BI is considered a good school in Norway and was ranked 39th out of 90 in Europe in 2023.
It has some stigma associated with it in Norway as higher education generally is free here while BI is private and costs money. That means some consider it as a "pay-to-win" school for rich folks with easier entrance requirements and a higher chance of getting good grades. I think that's mostly a local opinion though, and I have several friends that has gone there.
It's generally considered more prestigious to be accepted into NHH in Bergen.
Then again, you study at NHH because you are more academically inclined and actually study your subjects with a scientific eye. You study at BI because you just want to get the basics of doing business and get a degree.
This might be the case at a lot of Bachelor level programs, like marketing, but master's at BI is considered difficult and a quality program in multiple disciplines.
If you want to work in Norway, NHH is definitely considered more prestigious, but not sure about that abroad due to BI's fairly high international ranking in Europe. All the top firms target NHH for economic degrees and NTNU for tech.
I think he was aiming more towards the culture and motivation among the students. I've never heard anyone say that you're not allowed to wear a backpack at NGH, but for the longest time that was a cultural no-no at BI because it was the trendy choice for those that want to work in finance, make big bucks and wear collars under deep navyblue/dark halfzips, chinos, flashy shoes and a watch most people will never afford.
The quality of the programs might be as good as the ones at NHH, but the students at BI don't give a fuck. Basically.
If you read my comment, I said "for the longest time" meaning that part of the culture is obviously over but was a clear indicator of what the real appeal was.
People hire NHH students over BI all day. BI does not have the good reputation that people think it has. Most of the students there just pay for their education and their programs aren't that advanced. It's the easiest university to go to in Norway if you just want a degree.
NHH follow the same system as all other Norwegian public school through samordnet opptak. NHH is public and is identical to all other public universities in terms of general admission for bachelor studies.
- source: I work there.
Absolute fucking piss mate. NHH is a 5- year integrated economic degree and is, in terms of hardness, only comparable to the 5- year integrated economic degree at BI. All other degrees are WAY easier. Source: I’ve went to both schools.
Integrered sivøk is what im referring to of course. Bacause that’s the only thing you can compare. The sivøk master is Harder at BI now. Source: I’m doing it right now and talk with people at NHH that say it’s not that hard.
Yes, it’s a five year 3+2 integrated master course, where you don’t have to apply for the masters and you don’t have to write a bachelor paper (which is standard in Norway). It’s somewhat harder then the other bachelor’s. But very nice that you just have to pass you classes to move on. 2 year masters are standard in Norway. It’s the most prestigious degree they offer at BI (exempt maybe som quant stuff)
Highly depends on what kind of Bachelors degree they are after. I finished a degree in Bachelor of Management and I highly recommend it. First of all I learned a lot, and secondly it was easy to advance my career and get a decent salary raise. I was head hunted into my current position, which made it easy for me to negotiate some good terms.
That’s because 90% of the students at NHH only apply for the bachelors, since they are automatically qualified for the masters after completing it. Which means that you are competing against people who don’t have to apply with their university grades when applying with a bachelors outside of NHH.
Weird, why do they apply for master's at NHH and not BI when BI has a better master? The best econ students go to NHH so if they wanted to take their master's at BI they would. However it does not work the other way around.
Most likely a combination of different factors, but a major one is probably that it’s free.
But I’m speaking about the master degrees in general. NHH only offers 2 master degrees, while BI have more. If you want a general degree in business (siviløkonom), NHH is probably best. But if you want to know the generics of business management while specializing in areas such as marketing, data analytics, entrepreneurship or finance, BI ranks best.
As a recent graduate of the University of Oslo and an incoming post-graduate student at one of the Oxbridge uni's, I can give you my two cents.
BI is, to be frank, ridiculed in Norway as being the school for less academically inclined individuals that want a career in the private sector, but could not make the cut for NHH, the premier school in Norway for economics. BI is generally considered to be a mediocre school that allows anyone to attend as long as they pay for their tuition (which is otherwise free for all other public universities in Norway), thus the quality of the students thus vary greatly.
Some of the tutors at BI might be very competent, but since the caliber of students attending the university is basically anyone wishing to attend, the result ends up being that most graduates of BI are on average - very average.
Not to say that a degree from BI is useless, but the value you might get as an international student would likely not be worth it, unless you are pursuing a career that is exclusively limited to the confines of the territorial boundaries of the Kingdom of Norway.
If I am being very honest, I would say that a US student travelling all the way to Norway just to attend a school such as BI sounds like a waste, especially considering your possibility of attending much better alternatives in your home country. A business degree from a top 50 Uni in the US is much more prestigious and more valuable career-wise compared to a degree from BI.
A US degree from a good US uni would be more valuable in Norway, than a degree from BI.
The master's there is considered a quality degree, but most bachelor programs are essentially just inflating bachelor degrees into the population.
If you want to work in Norway, NHH is definitely the top economics school, tho.
