Tables regarding applicants for upper secondary education (StatBank tables 13259, 13260, 13261, and 13262) were released on 21 May 2025. The table on applicants to folk high schools (statistikkbanktabell 05336) are postponed indefinitely.
Statistikk innhold
Statistics on
Upper secondary education
The statistics gives number of pupils, apprentices, students and participants in upper secondary education.
Selected figures from these statistics
- Upper secondary educationDownload table as ...Upper secondary education
2025 Change in per cent 2024 - 2025 2021 - 2025 Pupils 208 486 3 5 Apprentices and trainees1 54 552 2 7 Pupils and apprentices and trainees 263 038 3 5 Which Immigrants 43 848 11 13 Norwegian-born 19 387 11 33 1Pupils in vocational training in schools are included Explanation of symbolsDownload table as ... - Pupils, apprentices, trainees in upper secondary education, students and participants in upper secondary education, by age, type of school/institution and gender.Download table as ...Pupils, apprentices, trainees in upper secondary education, students and participants in upper secondary education, by age, type of school/institution and gender.
2025 All ages 0-15 years 16-18 years 19-24 years 25-29 years 30-34 years 35 years or older Total 276 967 201 191 616 54 906 8 417 6 483 15 344 Upper secondary education 208 486 174 177 074 18 345 3 201 2 919 6 773 Apprenticeship training, apprentices1 52 440 0 13 274 28 359 4 003 2 482 4 322 Apprenticeship training, trainees 2 112 0 599 1 299 82 31 101 Other upper secondary education programmes2 1 320 27 169 638 151 86 249 Folk high schools 5 324 0 469 4 754 76 14 11 Employment training 5 780 0 2 460 685 853 3 780 Preparatory course for engineering education 1 505 0 29 1 051 219 98 108 Men 145 023 85 98 287 33 624 4 651 2 872 5 504 Upper secondary education 100 909 70 87 962 8 876 1 280 920 1 801 Apprenticeship training, apprentices1 36 519 0 9 572 20 781 2 720 1 469 1 977 Apprenticeship training, trainees 1 449 0 417 896 55 24 57 Other upper secondary education programmes 394 15 61 193 49 20 56 Folk high schools 2 162 0 245 1 864 45 5 3 Employment training 2 501 0 2 261 335 367 1 536 Preparatory course for engineering education 1 089 0 28 753 167 67 74 Women 131 944 116 93 329 21 282 3 766 3 611 9 840 Upper secondary education 107 577 104 89 112 9 469 1 921 1 999 4 972 Apprenticeship training, apprentices1 15 921 0 3 702 7 578 1 283 1 013 2 345 Apprenticeship training, trainees 663 0 182 403 27 7 44 Other upper secondary education programmes 926 12 108 445 102 66 193 Folk high schools 3 162 0 224 2 890 31 9 8 Employment training 3 279 0 0 199 350 486 2 244 Preparatory course for engineering education 416 0 1 298 52 31 34 1Pupils in vocational training in schools are included 2Because of reorganization of the officer school education in The Norwegian Armed Forces ongoing pupils were not reported for the statistical year 2018. Explanation of symbolsDownload table as ... - Pupils, apprentices and trainees in upper secondary education, by education programs , grade and county of residenceDownload table as ...Pupils, apprentices and trainees in upper secondary education, by education programs , grade and county of residence
2025 Total Programmes for general studies Vocational education programmes Total Total Pupils Pupils Pupils Apprentices Trainees Total 208 486 124 510 83 976 52 440 2 112 Upper secondary level 1 81 938 38 257 43 681 0 0 Upper secondary level 2 68 183 34 181 34 002 0 0 Upper secondary level 3 58 365 52 072 6 293 52 440 2 112 County of residence Viken (2020-2023) 0 0 0 0 0 Oslo - Oslove 23 294 18 578 4 716 2 785 110 Innlandet 13 206 7 096 6 110 3 644 118 Vestfold og Telemark (2020-2023) 0 0 0 0 0 Agder 13 004 6 821 6 183 3 971 203 Rogaland 20 625 11 273 9 352 6 435 217 Vestland 24 406 13 635 10 771 7 350 234 Møre og Romsdal 10 364 5 373 4 991 2 861 91 Trøndelag - Trööndelage 17 980 9 753 8 227 5 367 232 Nordland - Nordlánnda 8 587 4 284 4 303 2 696 64 Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku (2020-2023) 0 0 0 0 0 County not stated 44 44 0 0 0 Explanation of symbolsDownload table as ... - Pupils, apprentices and trainees in upper secondary education, by education programmes /field of study. Percentage of womenDownload table as ...Pupils, apprentices and trainees in upper secondary education, by education programmes /field of study. Percentage of women
