NTNU: Fees, Ranking & Admission

The short answer

NTNU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, is Norway’s largest single university, with headquarters in Trondheim and campuses in Gjøvik and Ålesund. It has 43,507 students, of whom 3,815 (9 per cent) are international.^[1] It is ranked 264th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, second in Norway.^[2]

Students with citizenship from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland pay tuition. For 2026/27 NTNU lists three price categories per academic year of 60 ECTS credits: NOK 176,300 (humanities, social sciences, economics and business), NOK 205,600 (natural sciences, technology and others) and NOK 528,650 (medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine); a few programmes cost less.^[3] Doctoral students are exempt.^[3]

Key facts

Official name	Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet (NTNU)
Location	Trondheim, with campuses in Gjøvik and Ålesund (mailing address Postboks 8900, Torgarden, NO-7491 Trondheim)^[4]
Type	Public research university; Norway’s largest single university^[5]
Founded	1996 as a merger of institutions in Trondheim, with roots back to 1760; the Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTH) dates from 1910^[5]
Students	43,507, of which 3,815 (9 per cent) are international^[1]
Employees	8,600^[1]
Study programmes	507 in the text of the page; 482 in the figure box on the same page^[1]
Faculties	8, from Architecture and Design to Economics and Management^[6]
QS World University Rankings 2027	264th (second in Norway)^[2]
Tuition 2026/27, non-EU/EEA/Swiss students	NOK 176,300 / 205,600 / 528,650 per academic year (60 ECTS) by category; some programmes lower^[3]
Tuition, EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and PhD students	Exempt^[3]
Semester fee	NOK 700 per semester, rising to NOK 750 from spring 2027^[7]
Master’s English requirement	TOEFL iBT 90, IELTS Academic 6.5 on each part, or PTE Academic 62^[8]
Official website	ntnu.edu

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.

About NTNU

NTNU describes itself as an internationally oriented university with headquarters in Trondheim and campuses in Gjøvik and Ålesund. Its main profile is science and technology, alongside professional programmes and academic breadth that includes humanities, social sciences, economics, medicine, health sciences, educational science, architecture and the arts.^[1] The university counts its roots from 1760 with the founding of Det Trondhiemske Selskab (Trondheim Academy), and a merger in 2016 made it Norway’s largest single university.^[1]

Wikipedia gives the institution’s current form as dating from 1996, when six institutions in Trondheim merged. One of them, the Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTH), was established in 1910 as Norway’s national engineering university.^[5] NTNU therefore has two commonly quoted dates: 1910 for the technical college that is its best-known predecessor and 1996 for the university under its present name.

The university has eight faculties: Architecture and Design; Humanities; Information Technology and Electrical Engineering; Engineering; Medicine and Health Sciences; Natural Sciences; Social and Educational Sciences; and Economics and Management.^[6] Its figures are 43,507 students (3,815 of them international) and 8,600 employees.^[1]

How is NTNU ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, NTNU is 264th in the world. It is the second-placed Norwegian university, behind the University of Oslo (131st) and ahead of the University of Bergen (283rd) and UiT (629th).^[2] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at NTNU?

NTNU says it offers 507 study programmes; the figure box on the same page says 482, so the exact count depends on how programmes are counted.^[1] For international applicants the main route is the English-language international master’s programmes: NTNU says it has more than 60.^[9] The overview for 2027/28 includes programmes such as Biology and Sustainability, Childhood Studies, Creative Music Technology, Digital Infrastructure and Cyber Security, Electric Power Engineering, European Studies and Fine Art, all in Trondheim.^[10]

NTNU also takes part in Joint Nordic master’s degrees, delivered with other Nordic technical universities, and in Erasmus Mundus joint master’s programmes. Their language requirements and deadlines are set by the programmes.^[9]^[8] Degrees taught in Norwegian are open to applicants who meet the Norwegian language requirements.^[9]

How much does NTNU cost?