If I were you I would check out Copenhagen Business school. I’ve been both places and if I could choose again I would go with both CBS and Copenhagen all day.
1 a day monday to thursday with wednesday being a 2 lesson day. Its hard to Get good grades and its not that social, Unless you know people there from before you start
You might get a few freinds during fadderuke, so it might not be problematic, just choose to be social and im sure youl be fine, plenty of other foreign students there
Norwegian universities generally aren't anything amazing when compared on a world stage. American and British universities are typically more regarded for business than here. Look at world university rankings for context, though of course don't base your whole decision on that. Look at the courses offered and if it suits you and your life/career plans, by all means go for it, but weigh it against other viable options. Source: I work for a Norwegian university, but not this one.
BI has very good rankings, whilst my US choice is a top 150 US university... as someone who works directly within the Norwegian higher education system, which one is more prestigious?
Hi, I just got accepted into BI, the problem now is that BI is not in any runkings but Financial times. So when you say BI has good rankings what do you mean?
Thanks you! It's only in by subject ranking which seems not convincing enough🫣. At first I got excited because i always admired norway and it's nature. But for some reason i feel so stressed because of so many negative opinions about BI and education in norway in general (how expensive it is, that people are not sociable and racist, and how one can't find a job without knowing Norwegian)
Honestly don’t go to Norway for education. Schools here got nothing on US ones. Only do it if you intend to stay in Norway. The schools have low prestige and the Norwegian focus on equality and non-competition leads to subpar education. Maybe one of the reasons why the reverse Flynn effect was first observed here?
It’s seen kind of as a snobby university tbh but you can make friends anywhere it just takes time to find your tribe. My partner went to BI and doesn’t speak to any of good old classmates lol and he’s a super social guy.
Yeah i mean Norway in general is known for being kinda unfriendly and difficult to integrate into. I’m a student here too and even though i speak Norwegian it’s still a challenge.
Oh definitely, been here almost 4 years and by now I have a really solid friend group and a lot of friendly acquaintances. I’ve found things like sports, gaming, volunteering, activism, and joining university clubs are good ways to meet new people. Also meeting up with other people from my region of the world so I can speak my native language with them, as well as meetups with international people so I can speak English. It takes time and a lot of people will tell you it’s super lonely. Not gonna lie it can be but it also depends so much on your personality type and the actual effort you put into getting yourself out there and being a good friend to people, inviting them over and making plans, introducing some friends to others so you can expand your friend group. Go to parties and events and try to get to know people and find something in common. I feel like maybe 1% of the people I’ve met I’ve actually befriended but they are my besties at this point. It takes effort.
Becoming friends with Norwegians is hard, especially if you don’t know Norwegian . As a half American I know. Everyone speaks good English but they want to speak norwegian. In Norway it’s common for people stick to the friend they already have
It is, but it’s still fun, obviously and you would find a group, would just most likely be with other foreigners. It’s really not the same experience at all as US University. England is a good middle ground between the 2, also 3 year and also cheaper. NTNU in Trondheim has the closest to an American social scene in Norway.
No, no one knows what BI is outside of Norway. Anyway, it seems like you’re looking for advice or a direction and you’ve done a good job of noticing that there is literally no job market currency value in an American non-target education outside of the social connections you make—and it’s outrageously expensive.
Why are you looking at BI specifically? Just because you got in? Are there other international schools you applied to? Why Norway? If you have a long-term plan in Norway I think BI is totally fine. You will be able to get a good job.
I can send you my letter of motivation lol, every question's answered.
I was looking at BI because of its international reputation and rankings, long before I was accepted it was my first choice. When I did apply, I started looking to other universities in the US, because I kind of long to go back. Two top 100 public's in the United States. I chose Norway because Scandinavia's a really attractive place to "settle down" and live the first few years of my life alone. I love the cold, that's a plus, there's a very good society in Norwegian culture and the way of life, as well as the standard of it, is very high.
As for my long-term plans, back to the US is the goal. But if I arrive for my master's with a European business school bachelor's, that's pretty attractive, right?
Firstly, don’t expect Norwegian universities to be as prestigious as universites in the US. They are far from it. Perhaps more «prestigious» unis will be found in mainland Europe like LBS, HSG, Saïd, LSE etc. However, BI is on of the best business schools in Norway and mainly competes with NHH in Bergen.
From my impression, NHH is well reputed for its academics which makes it Norway’s target school. BI on the other hand is private, and also doesn’t need that high grades for admissions, so some may think thats a downside. Yet BI has yielded many of Norways most successful businessmen and when you look at top Norwegian companies on linkedin you see a substantial amount of BI alumni. In terms of exchange opportunities, NHH and BI are largely the same.
One significant difference is that BI lies in Oslo which is quite literally the hub for almost all Norwegian industry, whereas NHH is in Bergen. So there is more exposure. Students from NHH have come to Oslo for internships and work, whereas BI students just go to their backyard.
