Tuition fees

From the autumn semester of 2023, students from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland must pay tuition fees.

The Norwegian government has decided that students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland must pay tuition fees.

Please note that the tuition fees come in addition to the documentation of financial stability required by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration to qualify for a residence permit. All students must also pay the semester fee.

If you have received and accepted an offer of admission at USN, and have not received an invoice, you need to contact us. Remember to state your application number in the e-mail.

How much are the fees?

Not all our programs are listed on this page, so if you cannot find your programme in the list below, please contact us for more information.The fees will range from NOK 120 000 for courses in category E+F, with fees for Master's degrees starting at 170 000. Here you can also find more information about the different categories to which each study program belongs (only in Norwegian).

Below, you will find the amount for a selection of our study programs and the amounts listed are correct for students starting in August 2024.

NOK 120 000 per year (category E+F)

  • Blues, one year programme
  • Norwegian Folk Music, one year programme

NOK 170 000 per year (category D)

  • MSc in Innovation and Technology Management
  • Master of Sustainability Management
  • MSc in Human Rights and Multiculturalism
  • Nordic Master in Friluftsliv Studies

NOK 240 000 per year (category C)

  • MSc in Electrical Power Engineering
  • MSc in Ecology and Environmental Management
  • MSc in Energy and Environmental Technology
  • MSc in Digital Transformation
  • MSc in Industrial IT and Automation
  • MSc in Maritime Management
  • MSc in Micro and Nano Systems Technology
  • MSc in Process Technology
  • MSc in Computer Science

Reimbursment

If you pay and later cannot come due to not receiving your student permit in time (or documented illness/injury), we will refund the tuition fees except a small banking fee.  

Guidelines on reimbursement of tuition fees for international students from outside the EEA and Switzerland

Additional fee when longer time is required for completion of degree/study programme

If a student is given an extra semester to complete studies, additional tuition fees must be paid:

  • No fee if completion is within the next semester registration deadline (1 February or 1 September).
  • Students with valid absence or who do not pass an exam, is exempted from paying tuition fees for that exam in the following semester.
  • Fees are based on the full one-year amount of the programme, at that time, and the amount of credits to be taken (i.e. a fourth of the amount if 15 credits is lacking) 
  • Half a semester’s tuition fee if granted a later deadline (within the following semester) for the master thesis.
  • The information above is not relevant when the student is granted a leave of absence, as this qualifies for not paying fees that semester (see guidelines for reimbursement).
  • Fees must be paid if the student has an exam during leave of absence.
  • Improvement of grades after the study period also requires payment of additional tuition fees.

 Note: Fees must be paid also if a student has an exchange semester abroad.

Exemptions

Submit exemptions form

  • Exchange students will not have to pay tuition fees. The process for exchange students is the same as before.
  • PhD-students will not have to pay tuition fees.

You are also exempted if:

  • You have been granted a scholarship from a project funded through a cooperation programme aimed at the Global South (e.g. NORHED II and Norpart)
  • You have been granted a scholarship at USN through the Students at Risk programme
  • You are a student on an Erasmus Mundus Joint programme (Smart Systems Integrated Solutions)

In addition, some applicants may be exempt from paying tuition fees. These exemptions are subject to change.

You may be exempt if one of the following applies to you and please use this form to apply for exemption: Submit exemptions form

You are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are a citizen from one of the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

If you have uploaded a copy of your passport in the application, you are automatically exempt and do not need to apply for an exemption.

You have a permanent residence permit

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have permanent residence permit in Norway.

Documentation requirements:

  • Copy of your passport or national ID card, and
  • Copy of your residence card, and
  • Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
You have a residence permit due to protection (asylum)

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have residence (asylum) in Norway due to protection, strong humanitarian considerations or a special connection to Norway.

Documentation requirements: 

  • Copy of your passport or national ID card, and 
  • Copy of your residence card, and 
  • Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
You have a residence permit as family member of an EU/EEA citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a residence permit as family member of an EU/EEA citizen. The EU/EEA citizen must have grounds for residence in Norway other than studying.

