University of South-Eastern Norway

About University of South-Eastern Norway

USN is a state-run Norwegian university whose current institutional form dates from 2018. Its immediate predecessor was created when the University College of Buskerud and Vestfold and the University College of Telemark merged on 1 January 2016. Royal Decree granted university status on 4 May 2018, establishing the present name and status. A 2026 NOKUT review confirms that USN remains operational and that its quality-assurance system and practices satisfy the applicable regulatory requirements. The university reports about 17,000 students and 1,900 employees. Its eight campuses are Bø, Drammen, Hønefoss, Kongsberg, Notodden, Porsgrunn, Rauland and Vestfold, while a ninth location opened in Gol in 2024. This structure gives students access to markedly different settings, from central urban sites to smaller communities, but also means that the experience and available subjects vary by campus. USN describes its education as profession- and business-oriented. The model is especially relevant to students who value applied learning, regional employer connections or flexible delivery: the official portfolio includes full-time, part-time, campus-based and online options. Some offerings combine study with employment, including the university’s business-bachelor and industry-master formats. Prospective students should not treat Drammen as the university’s sole or main academic location; the database city identifies one campus within a geographically distributed institution.

Admission routes depend on citizenship, residence status, study level and program. USN’s English admissions portal separates full-degree applicants from exchange students. Full-degree candidates apply independently, while exchange students must first be nominated by a partner home university. For the published international route, EU/EEA applicants may apply from 1 February to 15 April. The non-EU/EEA route opens on 1 October; applicants must consult the relevant program and applicant-category page for the closing date because the general page does not publish one universal deadline. International full-degree applications are submitted through Søknadsweb. Applicants must upload the required documentation by the applicable deadline. USN’s general list includes diplomas and transcripts from secondary and higher education, certified English or Norwegian translations where needed, evidence of English proficiency and a passport copy. Country-specific rules may require additional records or direct verification from the issuing institution. Individual programs can impose further academic or documentation requirements. For English-taught programs, applicants educated outside the Nordic countries generally must document English proficiency unless an accepted educational exemption applies. USN currently lists IELTS Academic at an overall 6.0 with at least 6.0 in every component; the test must be no more than two years old and verifiable. Some programs demand a higher level. Non-EU/EEA applicants should also plan separately for tuition, insurance and Norwegian residence-permit funding requirements. Domestic Norwegian-language programs may use different national or local application procedures, so these international instructions should not be generalized to every USN degree.

USN awards bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees and also provides supplementary and continuing education. The university says its portfolio includes more than 300 bachelor’s and master’s degree courses and doctoral study in six subject fields. The main academic areas shown in its program directory include arts, crafts and music; business, management and innovation; health and social care; history; computing and information systems; languages and literature; maritime studies; mathematics, natural and environmental sciences; media and communication; optometry; education; and social and cultural studies. Academic provision is organized across four broad faculty environments: humanities, sports and educational science; health and social sciences; technology, natural sciences and maritime sciences; and the USN School of Business. Program availability is campus-specific. For example, the Drammen campus advertises study in global health, human rights, cross-cultural nursing, management and person-centred health care, among other subjects. Students comparing programs should therefore check the program page for campus, language, attendance requirements and delivery mode. Applied and flexible study formats are a defining feature. USN offers full-time, part-time, in-person and online options, alongside business-bachelor and industry-master arrangements that combine study with paid employment. These formats are not universal, and admission requirements differ by program. English-language applicants should also verify the language of the complete degree rather than assume the institution-wide teaching language is English; much of USN’s wider portfolio serves Norwegian-speaking students.

Key Highlights

• State-run Norwegian university with university status granted on 4 May 2018
• About 17,000 students and 1,900 employees reported by USN
• Eight established campuses plus a location in Gol opened in 2024
• NOKUT’s April 2026 decision found USN’s quality-assurance work compliant

Student Life & Environment

Student life is distributed across USN’s campuses rather than concentrated in one residential university town. The Student Welfare Organisation in South-East Norway, known as SSN, supports USN students with accommodation, campus food services, fitness facilities, bookshops, free counselling, financial advice and certain health-related or student-activity support. Availability differs by campus, so housing and service details should be checked directly with SSN before committing to a location. Drammen offers a comparatively urban experience. The campus sits in the Papirbredden knowledge park beside the Drammenselva river and is close to the city centre. USN reports 385 student homes within walking distance. Campus facilities and nearby services include a library with academic-writing support, a café, a bookshop and access to a nearby fitness centre at a student rate. The local student society organizes social events, orientation activities, sports and volunteering through the student house. Other campuses have their own student societies, facilities and local character. Students should therefore compare more than academic content: housing supply, transport, sports and social opportunities can differ substantially between an urban campus such as Drammen and smaller locations such as Bø or Rauland. Exchange and international students can also expect campus-specific information after admission rather than a single uniform residential arrangement.

Location & Surroundings

USN operates across southeastern Norway, spanning several counties and communities. Its campuses are located in Bø, Drammen, Hønefoss, Kongsberg, Notodden, Porsgrunn, Rauland and Vestfold, with an additional location in Gol. Applicants should base location decisions on the actual campus assigned to their program, since commuting between these places is not equivalent to moving around one unified campus. The database record identifies Drammen, where USN occupies the Papirbredden knowledge park at Grønland 58. The site is beside the Drammenselva river in the city centre and places classrooms near housing, shopping and public transport. USN describes Drammen railway station as approximately a ten-minute walk from campus, with rail connections including Oslo, Kongsberg, Skien, Kristiansand, Stavanger and Bergen. Student accommodation is also within walking distance. Drammen combines a compact urban environment with access to riverside paths, parks and nearby hiking at Spiraltoppen. Students seeking a technology-oriented town, a smaller student community, maritime surroundings or a more rural arts setting may find another USN campus better aligned with their priorities. Program location should be confirmed before comparing housing or travel costs.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Tuition depends mainly on the student’s status and program. For study beginning in August 2026, USN states that citizens of Norway, the EU/EEA and Switzerland do not pay tuition. Exchange students, PhD candidates and several other defined groups are also automatically exempt, while applicants with specified Norwegian residence or work histories may qualify through an exemption application. Students outside the exempt categories should obtain a program-specific figure before accepting an offer. USN’s published August 2026 examples list annual fees of NOK 50,000 for two one-year music programs, NOK 60,000 for several named master’s programs in management and related fields, and NOK 90,000 for selected computing, engineering and environmental master’s programs. These examples do not establish one institution-wide tuition price. Living expenses, housing, travel, books, insurance and any applicable student-welfare charges require separate budgeting. SSN offers student accommodation, food outlets, fitness and welfare services, but prices depend on campus and housing unit. Career preparation is embedded in USN’s profession- and business-oriented model. Some business-bachelor and industry-master pathways combine academic study with paid work, while programs in areas such as health, teaching, engineering and maritime studies are designed around professional or sector needs. Availability and employment arrangements are program-specific. USN does not provide a single verified institution-wide placement rate or graduate salary on the cited pages, so applicants should assess curricula, practical components and employer links at program level rather than infer a uniform career outcome.