study in Oslo
Norway's capital — the widest job market and strongest research university in the country, at the highest cost of living in Scandinavia.
Oslo is Norway's centre of government, finance and energy, and home to the University of Oslo, the country's oldest and strongest research institution. For graduates the employment breadth here is unmatched nationally.
The city sits at the head of a fjord with forest immediately behind it, and both are genuinely accessible — the metro runs to trailheads, and skiing in winter is an ordinary weekday activity rather than a trip.
The costs are severe. Oslo is expensive on every line, and the combination of newly introduced tuition and a high funds requirement means the entry cost to Norway is now substantial for Nepali students.
One large research university plus specialist and applied institutions.
University of Oslo
Norway's oldest and largest; medicine, law, natural sciences, informatics and the humanities.Oslo Metropolitan University
Applied and professional; nursing, engineering, social work, education and journalism.BI Norwegian Business School
Private; business, finance, economics and management, with a large international intake.Oslo is the most expensive city in Norway, and Norway is among the most expensive countries in Europe. Both tuition and the UDI funds requirement apply on top — treat the total entry cost as the headline number, not the tuition alone.
Against the other cities we cover in Norway, Oslo is one of the more expensive. That is our reading of this country’s own spread, not a published index.
Non-EEA tuition in Norway runs roughly NOK 130,000–340,000 a year, set by your institution and programme.
The practical texture of the place — what a week actually looks like.
Climate
Cold winters with reliable snow and very short days, and pleasant bright summers. Proper winter clothing is essential.
Getting around
Metro, trams, buses and local trains on one Ruter ticket with a student rate. The network reaches the forest and ski trails directly.
Housing
SiO, the student welfare organisation, runs subsidised housing far below private rents. Apply the moment you are admitted.
Working
Study permits normally allow up to 20 hours a week during term and full time in holidays. Norwegian widens the market considerably.
Language
English is near-universal socially and in master's programmes. Norwegian is what opens most part-time work.
The outdoors
Forest, fjord and ski trails reachable by metro. Free, and the main way students here spend time without spending money.
Non-EEA students have paid tuition at Norwegian public universities since autumn 2023 — roughly NOK 130,000–340,000 a year, depending on institution and programme.
This is the fact most likely to be wrong in whatever else you have read. Verify the current position directly on your programme's own fee page, and note that a reform was proposed to take effect in August 2026 which may change it again. Alongside tuition, UDI requires you to show a substantial annual sum in a Norwegian account before granting the permit — plan for both, not one.
Oslo 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.