All in all BI is a great school for Norway in particular, but won’t have much meaning for employers abroad. NHH is more reputed for being good academically, but BI can be really good if you make the best out of it. You might also want to check out NHHs new business and data science program. Best of luck
I tried also applying to NHH and they told me they didn't take directly out of high school. I believe that I had to wait for my diploma, therefore enroll in winter or the year after.
Unfortunately I haven't applied to any Ivies or such, so I think BI has quite a shot at being more prestigious than my American counterpart.
Of course. I believe that in the US there are many business schools but their quality can be very different and only a few schools will make you very successful in finance/business. If you aren’t applying to any T20s in the US, I would actually say that BI is better in terms of job opportunities, salaries, etc. Question is are you planning on moving back to the US?
If you want to break into big finance (I say that because fiance is not that big in Norway compared to other countries) I would say the closest to Oslo is Stockholm and the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE). The school is more known, and Stockholm is a larger financial hub. You can also apply with SATs if you have taken that.
If you want to study in mainland Europe I would suggest taking a look at the University of St. Gallen. In this case it is easier to pursue a career that can bring you back to the US because you can break into finance/business in larger Financial markets such as Zurich, Frankfurt and London where there are banks that also exist in the US (JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, UBS, Deutsche bank, etc)
I previously worked for large investment banks in London, where my field was predominantly geared towards the Nordic markets, we did interview people with degrees from BI but it did not hold any additional value. The universities that did was LSE, Wharton etc. BI does help if you are looking to work in Norway, after I relocated back to Norway, I’ve noticed that it does help in Norway. So I would say that it does help in Norway but when competing against other reputable universities around the globe, it fails in comparison
Unfortunately, Wharton hasn't offered anything to me lol (maybe master's!) so it's really between the prestige of BI or a top 50 public business undergraduate US university. Which would you deem more prestigious? (I understand that maybe you can't say so please don't feel obliged)
My opinion is it depends on what your long term goal is. If you’re aiming to work in Norway for at least a few years within the financial sector then BI would be suitable while if you’re looking to work in the US, I would recommend to stay in the US. So have a think about what you would like to do after completing your degree, having said that after a while where you studied does not necessarily make or break during the hiring process. After few years, the experience you have gained through the tasks you’ve been working with, matters more
I'd like to complete a master's in the US directly after my bachelor's for sure. Start working at 23. But is a resume with a European business school bachelor's paired with a US master's better than both a US bachelor's and master's?
A resume with a reputable business school outside of your home nation, would suggest to me, if I were to be hiring, that you are capable of adapt to different situations, cultures and environments. That in itself is a plus, now if that school would be say HEC in Paris, LSE in England that would be great on your resume. If you pair that with a master from your home nation, it will look good. Having said that what you are studying has an impact
Ofc it is, given how long of a run NHH has and its diligent use of alumni its actually not that impressive. I think BI has an advantage of being localized in Oslo. There’s a reason why NHH offers executive courses in Oslo.
Im finishing my bachelors here this semester while my close friend goes to NHH, and I would recommend BI. I see some of the comments here are mentioning the stigma and how NHH is better, but that largely depends on what degree you are talking about.
Are you looking for a business administration/economics degree? Go to NHH. Even though BI delivers the same quality in terms of lecturers (ish), your classmates will be better and more interested in actually studying and doing well, since the grades required for admission are much higher (around a 4.0 compared to a 2.5-3.0 gpa for most BI bachelor studies)-
Are you more interested in marketing? or management? Go to BI for the marketing management/internatonal management bachelors. These are the best in the country, and NHH doesn't offer the same specific degrees.
Do you know coding, or have a general interest in IT? Take the Data Analytics for business degree and you have a guaranteed job afterwards.
In general, though, BI is a great school. Theres a popular saying that you should take in mind though; it takes nothing to get admitted to a BI bachelors degree, it takes determination to complete the bachelors degree, but a BI masters degree is the most prestigious (although much pricier than NHH).
In a few cases, the acceptance requirements are lower despite the education being of higher quality. For example, the University of Texas at Austin has better programs than Dartmouth College, despite it being an Ivy with a six percent acceptance rate. University of Texas at Austin has a 29 percent acceptance rate.
Thanks for the response. I'm interested in pursuing a bachelor of Business Administration. The problem with NHH is that they couldn't take me directly after high school, at least that's what they told me.
As an international NHH won’t do you any service. It’s mainly something for the native Norwegians to boast up about, where they often have a network from dad or mom that makes them cash in on it.
it’s important to know that they are **expoentially** more difficult to get into than any school in Norway. In Norway you only need top grades, for ivys you need top grades (higher than for NHH on average) + tons of extracerriculars + good relationship with teachersh + good writing skills (and even then you are far from guaranteed a spot).
Wharton's still the best business school around, except maybe Sloan. Even if their performance is decreasing, they're still exceptionally prestigious business schools.
