Nordics Education and Training Sector Snapshot
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NORDIC COUNTRIES

This document covers Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. 

Table 1: UNESCO Student Mobility Numbers

UNESCO

Denmark

Finland

Norway

Sweden

Total number of mobile students abroad

6,041

 

10,946

15,964

15,092

Percent of population under 24 years of age

28.8%

27.4%

30.0%

28.78%

Total population

5,920,767

5,601,547

5,553,840

10,483,647

 

OVERVIEW

The United States remains one of the most popular study destinations for Nordic students, and the number one destination outside Europe. Nordic students view studying abroad as an opportunity to enhance employability, improve transferable skills and they are motivated to travel abroad in some phases of their study. Generally, the completion of a degree from a U.S. educational institute is a desirable qualification on employment applications.

According to the Open Doors 2022 report, 5,550 Nordic students studied in the United States in academic year 2021/22, a 26% increase compared to the prior year, which was heavily impacted. The Bureau of Economic Analysis’ latest statistics show that Nordic students contributed $185 million to the U.S. economy in calendar year 2021.

All levels of education are tax funded in the Nordics and thus tuition free for eligible residents. The Nordic educational systems range from highly ranked to world renowned, nearly all youth are enrolled in public schools and study English from the third grade or earlier. Nordic students with strong academic abilities often select a secondary education where they can focus on languages, sciences, math, or similar subjects to prepare them for university. The Nordic countries mainly rate above the OECD average of performance in reading, mathematics, and science (PISA, 2018), and according to the Shanghai Ranking (2022), there are seven Nordic universities among the world’s top 100.

Financial aid is also available to eligible Nordic students wishing to pursue a degree in higher education. The structure of the aid also transfers abroad with local variations/limitations due to, for instance, parents’ incomes, degree level, commencement, and terms of studies (part- or full-time; maximum amounts, etc.), creating a potential for Nordic students to pursue higher education abroad.

Denmark, Finland, and Sweden are European Union (EU) members. Norway is not a member but is linked to the EU through the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement. The EU has strict laws governing the protection of personal data, including the use of such data in the context of direct marketing activities. For more information, see the full GDPR text.

SUB-SECTORS

In the academic year 2021/2022, just over 10 percent of Danish university students that studied abroad studied in the United States. This was a small decrease from 2018/2019 and a more than seven percentage point decrease from 2017/2018.

In the academic year 2021/2022, more than 6,900 Finnish university exchange students spent a semester or a whole academic year abroad; 250-300 of them chose to study at a U.S. higher education institution. 450-500 students were studying an entire degree in the United States.

The number of Norwegian students studying in the United States has steadily decreased since 2017. However, the number of students is bouncing back, and preliminary post-pandemic data from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund for 2022/23 suggest that the positive trend is continuing. The Norwegian Government published a White Paper on Student Mobility in October 2020. To normalize student mobility as a natural part of the Norwegian higher education system, students are presumed to participate in international studies, unless they make an active choice to opt out of an exchange period abroad. In contrast to this pursued policy, two recent developments may negatively impact student mobility numbers to the U.S. in the coming years: 1 - changes in mandatory health insurance for Norwegian students will increase costs in the coming years and 2 – a proposed reduction in stipends for Norwegians studying abroad in the 2023 national budget.

In the academic year 2021/22, UNESCO’s statistics show that 15,092 Swedish students studied abroad and that of these, 18.9% or 2,851 studied in the United States. Factors impacting Swedish students studying abroad include shifting demographics, with smaller cohorts graduating from high school in 2019-23, as well as an unfavorable exchange rate. In addition, Swedish universities whose students participate in exchange programs are insured through the Swedish Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet). Despite this Swedish government authority providing extensive insurance coverage also in the U.S, there are higher education institutions that require enrollment in U.S. insurance programs. This significant increase in costs for the Swedish students can be a deterrent.

Nordic society is highly digitalized, and many students take advantage of the free online education platform available to them through Nordic university enrollment.

Higher Education[1]

Denmark

Denmark had a total of 238,518 domestic students in reporting year 2022.

Table 1: Danish students in the U.S.

Academic Level

2020/2021

2021/2022

% Change

Undergraduate

363

461

27.0

Graduate

160

189

18.1

Non-Degree

26

390

1,400

OPT

59

51

-13.6

Finland

Finland had a total of 260,983 domestic students in reporting year 2019 (latest available information).

Table 2: Finnish students in the U.S.

Academic Level

2020/2021

2021/2022

% Change

Undergraduate

293

293

0.0

Graduate

106

107

0.9

Non-Degree

10

34

240.0

OPT

76

46

-39.5

Norway

Norway had a total of 282,345 domestic students in reporting year 2022.

Table 3: Norwegian students in the U.S.

Academic Level

2020/2021

2021/2022

% Change

Undergraduate

907

977

7.7

Graduate

215

272

26.5

Non-Degree

12

250

1,983.3

OPT

131

134

2.3

Sweden

Sweden had a total of 330,876 domestic students in reporting year 2022.

