University of Bergen
Universitetet i Bergen
Norway's second university, with its main campus in the middle of Bergen and roots in the Bergen Museum of 1825.
- Students
- 20,451
- Tuition
- NOK 197K
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1946
- QS World Ranking
- #283
- 2027 edition
About UiB
The University of Bergen became Norway's second university in 1946, built on the collections and research of Bergen Museum, founded in 1825, which lives on as the University Museum. It is the main knowledge institution of Western Norway, with 20,451 students (spring 2025), 4,147 full-time staff positions, 1,524 PhD candidates and total income of NOK 6.04 billion in 2024.
UiB is organised in eight faculties, including the University Museum, and 40 departments: Humanities, Law, Science and Technology, Medicine, Psychology, Social Sciences, and Fine Art, Music and Design. It is the only Norwegian university whose main campus is in the city centre, so lecture halls, libraries, cafés and the Bergen Museum buildings are mixed into the surrounding streets. Its research strengths include climate and ocean science, medicine and the social sciences.
UiB offers nearly 200 study programmes, but most, including all its large professional programmes such as medicine, law and psychology, are taught in Norwegian and admit students through Samordna opptak. UiB has no fully English-taught bachelor's degree: the three bachelor's programmes that appear under its English filter (Chinese, Economics and Social Anthropology) are taught in Norwegian and English (Chinese also in Chinese) and are applied for through Samordna opptak. International degree students usually come for one of its 37 English-taught master's programmes. For Norwegian-speaking applicants, it suits students who want a traditional research university in a compact, walkable city between fjords and mountains.
Why students choose UiB
UiB is the only Norwegian university with its main campus in the city centre, within walking distance of Bergen's shops, cafés and cultural life.
A 2022 graduate survey found more than 9 out of 10 UiB master's graduates were in relevant jobs within a year, and nearly half had a job before finishing.
All students can take part of their degree abroad, and electives from other disciplines let you build a broader degree.
The student welfare organisation Sammen, ranked best in Norway, runs housing, cafés, gyms and health services, and the student-run Kvarteret and Hulen anchor student culture.
Admissions
Autumn 2027 (Samordna opptak, Norwegian-taught programmes)
Selectivity
UiB does not publish an overall admission rate. Norwegian-taught programmes admit on grade-based competition points, and cut-offs vary widely: previous cut-offs were 67.2 points (ordinary quota) and 58.9 (primary quota, applicants aged 21 or under with a first-time diploma) for the six-year Medicine programme with 245 places, and 62.7 and 54.8 for the five-year Law programme with 374 places.
Typical entry requirements
| General requirement | Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse), or the equivalent foreign qualification on the NUCAS country list |
|---|---|
| Medicine (6-year professional degree) | General requirement plus Mathematics R1 (or S1 and S2), Physics 1, and Chemistry 1 and 2 |
| Language | Documented Norwegian at the NUCAS level (for example B2 in all four parts of the Norwegian Language Test) plus English |
| English language | IELTS 5 · TOEFL iBT 60 These are NUCAS minimums for Norwegian-taught undergraduate programmes, which also require Norwegian. UiB's English-taught master's programmes set their own, higher English requirements. |
Deadlines
- Samordna opptak: special groups Non-binding Next deadline · In ~5 months1 March 2027 (expected)
For early admission, special assessment or applying on prior learning; documentation due 20 March.
- Samordna opptak: ordinary deadline Non-binding In ~6 months15 April 2027 (expected)
Main deadline for Norwegian-taught programmes; the portal opens 1 February. Priorities can be reordered until 1 July, and offers are published around 20 July.
Samordna opptak's published schedule (checked 29 September 2026) is still for 2026 admission (opens 1 February, 1 March for special groups, 15 April ordinary deadline, results 20 July); NUCAS lists 15 April, 1 July and 20 July as its standing annual dates, so the same dates are expected for 2027. UiB's English-taught master's programmes have their own deadlines.
How to apply
Apply to Norwegian-taught bachelor's, integrated master's and professional programmes through Samordna opptak (NUCAS) at samordnaopptak.no, listing your choices in priority order. International applicants without Norwegian normally apply directly to UiB's English-taught master's programmes instead; fine art, music and design programmes have their own entrance exams.
What admissions looks for
- The general university entrance qualification, or an equivalent foreign diploma accepted on the NUCAS country list.
- Programme-specific subjects, such as advanced mathematics, physics and chemistry for Medicine.
- High competition points from upper secondary grades for popular programmes like Medicine and Law.
- Documented Norwegian and English proficiency when you apply.
Tips for applying to UiB
- 1 Check each programme's page for the previous cut-off: 67.2 points for Medicine and 62.7 for Law in the ordinary quota.
- 2 If you are 21 or younger with a first-time diploma, you also compete in the primary quota, where cut-offs are lower (58.9 for Medicine).
- 3 Medicine can be taken at campus Bergen or in combination with Stavanger, Førde or Haugesund; the combined campuses had slightly lower cut-offs.