2025 Pupils Aprentices/tranees Total Per cent women Total Per cent women Total 208 486 52 54 552 30 General studies 124 047 57 0 . Specialization in general studies 97 249 57 0 . Sports and physical education 13 119 42 0 . Music, dance and drama 5 945 67 0 . Art, design and architecture (Knowledge Promotion Reform from 2016/2017) 3 568 82 0 . Media and communication (Programme for general studies, Knowledge Promotion Reform from 2016/2017) 4 166 61 0 . Vocational education 84 439 44 54 551 30 Building and construction 10 174 10 11 830 11 Design, arts and crafts 0 . 0 . Electrical engineering and computer technology 11 277 8 10 008 8 Healthcare, childhood and youth development 24 246 86 9 090 81 Media and communication (Vocational programme, before 2016) 0 . 0 . Agriculture, fishing and forestry 5 670 53 1 880 38 Restaurant and food processing 3 776 49 2 367 50 Service and transport 0 . 0 . Technological and industrial production 15 511 16 13 046 17 Crafts, design and product development (from 2020/2021) 744 76 287 64 Hairdressing, floral, interior and retail design (from 2020/2021) 2 779 93 1 011 92 Information technology and media production (from 2020/2021) 3 476 16 1 770 14 Sales, service and tourism (from 2020/2021) 6 786 49 3 262 51 Explanation of symbolsDownload table as ... - Pupils , apprentices and trainees in upper secondary education in per cent of registered cohorts 16 -18 years, immigrants and norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by gender. 1 OctoberDownload table as ...Pupils , apprentices and trainees in upper secondary education in per cent of registered cohorts 16 -18 years, immigrants and norwegian-born to immigrant parents, by gender. 1 October1
2025 Pupils, apprentices and trainees Total population Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents Immigrants Norwegian-born to immigrant parents Both sexes 91.8 85.1 79.7 93.0 Males 90.8 83.3 77.3 92.2 Females 92.8 87.2 82.4 93.7 1Pupils in education leading to basic competence, and pupils in vocational training in schools are included Explanation of symbolsDownload table as ... - Pupils in folk high schools, long courses, by gender, age and completed/not completed educationDownload table as ...Pupils in folk high schools, long courses, by gender, age and completed/not completed education
2024-2025 Total Completed Not Completed Total Males Females Total Males Females Total 5 670 5 456 2 209 3 247 214 100 114 Less than 19 years 578 545 283 262 33 17 16 19 years 2 764 2 692 872 1 820 72 27 45 20 years or older 2 328 2 219 1 054 1 165 109 56 53 Explanation of symbolsDownload table as ... - Vocational examination candidates, by category and resultsDownload table as ...Vocational examination candidates, by category and results
Vocational examinations Per cent passed Total Apprentices Practice candidates Pupils1 Total Apprentices Practice candidates Pupils1 2012-2013 23 503 15 367 7 396 740 91 90 94 72 2013-2014 25 065 15 587 8 801 677 93 93 95 75 2014-2015 25 669 15 623 9 206 840 92 92 94 74 2015-2016 26 652 15 655 9 908 1 089 93 92 94 81 2016-2017 27 058 15 839 10 060 1 159 93 93 95 84 2017-2018 27 928 16 612 10 115 1 201 93 93 94 82 2018-2019 29 337 17 771 10 543 1 023 94 94 94 81 2019-2020 28 219 18 556 8 611 1 052 92 92 94 80 2020-2021 31 468 19 377 10 791 1 300 93 92 94 82 2021-2022 30 327 18 615 10 390 1 322 94 94 94 82 2022-2023 32 119 19 486 11 435 1 198 94 95 95 82 2023-2024 31 489 19 781 10 581 1 127 95 95 95 88 2024-2025 33 877 20 834 11 850 1 193 94 95 94 74 1Pupils who have completed vocational examination after training in school. Explanation of symbolsDownload table as ... - Completed educational programmes in upper secondary education, by gender and resultsDownload table as ...Completed educational programmes in upper secondary education, by gender and results1