 

Table 4: Swedish Students in the U.S.

Academic Level

2020/2021

2021/2022

% Change

Undergraduate

1,401

1,506

 7.5

Graduate

267

278

 4.1

Non-Degree

69

256

271

OPT

308

312

1.3

 

Totals

Table 5: Total of Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish students in the U.S.

Academic Level

2020/2021

2021/2022

% Change

Undergraduate

2,964

3,237

9.2

Graduate

748

846

13.1

Non-Degree

117

930

694,9

OPT

574

543

-5.4

TOTAL

4,403

5,556

26.2

Undergraduate Education

Most Nordic students studying in the United States do so at the undergraduate level.

Community College

Many U.S. community colleges are represented by educational agents in the Nordics and are those that draw the largest percentage of Nordic students. According to a 2018 report by the Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN) 1,200 Swedish students studied at community colleges in the United States in 2017. The most popular Community College programs 2010-2012 were the General and Economics Programs.  

Graduate Education

Contrary to their Nordic peers, Danish students generally study abroad during their master’s degree program. In Denmark, international study at the graduate level in the United States increased by 18.1% in the academic year 2021/2022 as compared to 2020/2021. Historically, the number of Danish students studying at the graduate level abroad has been relatively stable.

Secondary Education

Due to the difference in educational systems between the United States and Nordic countries, the demand for secondary education in the U.S. is limited. Since U.S. high school credits generally are non-transferable to Nordic high schools, students need to redo the grade upon returning to the Nordics, with the below mentioned exception of Norway. A U.S. high school year can be integrated into a Norwegian diploma, but not into a Danish, Finnish, or Swedish diploma.

In Norway, credits can be considered and approved, but need to be confirmed in advance with the student’s Norwegian school. Swedish students take a gap year when attending U.S. high schools, since U.S. high school grades are only acknowledged at the lowest passing level in Sweden, an option that is not attractive to most pupils.

Financial aid is generally not available to Nordic students for high school studies abroad, with the exception of Norway. In Norway, students whose U.S. high school credits have been confirmed and approved in advance, can be granted a scholarship from the government. Students are also required to pass their classes. Finnish students are able to apply for financial aid for international secondary education, but the requirements are stricter than for financial aid for local secondary education. Swedish students are eligible for financial aid at the secondary level if the equivalent education is not available in Sweden.

Online Programs

There are many local providers of non-degree and certificate online programs in the Nordics. Online programs are typically targeted for individuals to further their professional development in a specific field. These programs include e.g. Professional Certificate Training and eMBA programs.  In general, for these types of programs, Nordic students cannot receive financial aid.

Research and Development

Research and development are high priorities for all Nordic governments. Some of the most well-known programs for research and development between the United States and the Nordic countries can be found below:

American Scandinavian Foundation   www.amscan.org

Thanks to Scandinavia Scholarship   www.thankstoscandinavia.org              

 

Denmark

The Denmark-America Foundation  www.wemakeithappen.dk

Fulbright Center Denmark  www.fulbrightcenter.dk 

 

Finland

Fulbright Finland  www.fulbright.fi

Björn Savén’s Finnish American Scholarship   www.samsuomi.fi

 

Norway

EducationUSA Norway    www.education.usa.no

NORAM Scholarships     www.noram.no

U.S. - Norway Fulbright Foundation   www.fulbright.no

 

Sweden

Fulbright Sweden   www.fulbright.se

The Sweden America Foundation  www.sweamfo.se                   

 

Professional Training Services

There are many local providers of professional training services in the Nordics, both public and private. Among the most popular professional training services are management training, courses for entrepreneurs, courses in ICT, accounting, and marketing. Nordic customers could be trained virtually in areas where expertise is high and where the market segment is considered narrow, such as high tech. For U.S. companies interested in entering the Nordic market, the best option is to identify a Nordic partner to collaborate with. For more information, please contact the Commercial Specialists listed at the end of this report.

Education Technology

The Nordic countries are among the most digitalized in the world and have specifically been working toward digitalizing education over the last decade. Many schools use Zoom or Microsoft Teams as platforms for distance teaching. For handing in assignments, posting course literature, and communicating with classmates and instructors, it is common in Nordics schools to use Learning Management Systems (LMS). Examples of such include Google Classroom, Canvas, Moodle, Athena/Itslearning, and Showbie. The decision regarding which LMS each school uses is often made on a municipality level, although many schools have the autonomy to make the choice independently. U.S. companies hoping to break into the Nordic LMS markets will need to adapt their products/services to each respective Nordic language and curriculum.

Online learning platforms are widely used in Denmark, though the market is dominated by few domestic providers. Because of the oligopolist structure of the market, it would be challenging for a new platform to enter the Danish market without establishing a strong partnership with one of the giants in the industry.

In Norwegian higher education, the local platform Itslearning is losing market share against its international counterparts such as Tieto and Showbie. The latter two are commonly used for elementary, middle and high school.