- 4 Put your true first choice first: an offer in the main round removes all lower-ranked choices.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in NOK
UiB does not offer any scholarships, including scholarships to cover tuition fees. The tuition fee must be paid in full, not in instalments, before you can apply for a study permit, and non-EU/EEA students must also document sufficient funding for living costs in Norway.
- None offered
- UiB scholarships
- Available if you withdraw by 1 September
- Tuition refund
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (autumn and spring)
Medicine (profesjon, 6 years)
245 places across campus Bergen and joint campuses in Stavanger, Førde and Haugesund, with a previous ordinary-quota cut-off of 67.2.
Law (Rettsvitskap, 5-year master's)
374 places and a previous ordinary-quota cut-off of 62.7, leading to careers in courts, business, police and international organisations.
Integrated engineering master's (sivilingeniør)
Five-year programmes in fields such as ocean technology, energy, data science, medical technology and quantum technology.
Meteorology and Oceanography (master's)
One of UiB's English-taught master's programmes, tied to its ocean and climate research priority.
Fine Art, Music and Design
Taught at the Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design, with entrance exams or portfolios for admission.
Research
- Ocean and marine research and climate research are among UiB's strategic priority areas, alongside artificial intelligence.
- UiB hosts several Norwegian Centres of Excellence and had 1,524 PhD candidates and 229 doctoral defences in 2024.
- The University Museum of Bergen continues the collections of Bergen Museum, founded in 1825.
- Two UiB researchers were awarded ERC Starting Grants, announced on 3 September 2026.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Science and Technology
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Psychology
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design
- University Museum of Bergen
A 2022 graduate survey showed more than 9 out of 10 UiB master's graduates were in relevant jobs within a year of finishing, and nearly half had a job before completing their degree.
Student life
Student life happens in the city itself: UiB's buildings sit in central Bergen, so study halls, cafés and nightlife are minutes apart. The student cultural centre Kvarteret hosts concerts, debates, film screenings, quizzes and revues, and Hulen, run by student volunteers, is described as Northern Europe's oldest rock club. Sammen, the student welfare organisation for Western Norway, provides housing, cafés, gyms and healthcare. Bergen is surrounded by mountains, and the university says you can walk from campus to a trail in about five minutes.
- Kvarteret, the student cultural centre, runs concerts, debates, film screenings and revues.
- Hulen, Northern Europe's oldest rock club, is run by volunteer students.
- Sammen, ranked Norway's best student welfare organisation, provides housing, cafés, fitness and health services.
- The Holberg Prize and the Christie Conference are among UiB's recurring public events.
Housing. Student housing in Bergen is provided by the student welfare organisation Sammen rather than by UiB itself.
Location
Bergen is Norway's second-largest city, on the west coast between fjords and the mountains that ring the city. UiB's main campus is in the city centre, and students get discounted tickets on Bergen's light rail and buses. It is a cultural city, and the university points out that you are a five-minute walk from nature and the mountain trails around town.
Nearest airport: Bergen Airport, Flesland (BGO)
Notable alumni
- JF Jon FosseAuthor and playwright, 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature; master's in comparative literature
- ES Erna SolbergPrime Minister of Norway 2013-2021; degree in sociology, political science, statistics and economics
- KO Karl Ove KnausgårdAuthor of the six-volume My Struggle; studied arts and literature
- MK Mukhisa KituyiSecretary-General of UNCTAD 2013-2021; PhD in social anthropology
- MM Monica MælandNorwegian Minister of Justice 2020-2021 and Chief Commissioner of Bergen 2003-2013; law degree
- SR Sveinung RotevatnNorwegian Minister of Climate and the Environment 2020-2021; master's in law
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Bergen teach bachelor's degrees in English?
No. UiB has no bachelor's degree taught fully in English. Its three bachelor's programmes listed under the English filter (Chinese, Economics and Social Anthropology) are taught in Norwegian and English and require Norwegian, as do medicine, law and psychology. International degree students usually apply for one of UiB's 37 English-taught master's programmes.
Is the University of Bergen free?
It is free for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens. Other students pay tuition: in 2026/27, NOK 197,000 to 226,000 a year for most English-taught programmes and NOK 401,704 for fine art, design and music. UiB offers no scholarships.
When is the University of Bergen application deadline?
15 April for Norwegian-taught programmes through Samordna opptak (1 March for special groups such as early admission). English-taught master's programmes have their own deadlines.
How hard is it to get into medicine at the University of Bergen?
Very competitive: the previous cut-off for campus Bergen was 67.2 points in the ordinary quota and 58.4 in the primary quota, with 165 places in Bergen and 245 across all campus options.
What English test do I need for UiB?
For Norwegian-taught undergraduate programmes, NUCAS accepts IELTS Academic 5.0 or TOEFL iBT 60, alongside Norwegian proficiency. English-taught master's programmes set higher, programme-specific requirements.
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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