2024-2025 Total Completed2 Percentage completed Total men Percentage completed, men Total women Percentage completed, women Total3 107 144 94 280 88 52 945 88 54 199 88 Upper secondary education 83 095 71 168 86 42 283 87 40 812 85 [Upper secondary education, advanced course II/certificate 49 218 39 286 80 19 984 78 29 234 81 General studies 46 882 37 363 80 19 494 78 27 388 81 Specialisation in general studies (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 38 565 29 854 77 15 950 75 22 615 79 Sports and physical studies (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 3 978 3 643 92 2 225 89 1 753 95 Music, dance and drama (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 1 747 1 603 92 554 90 1 193 93 Art, design and architecture (Knowledge Promotion Reform from 2016/2017) 1 113 972 87 169 82 944 88 Media and communication (Programme for general studies, Knowledge Promotion Reform from 2016/2017) 1 479 1 291 87 596 84 883 89 Vocational education 2 112 1 721 81 474 83 1 638 81 Design, arts and crafts (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 0 0 . 0 . 0 . Electrical engineering and computer technology (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 17 15 88 17 88 0 . Healthcare, childhood and youth development (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 1 159 900 78 91 69 1 068 78 Media and communication (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 0 0 . 0 . 0 . Agriculture, fishing and forestry (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 936 806 86 366 86 570 86 Not an education programme in the Knowledge Promotion Reform 0 0 . 0 . 0 . Completed apprenticeship examinations 33 877 31 882 94 22 299 95 11 578 93 Vocational education 29 740 27 992 94 20 004 95 9 736 93 Building and construction (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 7 817 7 391 95 6 522 94 1 295 95 Design, arts and crafts (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 0 0 . 0 . 0 . Electrical engineering and computer technology (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 4 216 3 991 95 3 932 95 284 96 Healthcare, childhood and youth development (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 7 722 7 042 91 1 594 92 6 128 91 Media and communication (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 0 0 . 0 . 0 . Agriculture, fishing and forestry (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 972 922 95 681 95 291 94 Restaurant and food (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 1 295 1 199 93 626 91 669 94 Service and transport (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 0 0 . 0 . 0 . Technological and industrial production (The Knowledge Promotion Reform) 7 718 7 447 96 6 649 96 1 069 98 Not an education programme in the Knowledge Promotion Reform 0 0 . 0 . 0 . Folk high schools 5 670 5 456 96 2 309 96 3 361 97 Employment training 16 502 16 502 100 7 402 100 9 100 100 Other upper secondary educational programmes 1 877 1 154 61 951 46 926 78 1All pupils registered at Upper Secondary Advanced course within the period 1.10.-30.09., all apprentices and practice candidates who sat for examinations within the period 1.10.-30.09. and private candidates who passed. 2Completed education means achieved general, vocational certificate or requirements for admission to tertiary education 3Because of reorganization of the officer school education in The Norwegian Armed Forces about half of the data were reporten in the school year 2017/2018. Pupils at Folk high schools for the 2023/2024 cohort were mistakenly registered in the education programme "Specialisation in general studies (The Knowledge Promotion Reform)". This has been corrected to "Not an education programme in the Knowledge Promotion Reform", in line with previous periods. The table for participants in Employment Training for the 2023/2024 cohort included too many participants due to a technical error. The figures were corrected on 21 February 2025. Explanation of symbolsDownload table as ...
About the statistics
The information under «About the statistics» was last updated 11 September 2021.
Enrolled pupils: Pupils, apprentices or trainees registered at an educational institution.
Reform 94: Gives youth from 16 to 19 years old a legalised right to education at the upper secondary level. This right was extended to all from 2000.
The Knowledge Promotion: New reform in upper secondary education. This reform was introduced in autumn 2006 and replaces the Reform 94. The new reform involves a transformation of the contents and structure of upper secondary education.
Course level: This is used to differentiate the three class levels in upper secondary education. The first year: Basic course or level 1, second year: advance course I/level 2 and third year: advance course II/level 3.
