study in Bergen
Norway's second city, surrounded by mountains at the head of the fjords — a centre for marine and climate research, and famously the rainiest city in Europe.
Bergen sits between seven mountains at the mouth of Norway's fjord country, which makes it the most dramatically situated city on this site. The old Hanseatic wharf at its centre is a UNESCO site, and the surrounding landscape is the reason most people come.
Academically it specialises in what the geography suggests: marine science, fisheries, climate research and petroleum-related engineering, with the University of Bergen holding genuine international standing in ocean and climate work.
The rain is not a joke — Bergen receives some of the highest precipitation of any European city, spread across most of the year. Students adapt, but it is a real feature of living here rather than a quirk.
One research university plus applied and business institutions.
University of Bergen
Marine science, climate research, medicine, law and the humanities; strong ocean and earth-science tradition.Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)
Norway's leading economics and business school, with English-taught master's programmes.Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Applied; engineering, nursing, education and marine technology.Bergen costs less than Oslo but remains expensive in absolute terms — Norway is costly everywhere. Student welfare housing is the main lever a student actually controls.
Against the other cities we cover in Norway, Bergen is mid-range. That is our reading of this country’s own spread, not a published index.
The funds UDI requires you to document are NOK 151,690 for the year.
The practical texture of the place — what a week actually looks like.
Climate
Mild for its latitude but extremely wet — rain on the majority of days, spread through the year. Less snow than Oslo, far more water.
Getting around
Buses and a light-rail line with student rates, in a compact city hemmed in by mountains.
Housing
Sammen, the regional student welfare organisation, runs subsidised housing well below private rents. Apply on admission.
Working
Normally up to 20 hours a week during term, full time in holidays. Norwegian widens the market substantially.
Language
English works for study and social life; Norwegian is the gate to most local part-time work.
The mountains
Seven of them around the city, with marked trails from the centre. The main free recreation available.
UDI requires you to document NOK 151,690 for the year before granting a study permit — held in a Norwegian bank account, or covered by a confirmed loan or scholarship.
This requirement catches Nepali applicants more often than tuition does, because the money usually has to reach a Norwegian account before the permit is granted — which interacts awkwardly with Nepal's own foreign-exchange rules. Read our page on moving money from Nepal before you begin, and start the process months ahead of the deadline.
Bergen is one of 3 cities we cover in Norway. Tap any pin to compare — the city you pick moves your total cost more than almost any other choice you make.