Universitetet i Innlandet

About Universitetet i Innlandet

The present institution dates from 1 January 2017, when the Norwegian government combined Høgskolen i Lillehammer and Høgskolen i Hedmark as Høgskolen i Innlandet. It became Universitetet i Innlandet on 8 November 2024 after receiving university status. The change represents institutional continuity: it did not close or cease accepting students. Its English branding may still appear in older documents as Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences or INN University. This is a geographically distributed institution. Its 2022 university application identified principal study sites at Lillehammer, Hamar, Elverum, Rena, Evenstad, and Blæstad, with additional activity elsewhere. The database record’s Lillehammer location should consequently be read as a campus association, not the university’s only location. Applicants need to inspect each programme page for its campus, delivery format, attendance requirements, and language. The university combines professionally oriented education with academic and doctoral activity. Its portfolio spans health and social care, educational sciences, business and administration, social sciences, film and audiovisual fields, applied ecology, agriculture, and biotechnology. The Lillehammer site has particularly substantial activity in business and social sciences, health and welfare, education, and film-related disciplines. The institution’s public status and degree-awarding authority are established by Norwegian government and regulatory sources. NOKUT’s periodic supervision report published in 2026 concluded that the university’s systematic quality work met all applicable requirements, providing current evidence that it remains an operating, regulated higher-education institution.

Admission depends on degree level, teaching language, prior education, and the particular programme. For bachelor’s study, Norway’s basic academic requirement is the Higher Education Entrance Qualification, known as GSU. Applicants educated outside Norway must consult the country-specific GSU list. Additional academic, artistic, or other programme requirements may apply. Norwegian-taught undergraduate programmes generally use the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service, while admission to English-taught bachelor’s programmes is handled through the institution’s own system. For master’s admission, national guidance normally requires a recognized undergraduate degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree of 180 ECTS, including substantial prior study in a relevant subject. A programme may also impose a minimum grade average or specific prerequisite courses. Applicants to English-taught study must document English proficiency at the level set by the institution. The university’s regulations provide for programme-specific admission requirements and separate language rules for English-language options. No single deadline should be applied across the university. The institution may set deadlines for locally administered admissions, while nationally coordinated programmes follow the relevant national cycle. International applicants can face earlier document, financing, tuition, or immigration steps. Applicants should use the live programme page for the 2026/2027 intake to confirm the application portal, deadline, required documents, teaching language, campus, and any portfolio, audition, work-experience, or subject-specific conditions. The database’s institution-wide English-language label should not be treated as proof that a chosen programme is taught in English.

Norwegian regulations authorize Universitetet i Innlandet to award bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees. The university’s academic scope is broad, but subjects and degree levels are distributed across campuses. Its university application describes work in health and social sciences, educational sciences, economics and administration, media and film, applied ecology, agriculture, and biotechnology. Prospective students should filter choices by campus before comparing curricula because a subject appearing in the university-wide portfolio may not be taught in Lillehammer. At Lillehammer, documented areas include business and social sciences, health and welfare, pedagogy and special education, and film and audiovisual education. Older institutional planning material identifies Lillehammer as particularly known for film and television while noting that larger groups of students studied health and social sciences, economics, social sciences, and education. This mix can suit students seeking either professionally directed study or research-based progression, but individual programme structures, placement requirements, and teaching modes must be checked in the current programme description. Language also requires programme-level verification. The database describes the institution as English-taught, but official Norwegian guidance says most bachelor’s programmes nationally are taught in Norwegian, while some English-taught options exist. The university’s admission rules permit the Norwegian-language requirement to be waived for English-language programmes and allow separate English-proficiency standards for English-taught graduate study. That does not mean every Lillehammer degree is available in English. Applicants should rely on the current programme page for teaching language, prerequisites, selection rules, and whether admission is handled nationally or through the university.

Key Highlights

• Public Norwegian university with institutional roots in a 2017 merger
• University status and current name effective 8 November 2024
• Multi-campus institution; Lillehammer is one study location, not a separate university
• NOKUT found its systematic quality work compliant in 2026

Student Life & Environment

Student life in Lillehammer is supported by Studentsamskipnaden i Innlandet, the regional student welfare organization commonly known as SINN. Its services include student housing and campus-related welfare provision. SINN reports more than 1,000 student housing units in Lillehammer. Options include residences at Storhove, approximately 100 metres from the Lillehammer campus, as well as housing in more central locations. Availability is competitive rather than guaranteed. Housing applications can be submitted before an applicant has received an admission decision. SINN says allocations for the autumn semester begin continuously from mid-April and generally follow a first-come, first-served approach, making an early application practical. Published housing guidance says maintenance, electricity, heating, shared laundry access, and internet are included in rent. Students needing an accessible unit are advised to apply early, preferably before March. The university’s distributed structure means that student organizations, events, facilities, and everyday routines differ by campus. Lillehammer students should evaluate whether they prefer accommodation near Storhove for a short campus journey or a more central residence with a longer commute. Applicants should also budget independently of housing availability: welfare housing may be less expensive than the private market, but an application does not ensure an offer. Current rent should be checked for the exact unit because SINN publishes prices by housing type rather than one university-wide rate.

Location & Surroundings

The Lillehammer study site is at Storhove, north of Lillehammer’s centre. Institutional planning documents place it roughly five to six kilometres from the city centre. The site developed around facilities associated with the 1994 Winter Olympics: the former press and media centre was adapted for higher-education use, alongside older buildings connected to the property’s earlier educational history. This edge-of-city setting creates a practical housing choice. Living at Storhove offers a very short journey to classes, while SINN also operates student accommodation in more central Lillehammer locations. Students living downtown should examine current bus schedules and the timetable demands of their programme before choosing housing. The campus location is especially relevant where courses require frequent attendance, access to specialist rooms, or collaborative production work. Lillehammer is only one node in a wider university network. A programme associated with Universitetet i Innlandet may instead be based in Hamar, Elverum, Rena, Evenstad, or Blæstad, and some provision may use other locations or blended formats. Applicants should not make housing or travel commitments until the current programme page confirms the teaching site.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Costs differ sharply by citizenship and programme. Under Norway’s 2026/2027 national guidance, students from Norway, Switzerland, and EU/EEA countries are normally exempt from tuition at public higher-education institutions. Degree-seeking students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland normally pay programme-specific tuition unless they qualify for an exemption. Exchange students, doctoral candidates, and participants in certain designated schemes are normally exempt. Applicants should obtain the university’s exact fee for their programme before accepting an offer; no institution-wide tuition figure was verified. Study in Norway estimates student living costs at NOK 15,488 per month or NOK 170,368 per year for 2026/2027. It also advises allowing approximately NOK 1,000 per semester for the student welfare fee. These are national planning figures, not a promise of actual Lillehammer expenditure. Housing, travel, insurance, immigration charges, and programme materials can add to the total. Non-EU/EEA/Swiss students generally need a study permit and proof of sufficient funds; qualifying permit holders may work up to 20 hours weekly during study periods and full-time during holidays. Career direction varies by discipline. The university’s documented fields connect to education, health and welfare, public and private administration, social research, film and audiovisual production, agriculture, biotechnology, and environmental work. Some professionally regulated careers may require Norwegian proficiency, placements, authorization, or other conditions beyond completing a degree. No current institution-wide employment rate, salary outcome, or employer list was verified, so applicants should examine the curriculum, placement arrangements, professional recognition, and graduate pathways for the specific programme.