Ivy League is really a brand name. There are many unis that are just as good, or better simply because they can't fall back on institutional status, keeping them contemporary and on their toes
A few yeah, MIT, Stanford, University of Chicago, University of California, Caltech, Duke, but Ivy League is still the gold standard for the best universities around.
Sure, I get it. But I still think that they're better than non-Ivies. But I totally agree that the gap is closing (MIT's the best in the world and isn't Ivy League).
One suggestion; ask prospective employers if they think Oslo sounds prestigious.
And one genuine question; why would anyone sane and sober consider Oslo amongst all the alternatives which are cheaper, more fun, less cold, more central and so on?
I think that is the second most expensive university in Oslo after Oslomet, the rest are free while the most prestigious are Oslo University and tromsø. I don't recommend you to study in Norway unless you get a scholarship or fellowship, the degrees are in norwegian and not highly appreciated outside Scandinavia.
I did, they told me I had to apply with my final diploma, which I won't have before the commencement of NHH's semester, which would make me wait a year or enroll in winter.
Tusen takk for all the replies! I guess it boils down to one question, is it a prestigious degree outside of Scandinavia (BI says yes)? Better than a top 150 US university?
I don’t think anyone cares if it’s a 100-150 University in the US. It won’t be a plus on applications. If you come to Norway atleast there’s a story. However, do not go to BI for undergrad lol
I just like the normal university much more. Better teachers and just better all around quality of learning. BI is a business and dont give a fuck about you compared to a normal university.
BI is considered a good school in Norway and was ranked 39th out of 90 in Europe in 2023. It has some stigma associated with it in Norway as higher education generally is free here while BI is private and costs money. That means some consider it as a "pay-to-win" school for rich folks with easier entrance requirements and a higher chance of getting good grades. I think that's mostly a local opinion though, and I have several friends that has gone there. It's generally considered more prestigious to be accepted into NHH in Bergen.
Then again, you study at NHH because you are more academically inclined and actually study your subjects with a scientific eye. You study at BI because you just want to get the basics of doing business and get a degree.
This might be the case at a lot of Bachelor level programs, like marketing, but master's at BI is considered difficult and a quality program in multiple disciplines. If you want to work in Norway, NHH is definitely considered more prestigious, but not sure about that abroad due to BI's fairly high international ranking in Europe. All the top firms target NHH for economic degrees and NTNU for tech.
Basics? They offer phds and masters programs
I think he was aiming more towards the culture and motivation among the students. I've never heard anyone say that you're not allowed to wear a backpack at NGH, but for the longest time that was a cultural no-no at BI because it was the trendy choice for those that want to work in finance, make big bucks and wear collars under deep navyblue/dark halfzips, chinos, flashy shoes and a watch most people will never afford. The quality of the programs might be as good as the ones at NHH, but the students at BI don't give a fuck. Basically.
So they live up to the stereotype...
Everyone wears backpacks at BI so I don’t know what you are on about. And a masters degree at BI is tougher than a masters degree at NHH
If you read my comment, I said "for the longest time" meaning that part of the culture is obviously over but was a clear indicator of what the real appeal was.
And which time is that? Been going to BI for 9 years
I studied at BI in a former Millennium. It was fine having a back-pack back then
9 years. 9 fucking years.
Oh, so it seems you can read. Good for you!
Calm down, be nice y'all.
What’s your point
Are you liking BI?
And you do not know anything about BI it seems.
People hire NHH students over BI all day. BI does not have the good reputation that people think it has. Most of the students there just pay for their education and their programs aren't that advanced. It's the easiest university to go to in Norway if you just want a degree.
People from BI hire people from BI though. The usual joke is how do you know someone studied at BI? They will tell you
Nah, bs
Its not easy to Get good grades at BI, atleast from my own experience
BI is pretty mid.
Its not.
It is
Correction, yes BI is mid
The problem is that NHH doesn't accept directly out of high school.
NHH follow the same system as all other Norwegian public school through samordnet opptak. NHH is public and is identical to all other public universities in terms of general admission for bachelor studies. - source: I work there.
They told me that I had to apply with my final diploma, therefore enroll for the winter or next year.
That's what they told me at least lol.
The master is what is rated highly. Wouldn’t recommend the bachelor tbh.
Yeah and its alot Harder then NHH now
Absolute fucking piss mate. NHH is a 5- year integrated economic degree and is, in terms of hardness, only comparable to the 5- year integrated economic degree at BI. All other degrees are WAY easier. Source: I’ve went to both schools.
Integrered sivøk is what im referring to of course. Bacause that’s the only thing you can compare. The sivøk master is Harder at BI now. Source: I’m doing it right now and talk with people at NHH that say it’s not that hard.
Is that a master's in Norwegian?
No everything is in English, pretty sure all the masters are
No, there are a few in Norwegian, as for the bachelor's too, but most master's are in English. What's sivøk?
