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Statistics

Highest and lowest level of education

The share of inhabitants with university or college education.

Oslo has the highest share with higher education of Norway's municipalities at 56.4% (2025). The lowest is Værøy at 16.7%. Source: SSB, table 09429, processed by Morning Analytics 5 November 2026.

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56.4%Highest: Oslo
27.5%Median of the municipalities
16.7%Lowest: Værøy

The picture in figures

The bars show the ten highest and the ten lowest of 357 municipalities. The dashed line is the median of all municipalities.

Highest 10
OsloOslo56.4%BærumBærum56.4%NesoddenNesodden51.0%AskerAsker48.7%ÅsÅs48.4%TrondheimTrondheim48.0%StavangerStavanger46.9%TromsøTromsø46.9%BergenBergen46.8%Nordre FolloNordre Follo44.9%
Lowest 10
VærøyVærøy16.7%BerlevågBerlevåg18.3%RøstRøst18.5%IvelandIveland19.3%EidskogEidskog19.6%NamsskoganNamsskogan19.7%GjerstadGjerstad20.3%MåsøyMåsøy20.7%BeiarnBeiarn20.7%GamvikGamvik20.9%
How 357 municipalities spread
16.7% – 20.0%: 620.0% – 23.3%: 4523.3% – 26.6%: 9726.6% – 29.9%: 9329.9% – 33.2%: 4933.2% – 36.6%: 3136.6% – 39.9%: 1639.9% – 43.2%: 843.2% – 46.5%: 346.5% – 49.8%: 649.8% – 53.1%: 153.1% – 56.4%: 216.7%56.4%share with higher education →

Each bar is the number of municipalities in a range of values. The dashed line is the median. Hover over a bar to see the range.

Analysis: why are some at the top and others at the bottom?

We compared share with higher education with every other municipal figure we have, from Statistics Norway, NIPH and the Brønnøysund Register Centre. Below are the figures that go most closely together with share with higher education across the country, and what marks the municipalities at the top and bottom on those figures.

The pattern across the country

  • Municipalities that rank high on «Average price per square metre, second-hand dwellings» most often also rank high on share with higher education (strong association, rank correlation 0.65 across 278 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 14545).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» most often rank low on share with higher education (strong association, rank correlation −0.62 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 06265).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» most often also rank high on share with higher education (strong association, rank correlation 0.56 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 05671).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Population on 1 January» most often also rank high on share with higher education (strong association, rank correlation 0.53 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 11342).

The highest and the lowest

  • No. 1 Oslo (56.4%) Fits the pattern: «Average price per square metre, second-hand dwellings» 98,381 kr (no. 1 of 278 from the top; Statistics Norway table 14545); «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 7.9% (no. 357 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265); «Population on 1 January» 728,714 (no. 1 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11342). Most distinctive industry: tjenester tilknyttet informasjonsteknologi, 6% of the jobs, 2.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 2 Bærum (56.4%) Fits the pattern: «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 638,400 kr (no. 1 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671); «Average price per square metre, second-hand dwellings» 76,793 kr (no. 2 of 278 from the top; Statistics Norway table 14545); «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 28.8% (no. 353 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265). Most distinctive industry: arkitektvirksomhet og teknisk konsulentvirksomhet, og teknisk prøving og analyse, 7% of the jobs, 3.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 3 Nesodden (51.0%) Fits the pattern: «Average price per square metre, second-hand dwellings» 59,672 kr (no. 6 of 278 from the top; Statistics Norway table 14545); «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 574,200 kr (no. 8 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671); «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 57.4% (no. 302 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265). Most distinctive industry: helsetjenester, 17% of the jobs, 1.9 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 357 Værøy (16.7%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Population on 1 January» 656 (no. 348 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11342); «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 463,800 kr (no. 310 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671). Most distinctive industry: produksjon av nærings- og nytelsesmidler, 31% of the jobs, 18.7 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 356 Berlevåg (18.3%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Population on 1 January» 864 (no. 343 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11342); «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 454,100 kr (no. 331 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 17% of the jobs, 21.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 355 Røst (18.5%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Population on 1 January» 471 (no. 353 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11342); «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 85.9% (no. 38 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 18% of the jobs, 22.1 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).

