity payments and cash benefits for parents (the National Insurance Administration), as well as Statistics Norway’s register on doctor-certified sickness absence. The definition of employment is therefore based on a number of different sources. Statistics Norway has developed a system for common utilization of these sources.
3.3. Sampling
Not relevant.
3.4. Collection of data
Student statistics:
Pursuant to the Statistics Act, Statistics Norway collects student data from the administrative systems of the various tertiary institutions.
Credit points containing information about financing, and publication points:
Manual registration of data collected from the DBH.
Application and entry figures:
Manual registration of data from Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS - Samordna opptak).
Input statistics, account figures:
Manual registration of accounts downloaded from the DBH (see 3.2).
Man-years statistics:
Extracts from several registers (see 3.2).
3.5. Control and revision
Student statistics:
Control and revision are carried out on all data received from educational institutions. This includes the deletion of duplicate records, controlling for correct and valid values for each variable and checking for missing information. Several variables are re-coded to comply with control programs run by Statistics Norway. In addition personal ID numbers are checked against Statistics Norway's population database.
Input statistics, account figures:
The coding of the individual accounts is controlled by checking the totals for revenues and expenditures as well as other figures against the unprocessed accounts from the DBH. Figures are also compared to the figures in previous years.
Man-years statistics:
For the three most central registers concerning the production of the statistics, checks and revisions follow this procedure: The National Insurance Administration conducts an annual control of the Register of Employees. Employers using manual reporting, receive lists over all individuals registered with an active employment. Errors are reported to the Social Security offices. Statistics Norway controls that enterprises with more than one establishment have separate numbers for each, and that the employees are registered on the establishment in which they work. This is important in order to ensure correct information about industry and location of the workplace. Statistics Norway also controls the Register of Employees by comparing it with the End of the Year Certificate Register, etc. In connection with StatRes – Universities and university colleges – Statistics Norway conducts an annual control of the population of enterprises, and the grouping of the contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves in groups of positions.
3.6. Estimation
Student statistics:
No estimation is required as the statistics are based on a full count of students, graduates and completed credit points.
Unit costs:
Operating expenditures (and contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves) are measured in relation to 60 credit point units (one year full-time tertiary study equals to 60 credit points), and also in relation to publication points. Because the educational institutions offers with different expenditures, an indicator where the 60 credit point units are adjusted in lines with the rates used in the funding system of universities and university colleges, has been made.
Input statistics, account figures:
Some of the indicators in StatRes cannot be directly retrieved from the accounts of the universities and colleges submitted to DBH, but are calculated on the basis of the figures in the accounts. See section 4.1 for details on the indicators.
Man-years statistics:
Contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves is estimated by Statistics Norway as the number of full-time jobs and part-time jobs calculated as full-time equivalents adjusted for doctor-certified sickness absence and maternity leave. Man-years are estimated as a percentage share of ordinary full-time job (37.5 hours per week). The register information about contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves will not be identical to the actual number of man-years worked, since the statistics does not capture overtime work, self-reported sickness absence, vacations, and other deviations from contracted man-years than maternity leave and doctor-certified sickness absence.
The grouping of the contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves in groups of positions is estimated by Statistics Norway on the bases of the position-/occupation-codes that occur in the population. For definitions of the groups of positions, see section 4.1.
3.7. Confidentiality
The figures are published per educational institution as long as this does not conflict with the Statistics Act or the data quality. To prevent identification of individuals within the statistics the statistics are not published if fewer than three units are the basis for the result.
4. Concepts, variables and classifications
4.1. Definitions of the main concepts and variables
The most central and commonly used terms in StatRes are defined in the document Explanation of terms
Educational institution: University or university college.
Type of institution: Type of educational institution (universities, specialised colleges, state university colleges and other university colleges).
School ownership: Educational institutions are classified as state-owned, county-or municipally owned or privately owned. StatRes only covers universities and university colleges owned by the state.
Student statistics, study credits, publication points, application and admission figures and unit costs:
Registered students: Students registered at an educational institution.
Completed education: An education activity is recognised as completed when the student is awarded a diploma or certificate.
Completed credit points: After passing an examination in a given subject, the student is rewarded a certain amount of credit points. One year full-time study equals 60 credit points.
Educational level: The relevant educational levels of universities and university colleges are: First stage of tertiary education, undergraduate level; first stage of tertiary education, graduate level; and second stage of tertiary education, postgraduate level. The number of registered students may also contain pupils on levels below tertiary education (e.g. post-secondary non-tertiary education).