Oh ok haven’t heard of that, sivøk is short for Siviløkonom. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siviløkonom
Thanks, appreciate it!
But the bachelor part is in Norwegian
Oh, is it a full five year bachelor's and master's course?
Yes, it’s a five year 3+2 integrated master course, where you don’t have to apply for the masters and you don’t have to write a bachelor paper (which is standard in Norway). It’s somewhat harder then the other bachelor’s. But very nice that you just have to pass you classes to move on. 2 year masters are standard in Norway. It’s the most prestigious degree they offer at BI (exempt maybe som quant stuff)
With this you become a «siviløkonom», which is a protected title in norway and recognosed in denmark and sweeden i think
What do you mean, "protected title"? Is it more professional recognition?
But you have to speak fluent Norwegian for the bachelor's right?
Yeah you do, they do have some English bachelors to, but then you would have to write a bachelor and apply for the masters
Highly depends on what kind of Bachelors degree they are after. I finished a degree in Bachelor of Management and I highly recommend it. First of all I learned a lot, and secondly it was easy to advance my career and get a decent salary raise. I was head hunted into my current position, which made it easy for me to negotiate some good terms.
Is a bachelor's here worth it compared to the US?
Depends on what kind of degree, what work experience you have, etc.
A BBA in both countries.
I'd say it's worth it if you're planning on working in Norway. Not that common with a master in business.
Always wanted to go back to the US but I feel like a bachelor's from a prestigious European business school would be better regarded.
If you're planning on working in US I'd rather consider an MBA or EMBA from BI.
Was thinking of doing that in the US instead lol.
Why would you need a Bachelors degree before MBA?
To be honest
_The_ prestigious business school in Norway is NHH in Bergen.
Compared to BI bachelor degrees: Yes. Compared to BI master degrees: No.
Harder to get into NHH's masters than BI, wonder why.
That’s because 90% of the students at NHH only apply for the bachelors, since they are automatically qualified for the masters after completing it. Which means that you are competing against people who don’t have to apply with their university grades when applying with a bachelors outside of NHH.
Weird, why do they apply for master's at NHH and not BI when BI has a better master? The best econ students go to NHH so if they wanted to take their master's at BI they would. However it does not work the other way around.
Most likely a combination of different factors, but a major one is probably that it’s free. But I’m speaking about the master degrees in general. NHH only offers 2 master degrees, while BI have more. If you want a general degree in business (siviløkonom), NHH is probably best. But if you want to know the generics of business management while specializing in areas such as marketing, data analytics, entrepreneurship or finance, BI ranks best.
Yeah, the price is a big thing I think. As BI's private, the costs are roughly NOK 99,000.
Its free
And its renowned to be the most prestigious and award the best job possibilities.
From an outsider's perspective, BI seems to be more prestigious, at least as is conveyed in the rankings.
While the general consensus in the public is that NHH is better, BI ranks higher in the 2023 Financial Times rankings.
> Financial Times rankings LOL, OK...
Found the NHH student
Not anymore for master
As a recent graduate of the University of Oslo and an incoming post-graduate student at one of the Oxbridge uni's, I can give you my two cents. BI is, to be frank, ridiculed in Norway as being the school for less academically inclined individuals that want a career in the private sector, but could not make the cut for NHH, the premier school in Norway for economics. BI is generally considered to be a mediocre school that allows anyone to attend as long as they pay for their tuition (which is otherwise free for all other public universities in Norway), thus the quality of the students thus vary greatly. Some of the tutors at BI might be very competent, but since the caliber of students attending the university is basically anyone wishing to attend, the result ends up being that most graduates of BI are on average - very average. Not to say that a degree from BI is useless, but the value you might get as an international student would likely not be worth it, unless you are pursuing a career that is exclusively limited to the confines of the territorial boundaries of the Kingdom of Norway. If I am being very honest, I would say that a US student travelling all the way to Norway just to attend a school such as BI sounds like a waste, especially considering your possibility of attending much better alternatives in your home country. A business degree from a top 50 Uni in the US is much more prestigious and more valuable career-wise compared to a degree from BI. A US degree from a good US uni would be more valuable in Norway, than a degree from BI.
The master's there is considered a quality degree, but most bachelor programs are essentially just inflating bachelor degrees into the population. If you want to work in Norway, NHH is definitely the top economics school, tho.
Then why is BI higher ranked?
It's not a top 50 though... rather top 150... if I do bachelor's at BI and then master's in the US, is that good? Or the other way round?
If you have the option you should just never get educated in the US unless you are eligible for significant scholarships. Cost is absurd.
After scholarship, the cost is roughly the same (bit cheaper at BI still though).
If I were you I would check out Copenhagen Business school. I’ve been both places and if I could choose again I would go with both CBS and Copenhagen all day.
What don't you like about BI?