Documentation requirements: 

  • Copy of your passport or national ID card, and 
  • Copy of your residence card, and
  • Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), and
  • Copy of the registration certificate for your family member
You are cohabiting and have children with a Norwegian citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are cohabiting and have children with a Norwegian citizen. Both you and your cohabiting person must live in Norway.

Documentation requirements: 

  • Copy of your passport or national ID card, and
  • Copy of your residence card, and
  • Copy of the residence certificate (bostedsattest) for you, your cohabitating partner and your child, and
  • Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
You are married to a Norwegian citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are married to a Norwegian citizen. Both you and your spouse must live in Norway. 

Documentation requirements:

  • Copy of your passport or national ID card, and 
  • Copy of your residence card, and 
  • Copy of your marriage certificate from the Norwegian Tax Administration or from the foreign authority who officiated the wedding, and
  • Copy of the residence certificate (bostedsattest) for you and your spouse/legal partner, and
  • Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
You have worked in Norway for at least two years full-time

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have had continuous full-time work in Norway, have been resident in and paid tax to Norway during a qualifying period of at least 24 months.

You must have had a residence permit as an employee during the earning period. There must be no break during the accrual period or between the accrual period and further studies. However, exceptions can be made for stays of up to 1 year in the event of illness or childbirth.

Stays due to ordinary five-week holidays per year will be accepted as part of the accrual period of 24 months.

Au-pair work is not considered full-time employment and does therefore not give exemptions from paying tuition fees.

Documentation requirements: 

  • Copy of your passport or national ID card, and 
  • Copy of your residence card, and 
  • Confirmation(s) from employer(s) showing that you have had continuous full-time employment in Norway for at least 24 months immediately prior to commencing the study programme (start and finish dates). The confirmation(s) must show the role percentage and start and finish dates of the employment. An employment contract is not considered sufficient documentation, and
  • Documentation showing that you have paid tax in Norway for the last 24 months immediately prior to commencing studies. This could include copies of the tax return, payslips or corresponding documentation, and
  • Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
You are a UK citizen and came to Norway before 1 January 2021

During a transitional period that lasted until 2020, the United Kingdom was to be treated as if it were still a member of the EU and the EEA.

If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom, who was entitled to reside in Norway in accordance with the EEA agreement before the end of the transition period (31.12.2020), you are exempt to pay tuition fees. You must also have stayed in Norway.

If you came to Norway on 1 January 2021 or later, you are not exempt from the tuition fees.

Documentation requirements: 

  • Copy of your passport or national ID card, and 
  • Copy of your registration certificate
You have studied in Norway for minimum three years full-time

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you during an accrual period of at least 36 months have lived in and been in education in Norway and passed education equivalent to 3 years of full-time education.

There must be no gap during the accrual period or between the accrual period and further studies. However, exceptions can be made for stays of up to 1 year in the event of illness or childbirth.

During the qualifying period, you cannot have received loans or grants for education from Lånekassen, public support schemes in other countries (e.g. Centrala studiestödsnämnden and Uddannelsesstyrelsen), or from Norwegian public support schemes for development, e.g. Norad, the Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Education (NUFU), the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED).

Documentation requirements:

  • Copy of your passport or national ID card, and
  • Copy of your residence card, and 
  • Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), and
  • Copy of transcripts of records or diplomas for education completed in Norway
You have a residence permit due to family immigration

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a residence permit due to family immigration. The person with whom you have been reunited must either be a Norwegian citizen or a foreign national with a reason for residence in Norway other than studying.

Furthermore, you do not have to pay tuition fees if you have gained a continued residence permit on an independent basis due to the Norwegian immigration act § 53.

Documentation requirements:

  • Copy of your passport or national ID card, and
  • Copy of your residence card, and
  • Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), and
  • Copy of the residence card or registration certificate for your family member