Post-secondary vocational education, 1 October 2015

Sixty-two per cent of the students in post-secondary vocational education are men. The most popular field of education for men is Natural sciences, vocational and technical subjects. As much as 70 per cent of men were enrolled in these programmes.

The second largest field of education among the post-secondary vocational education programmes, and the field most dominated by women is Health, welfare and sport. Forty-three per cent of female students are taking programmes in this field, compared with three per cent of male students. This is a reflection of the large gender disparity in choice of field of education.

Public schools have more technical subjects

Over 50 per cent of students are registered in a public school; an increase of four percentage points from 2014. The gender disparity is also clearly in evidence in the public institutions. While 69 per cent of male students attend public schools, the corresponding figure for female students is just 24 per cent.

This may be related to the subjects offered, as three quarters of students in public schools take programmes in Natural sciences, vocational and technical subjects. In private schools, less than a fifth of students are registered in this field of education.

Forty per cent of students are over the age of 30

More than 90 per cent of students in post-secondary vocational education are over the age of 20, which is to be expected since this level of education builds on upper secondary education.

Two in five students are 25 years or younger, but the age structure of the students indicates that a break between upper secondary education and post-secondary vocational education is common. Forty-one per cent of students are over the age of 30, and almost one in five are over 40.

Few have post-secondary vocational education as highest level of education

Compared with other levels of education, post-secondary vocational education has fewer students, with 15 150 in 2015, compared with 200 200 in upper secondary education and 283 115 in tertiary education. About 1.4 per cent of people over the age of 16 had post-secondary vocational education as their highest level of education in 2014. Approximately 2.2 per cent of men and 0.5 per cent of women had post-secondary vocational education as their highest level of education.

Most students have completed upper secondary

A requirement for entrance to post-secondary vocational schools is completion of upper secondary education or an equivalent qualification. Of the total number of students registered in autumn 2014, 85 per cent had completed a minimum of upper secondary school, while 13 per cent had lower secondary school as their highest level of education.

Almost half of the students have completed within two years

Of the 7 000 students who started post-secondary vocational education for the first time in 2011, 50 per cent had completed within two years, and a further 9 per cent completed within five years.

Sixty-one per cent of men completed within the five-year period; an increase of nine percentage points from 2014. For female students, the completion rate rose from 54 to 57 per cent.

Women make up the majority among immigrants

One in twelve students are immigrants or Norwegian-born children of immigrant parents. Women account for 56 per cent of immigrant students, while men are in a clear majority among other Norwegian-born children of immigrant parents. Men also dominate in the rest of the population, with 64 per cent. About 54 per cent of the other students attend public schools, compared with 39 per cent of immigrants.

Parents often have upper secondary education

Just over 50 per cent of the students in post-secondary vocational education have parents whose highest level of education is upper secondary school. Thirteen per cent have parents with a basic education, and 28 per cent have parents with a tertiary education.

In comparison, 50 per cent of students at Norwegian universities and colleges have parents with a tertiary education, 34 per cent have upper secondary education and 6 per cent have a basic education.