Education/study: One or more educational courses that are approximately equal with respect to academic content and level. The educational activities are classified in detail in the Norwegian Standard Classification of Education. When publishing official education statistics there is a need for a simplified standard grouping. In tables on through-put in tertiary education in StatRes one such grouping of tertiary qualifications is used.
Publication points: Indicates the extent and quality of scientific publication. Publication points are produced by multiplying the number of author shares, weighted by the combination of publication form and quality (Source: the DBH).
Student places: The number of available student places for studies included in the national admission model (NOM). For open studies at the universities, the number of available student places is an approximate figure (Source: the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS - Samordna opptak)).
Primary applicants: A primary applicant is an applicant who has listed a particular education as his/her first priority on the application form (Source: the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (NUCAS - Samordna opptak)).
Input statistics, account figures:
Operating expenditures: Includes compensation of employees, the use of goods and services, property expenditure, as well as transfers in the form of cash or payment in kind.
Compensation of employees: All the institutions’ outlays as employers, including national insurance contributions and pension premiums. Sick pay reimbursements from the National Insurance Scheme, parental reimbursements, labour market measure reimbursements and apprenticeship reimbursements are deducted from the compensation figures.
Contrary to the other universities and university colleges, the Norwegian Police University College (PH) does not pay pension premiums directly to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK), where the employees are member. These premiums, along with corresponding premiums for a number of other state units, are instead paid through a combined transfer from the state budget to SPK. Since these premiums are not indicated in the accounts of PH, the PH’s accounts show lower expenditures for compensation of employees than what is actually the case. To give a more realistic picture and accommodate comparisons between the institutions, Statistics Norway has therefore added a mark-up of 15 per cent (before employer’s national insurance contributions) to the salary expenses in the PH’s accounts. These 15 per cent correspond to the costs of pension premiums for institutions that pay these directly to the SPK. Such a mark-up is also added in StatRes for other institutions not paying directly to the SPK. In StatRes Universities and Colleges, this is only applicable to the Police University College.
Use of goods and services: Goods and services used for the production of government goods and services, including repair and maintenance expense.
Property expenditure: Includes interest payments.
Gross acquisition of non-financial assets: Acquisition less disposals of non-financial assets (e.g. buildings, structures and land).
Depreciation: Distribution of the investment cost of assets over their economic life. This is applicable to operating equipment such as fixed assets as well as immaterial rights, while depreciation of assets with an unlimited economic life such as land does not take place. The annual depreciation is indicated as a cost in the accounts. In StatRes, depreciation is not included in the operating expenditure concept, but the figures are provided as additional information.
Opportunity cost (of capital): Corresponds to the potential income for the Government from alternative uses of their capital, i.e. the implicit cost for the Government caused by the tying up of this capital in the various assets of the universities. Opportunity cost is not included in the operating expenditure concept.
Revenue: Revenue includes transfers from the Ministry of Education and Research (KD) and other ministries, external financing from the Research Council of Norway (NFR), the EU and others, commission revenue, other revenue including sale of goods and services, and property revenue. The main part of the transfers to the institutions comes from KD, with the exception of the Norwegian Police University College where transfers come from the Ministry of Justice and the Police (JD).
Note that the figures for transfers in StatRes differ slightly from those in the institutions’ own accounts. This is because the institutions follow the accrual principle and distribute also the transfers related to investments in assets over their economic lifespan (see the discussion of depreciation above). In the accounts, this is done by subtracting the figure for gross acquisition of non-financial assets from the figures for transfers, and at the same time adding a figure for “Postponed income related to investment (depreciation)” which balances the annual depreciations. In StatRes, however, the unadjusted transfer figures are used.
Property revenue: Includes income from interest and share dividends.
Man-years statistics:
Contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves: The number of contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves is estimated by Statistics Norway as the number of full-time jobs and part-time jobs calculated as full-time equivalents adjusted for doctor-certified sickness absence and maternity leave. Man-years are estimated as a percentage share of ordinary full-time job (37.5 hours per week). See section 3.6 Estimation.
Teaching-, research- and dissemination-positions: The definition of “Teaching-, research- and dissemination-positions” is identical to the definition used by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD) in their Database for Information on Research and Higher Education, but Statistics Norway and NSD count the man-years in different ways and use different data sources (see point 6.2 Coherence with other statistics).
The contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves are distributed on groups of positions partly according to the Standard Classification of Occupations (STYRK98), and partly according to position-codes of the State's Central Register on Civil Servants (SST). The contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves are distributed on two main groups of positions:
- Teaching-, research-, and dissemination-positions.