General areas of study (Reform 94): Includes courses in general, economic and management studies, music dance and drama, sports and physical education.
Programmes for General Studies (The Knowledge Promotion): Includes courses in specialization in general studies, sports and physical education, music, dance and drama, art, design and architecture and media and communication.
In autumn 2016 media and communication went from being a vocational education programme to a programme for general studies. Pupils who began in autumn 2015 or earlier continue this education.
Vocational areas of study (Reform 94): Includes courses in health and social studies, agriculture, fishing and forestry, arts, crafts and designs, hotel and food processing trades, building and construction trades, technical building, electrical trades, engineering and mechanical trades, chemical and processing trades, woodworking trades, media and communication, sales and service.
Vocational Education Programmes (The Knowledge Promotion): Includes courses in agriculture, fishing and forestry, building and construction, design, arts and crafts, electricity and electronics, healthcare, childhood and youth development, restaurant and food processing, service and transport, technical and industrial production, crafts, design and product development, harirdressing, floral, interior and retail design, information technology and media production and sales, service and tourism.
From the autumn of 2020, a new structure of courses and apprenticeships in vocational education programs was implemented. Design, arts and crafts and service and transport was split up, and replaced by four new education programes (crafts, design and product development, harirdressing, floral, interior and retail design, information technology and media production and sales, service and tourism). Those who startet autumn 2019 or earlier, complete their education according to the old structure. From the autumn of 2020 electricity and electronics was renamed to electrical engineering and computer technology, and technical and industrial production was renamed to technological and industrial production.
Trade and journeyman’s examination: Final examination taken on completion of an apprenticeship at a workplace or upper secondary school. Successful candidates are awarded a trade or journeyman’s certificate entitling them to practice the trade concerned.
Trainee: A person who take a less comprehensive test than the vocational examination.
Skills test: A test at a lower level than the vocational examination, a test in terms of the goals that are established for the training.
Alternative education program: Pupils in alternative curriculum. Former a separate education programme. From fall 2010 pupils in alternative education is primarily reported under the ordinary education programmes where they are connected.
Type of Education: Educational activity is classified by the Norwegian Standard Classification of Education (NUS2000). It groups different types of educations by levels and fields of orientation.
Ownership: Schools are classified into state, county, municipal and private schools.
Social background: Mother or father’s education background. The highest education level of one of the parents defines the pupils social background.
Basic requirements for higher education: Pupils who have completed and passed upper secondary education programme for general studies meet the basic requirements for higher education. Basic requirement can also be gained in vocational education programmes. Occupational skills can be attained normally after two years in school and two years of practical training in an organization (differs in some subject areas). Occupational skills can equally be attained after three years of vocational training, then attaining a certificate. A trainee take a less comprehensive test than the vocational examination, a skills test.
Adults in upper secondary education: This involves both adults in ordinary courses and others in specialised courses for adults.
Completed education: Educational activities completed at an educational institution within a specific period and apprentices and trainees who have taken a vocational examination.
Completed and passed: Among pupils, apprentices and trainees completed education also means that the individual has passed all courses that can lead to a certificate, vocational qualification or skills test. In folk high schools and other education programmes it means the pupil has completed the educational activity and may not have passed.
Municipality of residence: Is based on the registered address as of 1 October the current year.
School residence: Is based on the address of the school or apprenticeship workplace as of 1 October the current year.
Age: Per 31 December the current year.
Immigrants: These are persons born abroad of two foreign-born parents and four foreign-born grandparents. Immigrants emigrated to Norway at some point.
Norwegian-born to immigrant parents: Persons who are born in Norway of two parents born abroad.
Other upper secondary education: Includes pupils in approved private schools. Also, pupils in a few other schools that has approval for economic support to upper secondary education by Lånekassen, and where the schools are not approved by the directorate for education and training.
Labour marked courses: Courses for adults arranged at upper secondary schools on behalf of NAV.
Foundation Course for Engineering Studies: A one-year course that provides the qualifications necessary for admission to and Engineering Bachelor programme in Norway.
Folk high schools: These are independent schools with an integrated goal and usually without a curriculum and normally without examinations.
Long courses in folk high schools: These are courses with a duration between 16.5 and 33 weeks.
