The University of Oslo (UiO) is Norway’s oldest and highest-ranked university, founded in 1811. It is a comprehensive public research university with a wide range of courses and programmes, from humanities and social sciences to medicine and natural sciences.
The University of Oslo, UiO, is the oldest and largest university in Norway. King Frederick VI of Denmark and Norway founded it in 1811 as the Royal Frederick University, and teaching began in 1813. It has about 28,000 students and 7,000 staff, and around one student in ten comes from abroad. The main campus at Blindern lies in the north-west of Oslo, while the historic buildings on Karl Johans gate stand in the city centre, and the medical faculty is based at Gaustad and Rikshospitalet.
Niels Henrik Abel, the mathematician after whom the Abel Prize is named, studied at the university in the 1820s. Ragnar Frisch, who shared the first Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1969, taught in Oslo, and Trygve Haavelmo received the 1989 prize in economics there. The chemist Odd Hassel won the 1969 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on molecular conformation carried out at the university. The Nobel Institute is also located in the city.
UiO has eight faculties: theology, law, medicine, humanities, mathematics and natural sciences, dentistry, social sciences and educational sciences. It covers the full range of subjects and leads the country in most fields of research. Physics, mathematics, geosciences, ecology and evolution, law, medicine and economics are well known. The Museum of Cultural History, with the Viking ships at Bygdøy, belongs to the university, as does the Natural History Museum.
Public universities in Norway have long been free for all students, but tuition has now been introduced for most students from outside the EEA, so check the current rules. Every student pays a small semester fee. Bachelor’s programmes are in Norwegian, and Norwegian language skills are required, while many master’s programmes are in English. Applications for undergraduate studies go through the national system, and international students often apply directly.
Oslo is expensive, and housing is a challenge, but the student welfare organisation SiO runs many dormitories near Blindern.
Domains taught:
Astroscience, Chemistry, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
UiO is a member of the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and has over 60 institutional agreements with universities worldwide. It collaborates closely with public and private sector organizations.
Research:
UiO has a strong research focus across all its faculties, with particular strengths in life sciences, energy and the environment, and social sciences. It hosts several centers of excellence and has produced five Nobel laureates.
Famous Alumnis:
Fridtjof Nansen, Ragnar Frisch, Trygve Haavelmo, Odd Hassel, Ivar Giæver
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
7000
Current students***:
28000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
100000
Pros
Norway’s most prestigious university, a wide range of study options, and a vibrant student life in the capital city.
Cons
The university can be very competitive, and its large size might be overwhelming for some students.
Best For
Students seeking a prestigious and comprehensive education at a leading research university in a capital city.
Where this university leans on geotechnics and life sciences, University of Bergen does the same, and it is smaller, enrolling about 18,500 students against roughly 28,000 here, and is also a public institution.
On content, University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway and this university are close, as both teach astroscience, geotechnics and life sciences; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Both schools build their programmes around software engineering, and Oslo Metropolitan University is the one to compare first within the country, since it covers sound engineering and ergonomics and UX as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 22,000 students against roughly 28,000 here.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of software engineering can consider Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
University of Stavanger overlaps with this institution on geotechnics, so the two are easy to compare, and it covers marine science and process control as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 12,000 students against roughly 28,000 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Abroad, Stockholm University (Sweden) covers astroscience, chemistry and physics in a comparable way, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
University of Helsinki brings a Finland setting to the same core fields, chemistry, physics and life sciences, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on geotechnics, chemistry and physics is Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers computer vision as well.
Aarhus University brings a Denmark setting to the same core fields, astroscience, chemistry and physics, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
On content, University of Copenhagen in Denmark and this university are close, as both teach chemistry, physics and mathematics; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers bioinformatics and nanotechnologies as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is the University of Oslo?
The main campus is at Problemveien 7 in Blindern, Oslo, Norway.
When was it founded?
In 1811, as the Royal Frederick University. Teaching began in 1813.
How large is it?
About 28,000 students and 7,000 staff.
What are its faculties?
Theology, law, medicine, humanities, mathematics and natural sciences, dentistry, social sciences and educational sciences.
Who is Niels Henrik Abel?
A mathematician who studied at the university in the 1820s and gave his name to the Abel Prize.
Which Nobel laureates are linked to UiO?
Ragnar Frisch, Trygve Haavelmo and Odd Hassel, among others.
Which museums belong to it?
The Museum of Cultural History, with the Viking ships, and the Natural History Museum.
Is there tuition?
Tuition has now been introduced for most students from outside the EEA. Every student pays a small semester fee. Check the current rules.
In which language are courses taught?
Bachelor's programmes in Norwegian, and many master's programmes in English.
Is housing easy to find?
No. Oslo is expensive, but SiO runs many dormitories near Blindern.
Environmental Engineering, Environmental Impact, Healthcare, Innovation, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
Innovation.world is not affiliated with this school/university. We recommend to contact them directly on their website for any special request.
To complete or correct any information here or share your opinion, please comment below or > send us a direct message <.
