UiT The Arctic University of Norway
UiT Norges arktiske universitet
The world's northernmost university, spread over eleven sites in Arctic Norway from Tromsø to Svalbard.
- Students
- 15,500
- International
- 10%
- of students
- Tuition
- NOK 100.5K
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1968
About UiT
UiT The Arctic University of Norway, founded by act of parliament in 1968 as the University of Tromsø and opened in 1972, is the world's northernmost university. It has about 15,500 students and 3,300 staff, and after mergers with the university colleges of Tromsø (2009), Finnmark (2013), Narvik and Harstad (2016) it teaches at eleven sites across Northern Norway, from Tromsø, Alta, Narvik and Harstad to Kirkenes, Hammerfest and Svalbard.
The university covers the classic subject areas, organised into faculties of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics; Humanities, Social Sciences and Education; Engineering Science and Technology; Science and Technology; Health Sciences; and Law, plus the Arctic University Museum of Norway and Academy of Fine Arts. Its location shapes its research: the polar environment and climate, Indigenous and Sami studies, peace and conflict transformation, telemedicine, space physics and the northern lights, fishery science and marine biotechnology.
For undergraduates, UiT is mainly a Norwegian-language university: it currently offers no bachelor's programmes taught in English, and first degrees such as medicine, law, engineering and nursing are applied for through Samordna opptak. International students usually come for one of more than 20 English-taught master's programmes or on exchange. It suits students who want serious outdoor life, a small-city campus and research on Arctic questions, and who are prepared for long polar winters.
Why students choose UiT
UiT says it is the only university that makes internships mandatory for law students, and around 90% of graduates say their studies were directly relevant to their jobs.
Research on the doorstep of the Arctic: the Fram Centre, the Norwegian Polar Institute and the iC3 Polar Research Hub are all in Tromsø.
Medicine in Tromsø has 151 study places, with parts of the later years placed in hospitals and clinics across Northern Norway.
Student life includes more than 130 student organisations, the Arctic Student Orchestra and student radio, with northern lights in winter and midnight sun in summer.
Admissions
Autumn 2027
Selectivity
UiT publishes no overall admission rate. Norwegian-taught programmes admit on grade-based competition points: for autumn 2025, Medicine (151 places) had cut-offs of 66 points in the ordinary quota and 57.1 in the first-time diploma quota, with lower cut-offs for applicants with a Northern Norway connection (59.9 and 51.4).
Typical entry requirements
| General requirement | Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse) or an equivalent foreign qualification accepted by NUCAS |
|---|---|
| Medicine (professional degree) | General requirement plus Mathematics R1 (or S1 and S2), Physics 1, and Chemistry 1 and 2 |
| Language (Norwegian-taught programmes) | Documented Norwegian, for example B2 or C1 in all four parts of the Norwegian Language Test, plus English |
| English-taught master's | A relevant bachelor's degree with the programme's minimum grade average, plus IELTS Academic 6.5 or equivalent |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 85 These are UiT's minimums for its English-taught programmes (TOEFL iBT 85, or 4.5 on the new scale; IELTS Online and TOEFL MyBest are not accepted). Norwegian-taught bachelor's programmes use the NUCAS Norwegian and English requirements. |
Deadlines
- UiT international portal: non-EU/EEA applicants (English-taught master's and one-year programmes) Non-binding Next deadline · In 40 days15 November 2026
Portal opens 15 October 2026 for autumn 2027 entry.
- UiT international portal: EU/EEA and Swiss applicants Non-binding In ~5 months1 March 2027
Portal opens 1 February 2027.
- Samordna opptak: special groups Non-binding In ~5 months1 March 2027 (expected; 1 March in 2026)
For early admission, special assessment or prior-learning applicants; documents by 20 March.
- Samordna opptak: ordinary deadline (Norwegian-taught programmes) Non-binding In ~6 months15 April 2027 (expected; 15 April in 2026)
Portal opens 1 February; documents for qualifications completed in spring can be uploaded until 1 July.
UiT has published its autumn 2027 international portal dates. Samordna opptak's published schedule still covers 2026 admission (opens 1 February, 1 March for special groups, 15 April ordinary deadline), so the same dates are expected for 2027 but not yet confirmed.
How to apply
Norwegian-taught bachelor's, integrated master's and professional programmes (including medicine, law and engineering) are applied for through Samordna opptak (NUCAS), listing your chosen programmes in priority order. International degree applicants apply through UiT's own application portal for English-taught master's and one-year programmes, uploading transcripts, UiT's enclosure form and proof of English; non-EU students must also document living funds of NOK 170,368 a year.
What admissions looks for
- The general university entrance qualification, or an equivalent foreign qualification accepted by NUCAS.
- Programme-specific subjects, such as advanced mathematics, physics and chemistry for Medicine.
- High competition points for popular programmes such as Medicine.
- For English-taught master's, a relevant bachelor's degree meeting the programme's grade average, plus proof of English.
Tips for applying to UiT
- 1 If you have a documented Northern Norway connection, Medicine has a separate quota with lower cut-offs (59.9 versus 66 points in 2025).
- 2 Don't look for English-taught bachelor's at UiT: there are none at present, so international students without Norwegian should aim for a master's or an exchange semester.