Wishes for education programme - Primary wish: Primary wish for education programme fulfilled. Based on the wish-number on the applicants file. Lower wish: Primary wish for education programme not fulfilled, but a lower wish for education programme. Unknown wish: A small percent of the pupils did not apply for upper secondary education through VIGO. This is mainly pupils in adult education and pupils in private schools.
The Norwegian Standard Classification of Education, which was created by Statistics Norway in 1970, groups the educational activity. The standard has been revised; the latest version is from 2000. The type of educational institution is classified by the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (NOS C 182).
Name: Upper secondary education
Topic: Education
Division for Education and Culture Statistics
The statistics provide figures for the county and national level.
Annual.
The statistics is reported to UNESCO, OECD and Eurostat.
All education statistics at Statistics Norway is stored in a proper, standardized manner in consultation with the Data Inspectorate.
The purpose of these statistics is to collect data on all upper secondary education in Norway, as regulated by the Education Act and also other upper secondary education programmes. It is in the public interest to create as accurate data as possible for research and planning. The statistics is individually based, and report each educational activity for each pupil, apprentice and trainee. All educational activities were attached to each person's Personal ID-number. Data on adult applicants and participants reported at individual levels with personal ID-numbers are included in the data. Individualized personal data on education has been collected since 1970.
Important users of the education statistics are public administration, special interest organizations, the media, researchers, business and industry. Key users are among the ministries are, in particular, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs. The statistics is also used by international organizations such as the EU, the OECD and UNESCO.
No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 8 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given in the Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.
Data on upper secondary education is included in the Norwegian National Education Database (NUDB). NUDB collects all statistics on ongoing and completed education from 1974/75 and BHU since 1970 in a common database.
Sections 2-2 and 2-3 and the Ministry of Finance's delegation letter of February 13. February 1990.
Data is delivered in accordance with EU legislation 1925/99 3711/91
The statistics include all pupils, apprentices and trainees registered at upper secondary education under the Education Act and completed education at upper secondary as well as folk high schools, vocational schools (as of 2015, vocational schools are not included), employment training and other upper secondary education programmes. There is also an annual collection of data on adults in specialised courses for adults since 2004.
Within upper secondary education, the counties own administrative data system, VIGO, is the main source as well as special registration systems for adults in the counties. For folk high schools, data on applicants and pupils is sent electronically to Statistics Norway. The various institutions are the source of data of the other areas within upper secondary education. Accredited web-based schools are included from 2012.
Data is collected from administrative registers from the counties main enrolment system, VIGO. The main purpose of VIGO is the management of the enrolment of pupils in upper secondary. The database however contains data on all pupils registered in county upper secondary schools. Data from private upper secondary schools are also reported through VIGO. VIGO also includes vocational education, which are persons in apprenticeship training or trainees, and sit for qualifying examination. The folk high schools report their data to the administration system NAVI. Statistics Norway gather necessary statistics from this server. Statistics Norway also receives data from the Labour Directorate and other upper secondary institutions.
All education data undergo various on-receipt controls. It encompasses deletion of duplicates (units with identical Personal ID-number), a control of correct and valid values for each variable. The data is also recoded so they are comparable. All Personal ID-numbers are checked for errors.
The statistics is based on enumeration of the number registered pupils, apprentices and trainees, completed education or vocational examination or skills test, and adults registered in an educational activity as at 30 September in the reporting year.
The general rule is not to publish data if less than 3 pupils are found within a cell or unit in a table. This is to prevent identification of individuals within the statistics.
Individually based education statistics was collected for the first time in 1974, and has been published annually since then. Most variables are comparable, but some have changed. The Norwegian Standard Classification of Education has been revised to secure comparability over time. Data on trainees was collected for the first time in 2006.
A statistical investigation may be encumbered with various sorts of error. Errors may occur during the collection of data if units being investigated are not identical to the mass of units we aim at describing. Other types of error may occur during the coding the data collected.
Errors in data collected from administrative registers can be caused by uncertainties in the definition of variables and values between those responsible for the registers and others responsible for data collection from the registers.
Other sources of error can be the quality of the personal and school data in the registers or the registration process of data input into the registers. Such errors can affect the quality of the data if the control and revision processes in Statistics Norway are not comprehensive enough.