List of universities in Norway

This list of universities in Norway presents the country's universities, giving their locations, ownership, and years of establishment.

Denmark-Norway only had one university, the University of Copenhagen. In 1811 the Royal Frederick's University (now the University of Oslo) was established, based on the traditions and curriculum of the University of Copenhagen and effectively as a Norwegian successor institution. It remains the country's highest ranked university, and was Norway's only university until 1946. In the postwar era the University of Bergen, the University of Trondheim (now NTNU) and the University of Tromsø were founded. These universities are known as the "old universities".

Norway also has a number of university colleges, that are traditionally focused on vocational programs such as nursing or teacher education. Several of these colleges have received university status in recent years, and are referred to as "new universities," in contrast to the "old universities."

Most of the university colleges were created in 1994, following the university college reform. The University of Tromsø is the world's northernmost. Schools with an asterisk (*) have been created as the result of a merger.

Universities
Universities have the right to establish study programmes at all levels and all subjects.

Specialized universities
In the Norwegian education system, a specialized university is an educational institution at university level within narrower subject areas, with the same type of responsibilities and powers for education, research and research training. Specialized Universities can accredit study programmes at bachelor’s degree level in all subject areas. They can also accredit study programmes at all levels in subjects in which they have been granted the right to award doctoral degrees.

University colleges / Universities of applied sciences
University colleges / Universities of applied sciences can accredit study programmes at bachelor’s degree level in all subject areas. They can also accredit study programmes at all levels in subjects in which they have been granted the right to award doctoral degrees.

University colleges with accredited study programs
The following list includes colleges with accredited study programmes, i.e. institutions which are not designated as higher education institutions as such, but which have been accredited for one (or more) studies at higher education level. An institution can, for example, have a bachelor's degree in a spesific study accredited by NOKUT without the institution itself being accredited at that level. Institutions with accredited study programs can use the designation "university college", even if they do not have institutional college accreditation. They also fall under the Universities and Colleges Act, and can use the protected title of professor.