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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 2 November 2026.

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

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 «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).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Share aged 80 and over» most often rank low on share with higher education (moderate association, rank correlation −0.48 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 07459).

The highest and the lowest

  • No. 1 Oslo (56.4%) Fits the pattern: «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); «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 587,100 kr (no. 6 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671). 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); «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 28.8% (no. 353 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265); «Population on 1 January» 133,228 (no. 5 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11342). 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: «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 574,200 kr (no. 8 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671); «Share aged 80 and over» 4.5% (no. 321 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 07459); «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); «Share aged 80 and over» 7.3% (no. 88 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 07459). 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
1 Oslo Oslo - Oslove 728,714 56.4%
2 Bærum Akershus 133,228 56.4%
3 Nesodden Akershus 21,005 51.0%
4 Asker Akershus 101,509 48.7%
5 Ås Akershus 22,725 48.4%
6 Trondheim Trøndelag - Trööndelage 218,460 48.0%
7 Stavanger Rogaland 151,669 46.9%
8 Tromsø Troms - Romsa - Tromssa 79,943 46.9%
9 Bergen Vestland 294,860 46.8%
10 Nordre Follo Akershus 65,381 44.9%
11 Lillehammer Innlandet 29,669 44.3%
12 Sogndal Vestland 12,552 43.5%
13 Hamar Innlandet 33,817 43.1%
14 Hole Buskerud 7,205 42.4%
15 Volda Møre og Romsdal 11,009 41.9%
16 Frogn Akershus 16,429 41.3%
17 Bodø Nordland - Nordlánnda 53,638 41.1%
18 Kongsberg Buskerud 29,169 41.0%
19 Sola Rogaland 29,541 40.9%
20 Færder Vestfold 27,743 40.8%
21 Nittedal Akershus 26,032 39.8%
22 Kristiansand Agder 119,287 39.8%
23 Malvik Trøndelag - Trööndelage 14,961 39.8%
24 Lier Buskerud 28,797 39.6%
25 Lørenskog Akershus 51,511 39.5%
26 Molde Møre og Romsdal 33,291 39.2%
27 Tønsberg Vestfold 60,246 39.1%
28 Ålesund Møre og Romsdal 59,663 38.6%
29 Sandnes Rogaland 85,785 38.1%
30 Grimstad Agder 25,569 38.0%
31 Levanger Trøndelag - Trööndelage 20,807 37.8%
32 Vestby Akershus 20,167 37.7%
33 Karasjoksmall municipality Finnmark - Finnmárku - Finmarkku 2,524 37.1%
34 Hemsedalsmall municipality Buskerud 2,707 37.0%
35 Ulstein Møre og Romsdal 8,958 36.6%
36 Haugesund Rogaland 38,663 36.6%
37 Lillestrøm Akershus 96,771 36.5%
38 Rælingen Akershus 20,904 36.5%
39 Lillesand Agder 11,822 36.4%
40 Randaberg Rogaland 11,841 36.1%
41 Sunnfjord Vestland 22,804 36.0%
42 Horten Vestfold 28,173 35.8%
43 Vadsø Finnmark - Finnmárku - Finmarkku 5,808 35.8%
44 Gloppen Vestland 5,976 35.6%
45 Harstad Troms - Romsa - Tromssa 25,204 35.6%
46 Midt-Telemark Telemark 11,157 35.5%
47 Tolgasmall municipality Innlandet 1,609 35.3%
48 Byklesmall municipality Agder 1,057 35.0%
49 Moss Østfold 53,207 34.8%
50 Drammen Buskerud 106,013 34.8%