You can take upper secondary education and training at independent schools that are entitled to public funding. These are schools that are accredited in accordannce with the Private Education Act and offer education/training in accordance with official curricula or those that the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training has determined to be equivalent. These independent schools award final assessment grades and issue certificates.

If you wish to an independent school, you must expect to pay your own school fees. Nevertheless, these schools are limited by law as to how high school fees they can charge.

In independent schools, the principle of free printed and digital teaching aids and digital equipment has been introduced in the same manner as in public upper secondary schools (except for those offering vocational education and training that is not provided by public upper secondary schools).This also applies to the scheme of an equipment grant for pupils with a special admission right as young people. This scheme is administered by the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund. You can read more about this under Finances, residence and transport.

Remember that by being educated at an independent school that follows official curricula or alternative, equivalent ones, you are «spending» your right to three years of upper secondary education and training.

There are also private schools that are not entitled to public funding. This means that being a pupil at this sort of school is often very expensive. Some of these schools offer education and training in accordance with official curricula, but do not award final assessment grades. If you attend a school like this, you must sit examinations in all subjects as an external candidate.

More information on independent schools 

• This is how you apply to independent schools
• Overview of schools
• Programmes at independent schools