Norway can be an attractive academic destination, but prospective students should prepare for the country’s high cost of living. At public higher education institutions, students from Norway, the EU/EEA, and Switzerland are normally exempt from paying tuition fees. Degree-seeking students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland normally pay tuition, although exemptions may apply. Prospective students should review each institution’s current fees and consider available scholarships and financial aid.
Another reason Norway is considered a good academic destination is the availability of English-taught programs, particularly at the master’s level. Additionally, the country’s scenery and wide range of outdoor and leisure activities add to its appeal to international students.
Norwegian universities offer data science and related programs that combine mathematics, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, and business applications. Below, we discuss five institutions that currently offer data science degrees or closely related curricula.
Top Schools Offering Data Science in Norway
1. University of Oslo
Founded in 1811 and originally known as Royal Frederick University, the University of Oslo (UiO) is Norway’s oldest university and one of the country’s most established higher education institutions. Five Nobel Prize laureates have been affiliated with the university.
UiO offers a Data Science study track within its bachelor’s program in Mathematics: Data, Modeling and Computation. The full-time bachelor’s program takes three years and awards 180 ECTS credits. It replaced the former Mathematics with Computer Science program, which stopped accepting new students in fall 2024.
UiO also offers a two-year, full-time master’s program in Data Science worth 120 ECTS credits. The program combines mathematics, statistics, and informatics. Completing the bachelor’s and master’s programs consecutively normally represents five years of study and 300 ECTS credits.
The bachelor’s program provides foundations in mathematics, programming, statistics, data analysis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and numerical computation. Graduates may enter relevant analytical and technical roles or continue to a master’s program in Data Science or another related field.
2. University of Bergen
The University of Bergen (UiB) has roots dating back to the founding of Bergen Museum in 1825. It formally became Norway’s second university in 1946 and now offers programs across a broad range of academic disciplines.
UiB offers a full-time, integrated master’s program in Information Technology and Economics (ITØK). The five-year program awards 300 ECTS credits and combines economics with subjects such as programming, mathematics, statistics, data science, data security, algorithms, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
The program’s official description lists Norwegian and English as its languages of instruction. Applicants should therefore review the university’s current admission and language requirements carefully. Students may complete part of the program at an approved institution abroad in consultation with the program coordinator, and UiB maintains several exchange agreements relevant to ITØK students.
3. Norwegian University of Life Sciences
The Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) traces its history to the Higher Agricultural School in Ås, which began operating in 1859. Its predecessor became a university in 2005. In 2014, it merged with the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science and adopted the current NMBU name. Veterinary education relocated from Adamstuen in Oslo to Ås in 2021.
NMBU offers a two-year, full-time master’s program in Data Science worth 120 ECTS credits. The program is taught in English and combines informatics, mathematics, statistics, machine learning, data mining, programming, and practical data analysis. Students can select specialization courses and complete a 30-ECTS master’s thesis.
The program begins in the fall and currently has 25 places. Applicants need a relevant bachelor’s degree that includes the required coursework in mathematics, statistics, and informatics, and a minimum grade equivalent to a Norwegian C. The application deadline is April 15 for Norwegian, Nordic, EU/EEA, and Swiss citizens and December 1 for applicants from outside the EU/EEA/EFTA. Tuition fees may apply to students from outside the EEA and Switzerland.
4. University of Stavanger
The University of Stavanger (UiS) is located in a region strongly associated with energy and technology. Energy remains one of the university’s academic priority areas, while its programs and research have expanded across engineering, data technology, business, health, education, and other disciplines.
UiS offers a two-year master’s degree in Data Science. The full-time program lasts four semesters, awards 120 ECTS credits, is taught in English, and begins in August. It covers areas such as data processing, machine learning, data extraction, statistics, programming in Python and R, and the analysis of large datasets.
The program accepts both local and international applicants through different application processes. Applicants normally need a bachelor’s degree in engineering or an equivalent qualification, together with specified credits in programming, computer science, mathematics, statistics, and physics. A minimum grade average comparable to a Norwegian C is also required.
Students may study abroad during the third semester, provided that their proposed courses are approved and fit the program’s academic requirements. Current exchange options include partner institutions in Europe and Australia, as well as other university-wide agreements.
5. BI Norwegian Business School
BI Norwegian Business School was established as a night school by Finn Øien in 1943. It is an independent, self-owned, nonprofit foundation dedicated to education and research. BI is also the first Norwegian business school to achieve the three major international business-school accreditations: EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB.
BI offers an English-taught Bachelor in Data Science for Business. The three-year, 180-ECTS program combines programming, statistics, machine learning, data visualization, economics, finance, and international business. The published annual tuition fee is NOK 106,400. Different tuition rates apply to students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, and fees are adjusted annually.
The bachelor’s program can prepare graduates for roles in management, business analysis, data science, financial technology, consulting, marketing, and related fields. Qualified graduates may also continue to BI’s two-year, 120-ECTS Master in Data Science for Business.
For the master’s program, the published annual tuition fee is NOK 135,600 for external applicants and NOK 117,100 for qualifying internal applicants who have completed at least 120 ECTS credits at BI. Different rates apply to students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland.
We hope this article has helped you search for schools offering data science programs in Norway. You may check the Available Data Science Programs for additional study options. You can also visit the Study in Norway guide for more tips and articles.