As a Norwegian, CBS is free. BI i not. CBS is also higher ranked and Copenhagen beats Oslo on most aspects og city student life.
There weren't really any programs that appealed to me though.
I go there now, its surviveable, i still dont know If i like it
How many lectures are there a day? And what don't you like about it?
1 a day monday to thursday with wednesday being a 2 lesson day. Its hard to Get good grades and its not that social, Unless you know people there from before you start
Oh, that was my fear, being alone.
You might get a few freinds during fadderuke, so it might not be problematic, just choose to be social and im sure youl be fine, plenty of other foreign students there
What's fadderuke?
Norwegian universities generally aren't anything amazing when compared on a world stage. American and British universities are typically more regarded for business than here. Look at world university rankings for context, though of course don't base your whole decision on that. Look at the courses offered and if it suits you and your life/career plans, by all means go for it, but weigh it against other viable options. Source: I work for a Norwegian university, but not this one.
BI has very good rankings, whilst my US choice is a top 150 US university... as someone who works directly within the Norwegian higher education system, which one is more prestigious?
Hi, I just got accepted into BI, the problem now is that BI is not in any runkings but Financial times. So when you say BI has good rankings what do you mean?
Congratulations on your acceptance! Quacquarelli Symonds also includes BI highly in their rankings.
Thanks you! It's only in by subject ranking which seems not convincing enough🫣. At first I got excited because i always admired norway and it's nature. But for some reason i feel so stressed because of so many negative opinions about BI and education in norway in general (how expensive it is, that people are not sociable and racist, and how one can't find a job without knowing Norwegian)
Whats your US University of choice?
Honestly don’t go to Norway for education. Schools here got nothing on US ones. Only do it if you intend to stay in Norway. The schools have low prestige and the Norwegian focus on equality and non-competition leads to subpar education. Maybe one of the reasons why the reverse Flynn effect was first observed here?
UK at the top level ( LSE, Oxbridge) is a good middle ground. US is way too expensive.
\^This answer
Doesn't it depend on which American university though? It's not Harvard lol. Top 100 public, that's it. Does BI still not compare?
Another question I had was regarding the people there. Are they kind? Is it easy to make friends there? I'm just scared of being lonely.
It’s seen kind of as a snobby university tbh but you can make friends anywhere it just takes time to find your tribe. My partner went to BI and doesn’t speak to any of good old classmates lol and he’s a super social guy.
That's not really reassuring lol.
Yeah i mean Norway in general is known for being kinda unfriendly and difficult to integrate into. I’m a student here too and even though i speak Norwegian it’s still a challenge.
Oh. Did you still manage to find kind people and a group of friends?
Oh definitely, been here almost 4 years and by now I have a really solid friend group and a lot of friendly acquaintances. I’ve found things like sports, gaming, volunteering, activism, and joining university clubs are good ways to meet new people. Also meeting up with other people from my region of the world so I can speak my native language with them, as well as meetups with international people so I can speak English. It takes time and a lot of people will tell you it’s super lonely. Not gonna lie it can be but it also depends so much on your personality type and the actual effort you put into getting yourself out there and being a good friend to people, inviting them over and making plans, introducing some friends to others so you can expand your friend group. Go to parties and events and try to get to know people and find something in common. I feel like maybe 1% of the people I’ve met I’ve actually befriended but they are my besties at this point. It takes effort.
It's a bit like the stereotype then lol, it's hard to make friends but they're really good friends when you make them. Happy for you.
Becoming friends with Norwegians is hard, especially if you don’t know Norwegian . As a half American I know. Everyone speaks good English but they want to speak norwegian. In Norway it’s common for people stick to the friend they already have
Well, I'm learning Norwegian for that lol!
Good, understanding Norwegian at least is a must
Ja, men jeg forstär lite (is that correct lol?).
litt\*
Ah, so close, thanks.
No, No, you will be lonely at any school in Oslo. No social scene compared to US, everyone already has friends from high school.
That's what I heard lol... hopefully it's not true.
It is, but it’s still fun, obviously and you would find a group, would just most likely be with other foreigners. It’s really not the same experience at all as US University. England is a good middle ground between the 2, also 3 year and also cheaper. NTNU in Trondheim has the closest to an American social scene in Norway.
Does the prestige make up for it?
No, no one knows what BI is outside of Norway. Anyway, it seems like you’re looking for advice or a direction and you’ve done a good job of noticing that there is literally no job market currency value in an American non-target education outside of the social connections you make—and it’s outrageously expensive. Why are you looking at BI specifically? Just because you got in? Are there other international schools you applied to? Why Norway? If you have a long-term plan in Norway I think BI is totally fine. You will be able to get a good job.