- Administrative- and support-positions.
Within the main group Teaching-, research-, and dissemination-positions, Statistics Norway has defined four subgroups of positions:
1) ”Positions that require competence for an associate professorship”
2) ”Research positions”
3) ”Recruitment positions”
4) ”Teaching positions and others”
4.2. Standard classifications
Educational institutions are classified as being tertiary by the Standard Industrial Classification.
Student statistics, study credits, publication points, application and admission figures and unit costs:
Educational activities: Educational activities are grouped by the Norwegian Standard Classification of Education, which was compiled in 1970 by Statistics Norway and revised in 1973, 1989 and 2000.
Input statistics, account figures:
Revenues and expenditures: The institutions’ accounts are processed for use in National Accounts, following international guidelines. Revenues and expenditures are classified into main groups according to whether the transactions are based on operations or investments. Expenses are also classified according to their main function. Classification of transactions by function is according to the United Nations' Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG). All expenditures in Universities and colleges- StatRes are assigned to COFOG 0941, First stage of tertiary education.
Man-years statistics:
Groups of positions: The contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves are distributed on groups of positions (see 4.1) partly according to the Standard Classification of Occupations (STYRK98), and partly according to position-codes of the State's Central Register on Civil Servants (SST).
5. Sources of error and uncertainty
5.1. Measurement and processing errors
Student statistics:
It is difficult to estimate the extent to which errors occur in student registers. A person may be incorrectly registered as a student, particularly at institutions that use a different enumeration date than Statistics Norway (1 October). Over-estimation of student numbers is common at Norway's universities as the registration occurs upon payment of the registration fee, not enrolment in subjects. Students may also remain in the registration system after they have completed their studies. Furthermore, the students may provide inaccurate information or personnel responsible for the registers may make errors during data input or use variables incorrectly.
Inaccuracies in graduation statistics may occur when students are defined as meeting the requirements for completing a degree. The reporting of combined bachelor degrees is a problem at several institutions because these degrees do not have a set curriculum and are only registered as complete when a diploma is issued. In many cases, this occurs some time after the students actually completed their degree, for example in the following study year as defined by Statistics Norway (1 Oct.-30 Sept.).
There are inconsistent practices by the institutions with regard to registration of credit points. It appears that for certain courses, some institutions do not register completed credit points at the end of each year, but at the end of the final year. This means that students are registered with zero credit points for the first two or three years and 180 or 240 credit points in their final year.
Incorrect registration of student data and delayed registration of graduates result in lower throughput figures.
Input statistics, account figures:
The institutions may classify revenues and expenditures wrongly in their accounts, transactions may be omitted and/or be registered wrongly and registered transactions may be invalid or fictitious. However, the prevalence of such errors is probably rather low due to strict demands concerning accounting, including independent external revision.
The figures for depreciation and opportunity cost of capital are based on values indicated in the balance sheets of the institutions. I 2007 these values were too low due to the fact that many assets had not been included. Therefore, the published figures for depreciation and opportunity cost of capital are too low.
Statistics Norway may also make errors in processing and in the classification of revenues and expenditures according to type and function; however, the figures are checked against the accounts of the institutions.
Man-years statistics:
See section 5.4 Other sources of error.
5.2 Non-response errors
Not relevant.
5.3. Sampling errors
Not relevant.
5.4. Other sources of error
Man-years statistics:
The data quality concerning minor and sporadic employment will be poorer than the quality concerning employees registered in the Register of employees. For persons who are identified as employees on the bases of the End of the Year Certificate Register, the employment is not dated precisely. This is the case for 4.2 percent of the contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves in the StatRes-population in 2006. About half of these undated contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves, can however be dated based on information from other registers. For the remaining undated contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves, information about salary-size is used as a criteria for defining whether the person is employed or not. Accordingly, there is some uncertainty about whether the persons who are included from the End of the Year Certificate Register, actually were working in the enterprise at the time (the third week in November).
There are also some missing-values on position/occupation. Contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves that are included from the End of the Year Certificate Register, does not have information about position/occupation, but for some of these such information can be found in the State’s central Register on Civil Servants (SST). In addition there are also some missing-values on position/occupation in the Register of Employees. In the StatRes-population in 2008 4,6 percent of the contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves have missing values on position/occupation. In 2007 this percentage is 6,4, in 2006 5.9, in 2005 6.5 and in 2004 8.2 percent. This is a source of error when the contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves are to be distributed on groups of positions. Enterprises where the share of missing-values exeeds 10 percent of the contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves, are therefore excluded from publishing on these StatRes indicators, due to poor data quality. 1 entreprise is excluded for this reason in 2008, 6 enterprises in 2007, 5 in 2006 and 2005, and 16 enterprises in 2004.
