University of Bergen

Founded in 1946, the University of Bergen is a young and modern university. It is also an urban university with much of its campus close to the city centre of Bergen.

From its beginning, the University of Bergen has focuses on international co-operation and has earned the reputation of being Norway's most international university, both inters of the diversified mix of students as well as in its high profile research fields. There are 17,000 students.

Bergen is spectacularly situated on the mountainous western coast of Norway between the mountains and the sea, and it is one of the major geographical tourist attractions in Norway. It offers an abundance of green parks, tree-lined streets and lakes. Bergen's annual rainfall of more than 2000 mm makes it a rather humid place, especially in the autumn.

The winter is relatively mild with only short and rare periods of cold spells, but the nearby mountains offer stable snow conditions within easy reach.

The historical links with Europe are clearly visible in architecture, in shop front names, and may be heard in many words in the local dialect. The city sports a wide variety of cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants, offering specialties from all over the world. Bergen was the European City of Culture in 2000. There are around 200,000 inhabitants.

Academics

The exchange is open to students from all disciplines. Learn more about the courses offered.

Estimated cost of living

Airfare: $1,200 - 1,500
Visa: $200
Rent: $450 - 600/month
Food: $400 - 500/month
Books: $500

Accommodation

The International Office assists with finding housing. Most exchange students live in Fantoften, a residence for students. Learn more about what's offered.

Testimonial from a past student

"There's no point in delaying travel until you retire. You won't make friends the same way and you won't physically be able to do as much as you can now. Also, there's a big difference between just traveling abroad and actually living and studying abroad. You have to do everyday normal life things when you're living somewhere and you find more local spots as opposed to only touristy things that you would hit up if you only had a few days to spend in a place."

Madeleine Lawrence studied in Bergen in Winter 2009