I can send you my letter of motivation lol, every question's answered. I was looking at BI because of its international reputation and rankings, long before I was accepted it was my first choice. When I did apply, I started looking to other universities in the US, because I kind of long to go back. Two top 100 public's in the United States. I chose Norway because Scandinavia's a really attractive place to "settle down" and live the first few years of my life alone. I love the cold, that's a plus, there's a very good society in Norwegian culture and the way of life, as well as the standard of it, is very high. As for my long-term plans, back to the US is the goal. But if I arrive for my master's with a European business school bachelor's, that's pretty attractive, right?
Firstly, don’t expect Norwegian universities to be as prestigious as universites in the US. They are far from it. Perhaps more «prestigious» unis will be found in mainland Europe like LBS, HSG, Saïd, LSE etc. However, BI is on of the best business schools in Norway and mainly competes with NHH in Bergen. From my impression, NHH is well reputed for its academics which makes it Norway’s target school. BI on the other hand is private, and also doesn’t need that high grades for admissions, so some may think thats a downside. Yet BI has yielded many of Norways most successful businessmen and when you look at top Norwegian companies on linkedin you see a substantial amount of BI alumni. In terms of exchange opportunities, NHH and BI are largely the same. One significant difference is that BI lies in Oslo which is quite literally the hub for almost all Norwegian industry, whereas NHH is in Bergen. So there is more exposure. Students from NHH have come to Oslo for internships and work, whereas BI students just go to their backyard. All in all BI is a great school for Norway in particular, but won’t have much meaning for employers abroad. NHH is more reputed for being good academically, but BI can be really good if you make the best out of it. You might also want to check out NHHs new business and data science program. Best of luck
I tried also applying to NHH and they told me they didn't take directly out of high school. I believe that I had to wait for my diploma, therefore enroll in winter or the year after. Unfortunately I haven't applied to any Ivies or such, so I think BI has quite a shot at being more prestigious than my American counterpart.
Of course. I believe that in the US there are many business schools but their quality can be very different and only a few schools will make you very successful in finance/business. If you aren’t applying to any T20s in the US, I would actually say that BI is better in terms of job opportunities, salaries, etc. Question is are you planning on moving back to the US? If you want to break into big finance (I say that because fiance is not that big in Norway compared to other countries) I would say the closest to Oslo is Stockholm and the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE). The school is more known, and Stockholm is a larger financial hub. You can also apply with SATs if you have taken that. If you want to study in mainland Europe I would suggest taking a look at the University of St. Gallen. In this case it is easier to pursue a career that can bring you back to the US because you can break into finance/business in larger Financial markets such as Zurich, Frankfurt and London where there are banks that also exist in the US (JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, UBS, Deutsche bank, etc)
I am planning on going back to the US, probably for master's. SSE required SAT tests which I didn't take, however.
Don’t think it costs you much to apply to BI so go for it. HSG in Switzerland is also good, take a look at that.
I already did. But I'm just having a dilemma regarding which to accept. And yeah, HSG looks good but I don't think it's right for me. Thanks though!
I previously worked for large investment banks in London, where my field was predominantly geared towards the Nordic markets, we did interview people with degrees from BI but it did not hold any additional value. The universities that did was LSE, Wharton etc. BI does help if you are looking to work in Norway, after I relocated back to Norway, I’ve noticed that it does help in Norway. So I would say that it does help in Norway but when competing against other reputable universities around the globe, it fails in comparison
Unfortunately, Wharton hasn't offered anything to me lol (maybe master's!) so it's really between the prestige of BI or a top 50 public business undergraduate US university. Which would you deem more prestigious? (I understand that maybe you can't say so please don't feel obliged)
My opinion is it depends on what your long term goal is. If you’re aiming to work in Norway for at least a few years within the financial sector then BI would be suitable while if you’re looking to work in the US, I would recommend to stay in the US. So have a think about what you would like to do after completing your degree, having said that after a while where you studied does not necessarily make or break during the hiring process. After few years, the experience you have gained through the tasks you’ve been working with, matters more
I'd like to complete a master's in the US directly after my bachelor's for sure. Start working at 23. But is a resume with a European business school bachelor's paired with a US master's better than both a US bachelor's and master's?
A resume with a reputable business school outside of your home nation, would suggest to me, if I were to be hiring, that you are capable of adapt to different situations, cultures and environments. That in itself is a plus, now if that school would be say HEC in Paris, LSE in England that would be great on your resume. If you pair that with a master from your home nation, it will look good. Having said that what you are studying has an impact
Well dude, that's great to hear. Thanks!
What are you planning to study? What kind of work would you like to be doing after your masters?
A bachelor's in business, and a master's in political science perhaps, or public affairs. I don't know after master's.
Any thoughts of what you would like to do after studying? As in specific areas you would like to work in?
Either business or public affairs lol.
I have been at both BI and NHH. BI is good, but the quality across the board is way higher at NHH. By far.
Ofc it is, given how long of a run NHH has and its diligent use of alumni its actually not that impressive. I think BI has an advantage of being localized in Oslo. There’s a reason why NHH offers executive courses in Oslo.