International students with citizenship from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland are charged tuition fees, also if they already live in Norway with a valid residence permit. NTNU does not offer scholarships that cover tuition fees.^[3] The price categories below are valid for the academic year 2026/27:^[3]

Category	Subjects	Fee per academic year (60 ECTS)
1	Humanities, social sciences, economy, business and management	NOK 176,300
2	Natural sciences, technology, sports and health sciences, social sciences, educational sciences, performing arts, media studies	NOK 205,600
3	Medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine	NOK 528,650

Five programmes have separate, lower fees for 2026/27: Childhood Studies and Global Relations and Sustainable Development (each NOK 26,445), International Business and Marketing and Management of Innovation and Sustainable Business Development (each NOK 61,705), and Fine Art (NOK 30,840), all master’s programmes per academic year of 60 ECTS. Fees for individual courses are calculated proportionally within the category of the programme. NTNU expects to publish the 2027/28 fees by 13 November 2026 at the latest, and the fees are adjusted annually.^[3]

Who is exempt?

Citizens of EU/EEA countries and Switzerland, exchange students from partner universities, students admitted before 2023, Erasmus Mundus and Joint Nordic master’s students, doctoral students, and holders of certain scholarships such as the Fulbright programme are exempt automatically. Others, for example holders of a permanent residence permit in Norway, must apply for an exemption with documentation.^[3]

Semester fee

All students pay a semester fee to the student welfare organisation Sit; it does not go to NTNU. NTNU’s knowledge base gives NOK 700 per semester and announces an increase to NOK 750 from the spring semester of 2027.^[7] NTNU’s Trondheim practical-information page also gives NOK 700.^[11] See our Norway guide for living costs.

How do you apply to NTNU?

For the international master’s programmes, NTNU’s steps are:^[9]

Admission requirements: a relevant bachelor’s degree, normally with a grade average of at least C on the ECTS scale, plus the English proficiency requirement. Admission is highly competitive; NTNU converts grade averages from other countries and ranks applicants on that basis, and it cannot assess your average before you apply. Check the programme page for specific academic requirements.
Deadline category: applicants are sorted into non-EU, EU/EEA/Swiss, or Nordic categories with different deadlines. Applying in the wrong category may lead to rejection, so use NTNU’s guide to find yours.
Application portal: you apply and upload documents, including test results, in Søknadsweb.^[8]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year and some programmes (joint and Erasmus Mundus degrees) have their own; the NTNU application page lists the current ones. Exchange students, placement students and PhD candidates follow separate procedures.^[12]

Which language level do you need?

Applicants to international master’s degrees must document English proficiency. Only the tests and certificates NTNU lists are accepted, and scores from TOEFL, IELTS and PTE are valid for two years.^[8]

Test	Minimum result
TOEFL iBT	90 points (4.5 on the new scale for tests taken after 21 January 2026); Home Edition accepted
IELTS Academic	6.5 on each part of the test; IELTS Online and One Skill Retake accepted
PTE Academic	62 overall; PTE Academic Online accepted
Cambridge	B2 First (level B2 or higher), C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency

TOEFL MyBest Scores and TOEFL Essentials are not accepted. TOEFL results must be sent directly from ETS to NTNU as well as uploaded in Søknadsweb.^[8] Exchange students do not need to document English, but NTNU expects at least level B2 on the CEFR scale (the European scale from A1 to C2), preferably C1.^[8] Degrees taught in Norwegian require Norwegian language proficiency.^[9]

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NTNU free for international students?

Not for students with citizenship from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. For 2026/27 the fee is NOK 176,300, 205,600 or 528,650 per academic year depending on the subject category, with a few cheaper programmes.^[3] Citizens of the EU/EEA and Switzerland and doctoral students are exempt.^[3]

How is NTNU ranked?

It is 264th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and the second-ranked Norwegian university.^[2]

Which English test score does NTNU require?

TOEFL iBT 90, IELTS Academic 6.5 on each part, or PTE Academic 62, or an accepted Cambridge certificate.^[8]

When was NTNU founded?

The university in its present form dates from 1996, when six institutions in Trondheim merged; its predecessor NTH was established in 1910 and the roots go back to 1760.^[5]^[1]

How many international students does NTNU have?

NTNU’s page lists 3,815 international students out of 43,507 (9 per cent).^[1]

Can I get a scholarship that covers NTNU’s tuition?

NTNU does not offer scholarships that cover tuition fees. Students with some external scholarships, such as the Fulbright programme or a full-degree scholarship from the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, are exempt from the fee.^[3]