This article contains all you need to know about the requirements for higher education admissions. You will be guided through the selection process and learn the difference between general prerequisites and subject prerequisites. You will also get some advice on how to choose the right upper secondary school program, to increase your chances of going to your dream university.
General prerequisites
To be admitted to a college or university you need to meet the general prerequisites:
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A passable grade in at least 2250 out of 2500 upper secondary school points
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Passable grades in English A/English 5 (or higher)
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Passable grades in Mathematics A/Mathematics 1 (or higher)
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Passable grades in Swedish A/Swedish 1 or Swedish B/Swedish 2. Swedish 3 can replace one or more of the courses in Swedish. The same rule applies for Swedish as a second language.
If you don’t meet the general prerequisites with the courses of your upper secondary school, you have to complete your education through studies at a municipal adult education, komvux or folk high school. Your local authority can help you if you need to complement your grades.
Special prerequisites
For many institutes of higher education, you will need to meet more than the general prerequisites. For example, in some science programs specific subjects like Biology, Chemistry or Physics can be required. Other higher education programs might require that you have work experience. If you already know what you want to study, you can always talk to your guidance counselor about which subjects you will need to be admitted into a specific program. It’s a good idea to go through the courses your upper secondary school offers, to see if they include the ones needed for the higher education program of your choice.
Only some upper secondary school courses merit qualification points
Subjects like modern languages, English and Mathematics can give extra qualification points for the selection process. To be able to get the extra qualification points you need to have a passable grade in the course/courses.
As an applicant, the maximum amount of qualification points you can receive is 2.5 points:
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Modern langugages - a maximum of 1,5 points
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English - a maximum of 1,0 points
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Matematik - a maximum of 1,5 points
Qualification evaluation and the selection process
When you know you are eligible for a certain education, you are ready to apply for the university or college of your choice. If there are more applicants than spots available for your program, a selection will be made based on your qualifications. Your qualifications are your upper secondary, komvux, folk high school or college grades. They could also be your results from the national university aptitude test.
Selection and admission
Starting from 2010, the higher education applicants applying with their grades are divided into two groups:
Group 1. This group is called the direct group and is based on applicants with upper secondary school final grades. The applicants with final grades from komvux, with at least two thirds of their upper secondary school points from komvux, are also included in this group.
Group 2. This is a complementing group for all the students who complement their courses at komvux to get the qualifications they need. The ones who have done a trial of a grade in their upper secondary school are also in this group. A trial is basically an exam that allows you to receive a grade without taking a course.
After the applicants have been divided into these groups, a third of the spots from Group 2 are put into Group 1. This means that it is easier to be accepted to a university or college if you are in Group 1. Each institute decides how the spots will be divided for the programs offered by the institute.
As an applicant you can apply being part of both groups if you're already eligible for the program, but has decided to complement one or more courses to increase your merit qualification points.
Choosing the right upper secondary program to meet the prerequisites for your higher education
Starting from your upper secondary school, it is important that you pick the right program and courses. It’s not recommended to take upper secondary courses and subjects after upper secondary school. If you do so, you are placed in the complementing group and have a harder time competing with the people who were placed in the direct group.