- 3 Non-EU applicants have an early deadline, 15 November 2026, and must deposit NOK 170,368 by 1 June to get a study permit.
- 4 Expect to spend part of Medicine outside Tromsø: the sixth year is partly based in Bodø and Finnmark.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in NOK
UiT does not help students find sponsors or scholarships; applicants with funding from home must show an official letter confirming it. Non-EU/EEA students pay tuition fees since autumn 2023, but exchange students, students enrolled in a degree before autumn 2023, joint-degree students and the Master in Indigenous Studies are exempt.
- No tuition fees for any student
- Master of Philosophy in Indigenous Studies
- NOK 170,368 per year, due by 1 June
- Living-funds deposit (non-EU)
- Guaranteed for visa-seeking students on the priority list
- Housing
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (autumn and spring)
Medicine (profesjonsstudium)
151 study places, clinical placements across Northern Norway, and a separate quota for applicants with a Northern Norway connection.
Law
UiT says it is the only university that makes internships mandatory for law students; home of the Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea.
Fishery and marine sciences
The Norwegian College of Fishery Science and English-taught master's in Marine Biotechnology and Arctic marine ecology.
Peace and Conflict Transformation (master's)
An English-taught master's in UiT's category 1 fee band, and the only UiT master's that asks applicants for a motivation letter.
Indigenous Studies (master's)
Taught with the Centre for Sami Studies and exempt from tuition fees for all students.
Aviation (Tromsø School of Aviation)
Pilot education within the Faculty of Science and Technology, one of the few category 3 fee programmes.
Research
- The iC3 Polar Research Hub, a Norwegian Centre of Excellence studying links between ice sheets, carbon cycles and ocean ecosystems.
- Space physics and northern lights research at the Department of Physics and Technology.
- Partnership in FRAM, the High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, alongside the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø.
- Centres for Sami Studies and Sami Health Research, and a long record in telemedicine.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics
- Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education
- Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology
- Faculty of Science and Technology
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Law
- The Arctic University Museum of Norway and Academy of Fine Arts
Around 90% of UiT graduates say their studies were directly relevant to their current jobs (university figure).
Student life
Tromsø is the main campus, at Breivika, and student welfare, housing and the student card are run by the Arctic Student Welfare Organisation (Samskipnaden). There are more than 130 student organisations, from sports teams and the Arctic Student Orchestra to student radio, a brewing club and a drone group. Outdoor life is a big part of the draw: hiking and skiing trails, kayaking, whale watching, the northern lights in winter and the midnight sun in summer. Campuses in Alta, Harstad and Narvik each have their own student scene.
- More than 130 student organisations.
- Narvik's annual Vinterfestuka culture festival, with over 200 events.
- Norway's Arctic Student Orchestra and a student radio station.
- Exchange agreements with universities in dozens of countries, from Hawaii to Greenland.
Housing. UiT guarantees housing to visa-seeking international students on its priority list; others apply to the Arctic Student Welfare Organisation.
Location
Tromsø is Northern Norway's university city, well above the Arctic Circle, and home to the University Hospital of North Norway, the Fram Centre and the Norwegian Polar Institute. Life is shaped by the light: dark polar winters with northern lights and summer months of midnight sun. The city is known for its music and cultural scene, and mountains, fjords and ski trails are close to campus. Other UiT sites are spread across the region, from Narvik and Harstad to Alta, Kirkenes and Longyearbyen on Svalbard.
Nearest airport: Tromsø Airport, Langnes (TOS)
Notable alumni
- IE Ine Eriksen SøreideNorway's first female Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017-2021); studied law at Tromsø
- HP Helga PedersenMinister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs (2005-2009) and Labour Party deputy leader; history degree from Tromsø (1998)
- MK Monica Kristensen SolåsGlaciologist, polar explorer and crime novelist; physics graduate of Tromsø
- TW Turi WiderøeThe world's first female commercial pilot for a major airline (SAS); master's in history from Tromsø (2006)
- JE Jens Edvin A. SkoghøyFormer Supreme Court justice of Norway; dr.juris from Tromsø (1990)
- GG Gunvor GuttormSami artist and duodji scholar; studied Sami, Finnish and duodji at Tromsø
Frequently asked questions
Does UiT offer bachelor's degrees in English?
No. UiT currently offers no English-taught bachelor's programmes; it has more than 20 English-taught master's programmes plus one-year programmes such as Norwegian Language and Society and Arctic Nature Guide (Svalbard).
How much is tuition at UiT for international students?
EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition, only a NOK 670 semester fee. Non-EU/EEA degree students pay NOK 100,500, 150,500 or 351,000 a year depending on the subject category.
What is the UiT application deadline for 2027?
For English-taught programmes, 15 November 2026 for non-EU/EEA applicants and 1 March 2027 for EU/EEA applicants. Norwegian-taught programmes use Samordna opptak, with an ordinary deadline expected on 15 April 2027.
How hard is it to get into medicine at UiT?
For autumn 2025 the cut-off was 66 competition points in the ordinary quota and 57.1 in the first-time diploma quota, with lower cut-offs for applicants with a Northern Norway connection.
Does UiT offer scholarships?
UiT does not help students find scholarships or sponsors; international students must fund tuition and document NOK 170,368 a year in living funds.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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