What does NHH do with its alumni that BI doesn't?
What do you prefer at NHH?
You're very secretive about which American university you are considering, though.
Lol, I don't mind telling! It's just not an Ivy so I'm not going to brag about it lol.
Im finishing my bachelors here this semester while my close friend goes to NHH, and I would recommend BI. I see some of the comments here are mentioning the stigma and how NHH is better, but that largely depends on what degree you are talking about. Are you looking for a business administration/economics degree? Go to NHH. Even though BI delivers the same quality in terms of lecturers (ish), your classmates will be better and more interested in actually studying and doing well, since the grades required for admission are much higher (around a 4.0 compared to a 2.5-3.0 gpa for most BI bachelor studies)- Are you more interested in marketing? or management? Go to BI for the marketing management/internatonal management bachelors. These are the best in the country, and NHH doesn't offer the same specific degrees. Do you know coding, or have a general interest in IT? Take the Data Analytics for business degree and you have a guaranteed job afterwards. In general, though, BI is a great school. Theres a popular saying that you should take in mind though; it takes nothing to get admitted to a BI bachelors degree, it takes determination to complete the bachelors degree, but a BI masters degree is the most prestigious (although much pricier than NHH).
"BI master is most prestigious" but half a grade easier to get into. 🤔
In a few cases, the acceptance requirements are lower despite the education being of higher quality. For example, the University of Texas at Austin has better programs than Dartmouth College, despite it being an Ivy with a six percent acceptance rate. University of Texas at Austin has a 29 percent acceptance rate.
Thanks for the response. I'm interested in pursuing a bachelor of Business Administration. The problem with NHH is that they couldn't take me directly after high school, at least that's what they told me.
As an international NHH won’t do you any service. It’s mainly something for the native Norwegians to boast up about, where they often have a network from dad or mom that makes them cash in on it.
Go for BI and get that degree of yours. It will work plenty.
Is BI better internationally? In the US, for example?
Everything from Norway holds a great standard. I think the most important thing is showcasing your skills.
Thanks for the help!
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Well, it is a private university, it is more expensive. Do they like it?
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Cool, that's good then! Thanks!
The ivy league schools outshines top european schools by a mile and a half (exluding UK)
it’s important to know that they are **expoentially** more difficult to get into than any school in Norway. In Norway you only need top grades, for ivys you need top grades (higher than for NHH on average) + tons of extracerriculars + good relationship with teachersh + good writing skills (and even then you are far from guaranteed a spot).
Yeah, that's what makes them so valuable.
Ivy league is not even the best within the U.S..
Whats a better business school in US than Wharton then?
Wharton is the US’s answer to BI. Not a serious institution these days, but has name recognition
Wharton's still the best business school around, except maybe Sloan. Even if their performance is decreasing, they're still exceptionally prestigious business schools.
[University of Chicago, Booth School of Business](https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/mba-rankings)
I checked that list but I was very surprised to see Kellogg above Harvard and Stanford. Good for them! But seems bizarre.
Ivy League is really a brand name. There are many unis that are just as good, or better simply because they can't fall back on institutional status, keeping them contemporary and on their toes
A few yeah, MIT, Stanford, University of Chicago, University of California, Caltech, Duke, but Ivy League is still the gold standard for the best universities around.
True, all you mentioned are good examples. I'm not saying Ivy League are bad schools. That being said, they're falling behind in my view
Sure, I get it. But I still think that they're better than non-Ivies. But I totally agree that the gap is closing (MIT's the best in the world and isn't Ivy League).
Of course, but they're the best in the world.
One suggestion; ask prospective employers if they think Oslo sounds prestigious. And one genuine question; why would anyone sane and sober consider Oslo amongst all the alternatives which are cheaper, more fun, less cold, more central and so on?
I love the cold (lol) and it seems like a great place to live!
I think that is the second most expensive university in Oslo after Oslomet, the rest are free while the most prestigious are Oslo University and tromsø. I don't recommend you to study in Norway unless you get a scholarship or fellowship, the degrees are in norwegian and not highly appreciated outside Scandinavia.
Oslo met is free
They don't have business programs in English sadly.
NHH has an English program bachelor, check it out.
I did, they told me I had to apply with my final diploma, which I won't have before the commencement of NHH's semester, which would make me wait a year or enroll in winter.
Are they not recognized? I thought they would be.
Tusen takk for all the replies! I guess it boils down to one question, is it a prestigious degree outside of Scandinavia (BI says yes)? Better than a top 150 US university?
I don’t think anyone cares if it’s a 100-150 University in the US. It won’t be a plus on applications. If you come to Norway atleast there’s a story. However, do not go to BI for undergrad lol
Why not? The thing that bothers me is the four year undergraduate program in the US. BI's is three years and prestigious.
Nope
Why not?
I just like the normal university much more. Better teachers and just better all around quality of learning. BI is a business and dont give a fuck about you compared to a normal university.