In Finland and Sweden, pupils are provided with personal devices as early as in elementary school. Throughout all levels of education, students are commonly given access to MS Office and use a wide array of LMS. In addition to the LMS platforms common to the Nordics, examples include, but are not limited to: Ping Pong, Fronter, and Vklass.

OPPORTUNITIES

Nordic students are highly literate, proficient in English, have an open, international mind-set, and are interested in travel and engaging with other cultures. Many Nordic students are attracted by the characteristics of American university life. The life painted through media in the last century holds promise of collegial activities such as a playful environment with an inspirational and high standard of learning. In the very fitness and sports oriented Nordic societies, college sports are an area for elite youths looking for scholarships in the United States.

The Nordic countries consistently rank in the top 10 in EF’s English Language Proficiency Rankings. In 2022, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland occupied the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth spot rankings, respectively. Because of their very high English language proficiency, many Nordic students will not be attracted to basic English classes, but will seek educational opportunities in other, more specialized fields.

The EU goal is that 20% of all students should have experience from exchange studies or internships abroad when they graduate. The Norwegian government announced in 2017 and confirmed in a 2020 White Paper, that they have a long-term goal of 50% exchange/studies abroad. In Sweden, the student mobility goal has been set at 25% by the year 2025, yet of those that graduated in 2020/21, only 13% had studied abroad.   

Engineering, and Business and Management are the two most popular study fields for both Danish and Finnish students in the United States. In Norway, the one-year LLM program in the U.S. is of interest to Norwegian law students wishing to gain expertise in a specialized field. Swedish graduates with the highest share of studies abroad included those with master’s degrees in Business, Economics and Law as well as degrees in social sciences, law, business, and administration.

Programs/agreements where tuition can be reduced are attractive for Nordic students who want to partake in the American college experience while further improving their English language skills. Partnership and exchange agreements with Nordic universities are a common method for market entry.

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES

Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the most used social media platforms among students in the Nordic countries. These platforms each attract more than 70 percent of students from each country, making them ideal venues for digital marketing campaigns. Generally, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp are the digital communication/messaging platforms of choice among Nordic schools and universities. Students search for extracurricular jobs on LinkedIn, union websites, private job platforms (e.g. CareerGate, Graduateland, Finn.no, Monster), and university-sponsored job platforms.

In Denmark, students generally learn about educational opportunities such as exchange through their academic institution or personal connections.  It is common for universities to advertise their international programs by organizing student fairs and through student counseling.

Finnish schools often provide students with information about educational opportunities through visits or “open house” days in higher education institutions. During these days, high school and vocational school students visit university campuses to learn about degrees they are interested in. Higher education institutions advertise in social media and outdoors.

Norwegian and Swedish students often learn about the different educational routes through student fairs, high school guidance counselors, ads on social media or personal connections. There are also information meetings and student fairs held by local education agents reaching out to students regarding international higher education opportunities, sports scholarships etc. 

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which governs how personal data of individuals in the EU may be processed and transferred, went into effect on May 25, 2018. The Nordic markets are bound by GDPR rules. Conducting advertising campaigns directed at EU markets or mentioning an EU member state in relation to the good or service could be relevant to U.S. companies. For more information, see full GDPR text (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1552662547490&uri=CELEX%3A32016R0679).

EVENTS

College Days Scandinavia: https://collegedayfairs.org/

Denark

EDU days

Webinars approximately biweekly (no in-person events due to COVID-19)

https://edu-danmark.dk/edu-days

 

Finland

Educa Helsinki: Trade fair for education and training sector

Helsinki, 27–28 Jan 2023

https://educa.messukeskus.com/?lang=en

 

Studia: Finland’s largest youth study and career event

Helsinki, 28–29 November 2023

https://studia.messukeskus.com/?lang=en
 

Norway

Ta Utdanning

https://www.tautdanning.no/english-digital/

 

Sweden

Gymnasiemässan

Sweden’s largest high school fairs generally held in October-November. In 2023, the fair will be completely digital, scheduled for November 22-23. https://www.gymnasiemassan.nu/?sc_lang=en

 

Saco Student Fair

Sweden’s largest event for post-secondary education. In 2023, it will be held on November 23-30 in Stockholm and on December 6 in Malmö.

https://www.saco.se/en/studentfair/

 

RESOURCES/REFERENCES

Denmark

Finland

Norway

Sweden

Other

U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE CONTACTS

Patrycja Dahl, Commercial Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service – Denmark
Email: Patrycja.Dahl@trade.gov 

 

Frida Kuusiluoma, Commercial Assistant

U.S. Commercial Service – Finland

Email: Frida.Kuusiluoma@trade.gov

 

Heming Bjorna, Commercial Specialist

U.S. Commercial Service – Norway

Email: heming.bjorna@trade.gov

 

Nancy Bjorshammar, Commercial Specialist

U.S. Commercial Service – Sweden

Email: nancy.bjorshammar@trade.gov