6. Comparability and coherence
6.1. Comparability over time and space
Some of the figures which form the basis for the figures in StatRes (student and account figures) have a long time series, and are comparable with figures going back several years. In StatRes, however, figures are included back to 2004.
Input statistics, account figures:
There may be changes in the classification of revenues and expenditures in the accounts of the institutions over time. One important example is the choice between classifying purchases of equipment as operating expenditure or investment. The introduction of the accruals principle has in some cases led to some smaller purchases of equipment which were formerly classified as operating expenditure, now being classified as investments and indicated in the balance sheet. Such changes may make the figures for consecutive years less comparable. There may also be partly different practices among institutions within a given year, especially if they have to a different extent completed the work of implementing the accrual principle.
6.2. Coherence with other statistics
Other figures for universities and university colleges are also published, or statistics where universities and university colleges are part of the population. In StatRes, the population is delimited by the central government (state-owned educational institutions). At the same time statistics and indicators are presented in an overall system with the objective of presenting statistics on central government input, to various central government activities, the results of this in put in terms of activities and services, and the outcomes of the input. This way of delimiting, linking, adaptating and presenting data and statistics distinguishes StatRes from other official statistics concerning central government and central government activity.
Student statistics:
Figures on tertiary education (irrespective of school ownership) are presented under Education statistics, universities and colleges. These statistics include students, degrees, credit point production and throughput of students.
Due to lack of information on funding of the different studies, some credit point figures are collected from the DBH (in Norwegian only). These figures are used in the unit costs. The DBH also publishes other figures concerning state-owned and private educational institutions funded by the Ministry of Education and Research. The universities and university colleges are the source of these figures, but as opposed to Statistic Norway’s figures, the DBH statistics are not individual-based.
Input statistics, account figures:
The statistics are based on the international standards for National Accounts: System of National Accounts (the UN a.o.) and European System of Accounts (the EU), plus the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) A Manual on Government Finance Statistics. In certain cases the standards have however been disregarded in order to give a more accurate picture of the use of resources. No corresponding short-term statistics are disseminated, but the Central Government's revenues and expenditures are disseminated quarterly according to the Ministry of Finance's own table in the statistics Central Government fiscal account, revenue and expenditure.
In principle the statistics are incorporated directly into the National Accounts, with certain exceptions as indicated above. Central government's revenues and expenditures can be found in various tables for the Central government in the institutional accounts of the National Accounts.
Man-years statistics:
Statistics Norway does not publish any particular statistics on personnel in universities and colleges today. Until 2003, Statistics Norway published statistics on teachers in universities and colleges, based on information from the States Central Register,on Civil Servants. The teacher-statistics differs from StatRes-Universities and colleges in two respects. Firstly, the teacher-statistics included only teachers and administrative personnel that normally are teachers (headmasters, teaching inspectors and such). Accordingly, the teacher-statistics excluded administrative and support positions that are included in StatRes. All kinds of personnel are included in StatRes. Secondly, the teacher-statistics counted contracted man-years, whereas StatRes count contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves (see section 3.6 Estimation).
Statistics Norway’s ordinary register-based employment statistics also covers industry 80.3 Higher education. However, the employment statistics does not count the number of contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves, but the number of employed persons in main positions. The employment statistics and StatRes are therefore not comparable. In addition, StatRes also differs in the following respects:
1) employed persons older than 74 are included,
2) employed persons who are not registered as residents in Norway are included, and
3) all positions of a person are included, not only the persons main position.
The Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD) publishes statistics on personnel in universities and colleges in their Database for Information on Higher Education and Research DBH (in Norwegian only). DBH and StatRes are not comparable, for several reasons. Firstly, StatRes is based on information from several registers, whereas DBH is based on self-reported information from the enterprises to DBH. Secondly, StatRes counts contracted man-years adjusted for long term leaves (see section 3.6 Estimation), whereas DBH counts contracted man-years. Thirdly, DBH excludes all hourly paid personnel, whereas some of these are included in StatRes.
7. Availability
7.1. Publications and other links
Not relevant.
7.2. Microdata
The microdata used in StatRes (student, accounts and man-year data) are stored in a standardised manner as recommended by the Norwegian Data Inspectorate.