The analysis describes what goes together, not what causes what. Two figures can follow each other because both depend on something else, such as size, location or industry. The figures are from the latest year available for each source, so the years can differ. Rank correlation runs from −1 to 1; values near 1 mean the municipalities lie in roughly the same order on both measures.

What explains the placing?

  • 1. Oslo 56.4% 105% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 2. Bærum 56.4% 105% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 3. Nesodden 51.0% 85% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 355. Røst 18.5% Small municipality (471 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 33% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 356. Berlevåg 18.3% Small municipality (864 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 33% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 357. Værøy 16.7% Small municipality (656 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 39% below the median of the municipalities.
#Municipality County Inhabitants share with higher education
51 Alta Finnmark 22,074 34.8%
52 Tynset Innlandet 5,762 34.2%
53 Arendal Agder 46,603 34.2%
54 Stord Vestland 19,276 34.0%
55 Nesnasmall municipality Nordland 1,796 33.8%
56 Gjøvik Innlandet 31,350 33.8%
57 Inderøy Trøndelag 7,066 33.8%
58 Fredrikstad Østfold 86,243 33.5%
59 Stange Innlandet 21,839 33.5%
60 Voss Vestland 16,438 33.5%
61 Sør-Varanger Finnmark 9,947 33.5%
62 Bjørnafjorden Vestland 26,753 33.4%
63 Time Rogaland 20,461 33.3%
64 Utsirasmall municipality Rogaland 219 33.3%
65 Porsgrunn Telemark 37,435 33.3%
66 Ulviksmall municipality Vestland 1,114 33.3%
67 Kautokeinosmall municipality Finnmark 2,886 33.3%
68 Elverum Innlandet 21,937 33.1%
69 Gjerdrum Akershus 7,478 32.9%
70 Høylandetsmall municipality Trøndelag 1,230 32.9%
71 Aurlandsmall municipality Vestland 1,866 32.7%
72 Hvalersmall municipality Østfold 4,714 32.5%
73 Skien Telemark 56,906 32.5%
74 Snåsasmall municipality Trøndelag 2,141 32.5%
75 Narvik Nordland 21,647 32.4%
76 Sandefjord Vestfold 67,062 32.3%
77 Askøy Vestland 30,600 32.3%
78 Røros Trøndelag 5,638 32.3%
79 Luster Vestland 5,478 32.1%
80 Hammerfest Finnmark 11,391 31.9%
81 Giske Møre og Romsdal 8,828 31.8%
82 Fjalersmall municipality Vestland 2,948 31.7%
83 Byglandsmall municipality Agder 1,167 31.5%
84 Namsos Trøndelag 15,112 31.5%
85 Alstahaug Nordland 7,489 31.4%
86 Holmestrand Vestfold 27,086 31.4%
87 Lærdalsmall municipality Vestland 2,223 31.4%
88 Vågan Nordland 9,905 31.3%
89 Stjørdal Trøndelag 25,108 31.3%
90 Skaun Trøndelag 8,574 31.1%
91 Sula Møre og Romsdal 9,798 31.0%
92 Halden Østfold 32,082 31.0%
93 Ål Buskerud 5,106 31.0%
94 Kviteseidsmall municipality Telemark 2,463 31.0%
95 Bardusmall municipality Troms 4,004 31.0%
96 Larvik Vestfold 49,022 30.9%
97 Ullensaker Akershus 45,982 30.8%
98 Vangsmall municipality Innlandet 1,666 30.7%
99 Vinjesmall municipality Telemark 3,829 30.6%
100 Stad Vestland 9,616 30.6%