The Norwegian Education Mirror 2022

Pupils’ choice of education programmes and subjects

Half of pupils take general study programmes

In autumn 2021, nearly 72,900 pupils started Level Vg1. Slightly over half of pupils started a general study programme, which is on a par with the last five years. Specialisation in General Studies is the biggest of all the education programmes, with 38 per cent of pupils in Level Vg1.

Applicants for Level Vg1 in spring 2022 are mainly divided into the same education programmes as previous cohorts of applicants. There is little to suggest that changes in the job market during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021 affected pupils' choice of education programme to any great extent. During previous crises, such as the financial crisis in 2008, more people applied to some of the education programmes.

Mostly girls choose general study programmes

Girls made up 55 per cent of the pupils in general study programmes in Level Vg1 in 2021-2022. However, the gender distribution varies somewhat between the various general study programmes. 8 out of 10 Art, Design and Architecture pupils are girls, while boys are the majority in Sports and Physical Education.

Vocational training and general study programmes

Languages, Social Sciences and Economics is the most popular Specialisation in General Studies programme

In Level Vg2, pupils choose a programme area within their education programme. 58 per cent of pupils who start Specialisation in General Studies at Level Vg2 choose the Languages, Social Sciences and Economics programme area, while 40 per cent choose Natural Science and Mathematics Studies. There are nearly just as many boys as there are girls within Natural Science and Mathematics Studies, while girls are the majority in Languages, Social Sciences and Economics.

6 in 10 pupils who begin vocational programmes are boys

59 per cent of pupils who start vocational programmes are boys, a proportion which has been stable over time. The gender distribution varies greatly between the educational programmes, from 91 per cent girls in Hairdressing, Floral, Interior and Retail Design to 6 per cent girls in Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology. Since 2015-2016, the proportion of girls in Electrical Engineering and Computer Technology has remained at around 6 per cent.

Healthcare, Child and Youth Development is the most popular vocational programme

The biggest vocational training programme is Healthcare, Child and Youth Development, with over 27 per cent of Level Vg1 vocational programme pupils.
Health Work, with 4,200 pupils, is the biggest programme area within Healthcare, Child and Youth Development. It is also the largest programme area within all vocational training programmes. The next biggest programme area is Child Care and Youth Work, with nearly 3,100 pupils. In total, 24 per cent of all pupils in Level Vg2 vocational programmes work in either Health Work or Child Care and Youth Work.

Many pupils take the Supplementary Studies to Qualify for Higher Education programme

Many of the pupils on vocational programmes choose to take the Supplementary Studies to Qualify for Higher Education programme instead of taking a vocational or craft certificate. Among the vocational pupils who attended Level Vg2 in 2020–2021, 23 per cent switched to supplementary programmes in 2021–2022. Healthcare, Child and Youth Development has the highest proportion of pupils who go from Level Vg2 to the Supplementary Studies to Qualify for Higher Education programme, with 43 per cent of pupils in 2021. The equivalent proportion in Technological and Industrial Production was 5 per cent. In total, 7,800 pupils took supplementary studies qualifying for higher education after Level Vg2. In addition, 3,200 pupils took supplementary programmes after having completed professional qualifications.

61 per cent of pupils who take supplementary studies qualifying for higher education in Level Vg3 achieve a university or college degree within 5 years. The equivalent figure for pupils who take supplementary studies qualifying for higher education in Level Vg4 is 67 per cent. In comparison, around 70 per cent of Specialisation in General Studies pupils in Level Vg3 have obtained a degree within five years (Statistics Norway 2020a).