Vocational colleges are both at ISCED level 5 and 6 in Norway, as said in the introduction of this chapter. ISCED level 5 is defined as post-secondary non-tertiary education. At both ISCED levels, vocational colleges are organised either in the traditional way, in a classroom, or web-based or as a hybrid, with both classroom- and web-based provision. The share of totally or partly web-based teaching increased from 2022 to 2023 with four percentage points.

In 2023, there were 18 029 students in post-secondary non-tertiary education and 13 351 students in vocational colleges at ISCED level 6. The admission requirements for post-secondary on-tertiary education is completed upper secondary education or equivalent validated prior learning.-

As the table below shows, the main part of students at post-secondary non-tertiary education study health and social and economic and administrative studies.

Students in post-secondary non-tertiary education, 2023, by field of study (per cent)

Source: Statistics Norway, Table 14259

Many students in post-secondary non-tertiary education are part-time students. This is reflected in the table below, which shows that the number of students has increased since 2017.

Students in post-secondary, non-tertiary education, 2017, 2022 and 2023, by credit points (N)

Source: Table T3.1 in Røst et al., Tilstandsrapport for høgare yrkesfagleg utdanning 2024

The high number of part-time students is also reflected in the table below, which shows that most students are above 25 years.

Students in non-tertiary, post-secondary education, 2023, by age group

Source: Statistics Norway, Table 11621