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In Sweden, upper secondary education is typically offered through Gymnas/Gymnasieskolas (academic upper secondary schools). However, students who need to complete secondary and/or upper secondary education, or those who need to improve the grades from their existing upper secondary studies, may catch up to the upper secondary school level through a Folkhogskola (Folk High School).
Students who have completed upper secondary education but haven’t earned the correct combination of courses and grades to meet higher education entry requirements may take supplemental or missing courses through Folk High Schools.
Folk High Schools are also known as independent adult education colleges and municipal adult education. The minimum age for enrollment is 18 years of age. Admissions requires completion of compulsory education (grade 9).
Folkhogskola receive public funding from the Swedish government, which allows students to enroll without tuition, though they must still pay for books and fees, which may include room and board as many Folk High Schools offer on-campus housing. Distance learning courses are also growing. Folk High Schools in Sweden are available to all student. Approximately 150 Folk High Schools operate in Sweden, mostly in the countryside, but Swedish Folk Schools also exist in other countries.
Students may pursue both long courses and short courses at Folk High Schools in Sweden. Long courses typically require one semester to three years of study while short courses are typically less than one semester of 15-16 weeks.
Long courses include Profilkurser (Specialized Courses) focused on a specific field or art form, such as theater, film, music, journalism, and others. Some of those specialized courses lead to employment qualifications to allow graduates to immediately join the workforce in the field while other specialized courses may be more focused on exploring a personal interest in more depth. Some Folk High Schools also offer Swedish for Immigration/SFI language programs. Specialized courses may also include university preparation within a specific field.
Long courses also include the Allman Kurs / Behorighetsgivande Kurs (General Course), which leads to higher education. These programs typically require 1-3 years of upper secondary education depending on their prior education and work experience history. Students who have completed at least 2 years of upper secondary education already may only have to enroll for 1 year at a Folk High School. Similarly, students who have completed compulsory education (grade 9) and a least 1 year of work experience may be able to complete the General Course in only two years.
Folk High Schools also offer short courses to explore a new hobby or interest, which may last for a few days or a few weeks. Short courses are most commonly offered in the summer, and the offerings may change annually. Completion of short courses culminates in a course certificate.
All Folk High Schools offer the General Course, but Folk High Schools choose which specialized courses and short courses they offer. In addition, some Folk High Schools also offer Higher Vocational Education/HVE programs. Transcript Research considers Higher Vocational Education programs to be comparable to post-secondary vocational training that may be considered for transfer credit in vocational/technical fields.
Almost 30,000 students enroll in long courses each year at Folk High Schools. Successful completion of the General Course leads to the award of the Behorighetsintyg Allman Kurs or Intyg om Allman Behorighet (Certificate of Eligibility, General Course) or the Intyg for Behorighet till Hogskolestudier och Yrkeshogskolestudier (Certificate of Eligibility for Higher Education or Higher Vocational Education).
The General Course Certificate is also known as the Certificate of Qualification at Upper Secondary School Level from a Folk High School. It is awarded at level 4 on the Swedish Qualifications Framework, the same level as the Slutbetyg fran Gymnasieskolan (Leaving Certificate from Upper Secondary School). Successful completion of the General Course represents completion of a minimum of 12 years of primary and secondary education.
No individual grades are awarded for the coursework on the General Course. However, the Certificate of Eligibility specifies that the student has acquired a level of knowledge in each subject corresponding to at least a Godkand (Pass) grade, on the traditional Swedish secondary grading scale of High Distinction, Pass with Distinction, and Pass, which we typically convert as A, B, and C.
Students generally do not take examinations or earn grades on individual courses. Instead, instructors determine when the student has met the minimum requirements. Attendance, participation, and personal development are assessed collectively by the educators at the end of a student’s enrollment.
The concept of Pass in the Swedish system is not like Pass/Fail in the U.S. educational system, which may imply poor performance or lowered academic rigor. This grade means that all requirements were met for the course, and the student met a grade of “Pass” or better, but there is no way to determine where the student's performance fell on the grading scale. As a result, it is not possible to award individual subject grades on the US 4.0 scale since there are no grades.
Students may be awarded a Studieomdome (Study Assessment) that assesses their overall aptitude for studies. This is determined on a 4-1 scale where 4 is the best and 1 is the lowest score. This is based on an assessment of the student’s overall development, analytical and processing capacity, ambition and ability to organize, and their social skills throughout their enrollment.
While this is not a grade of their specific coursework, it is an appraisal of the student’s scholastic capabilities as determined by their teaching staff. In essence, it is an overview of their growth throughout the program by their educators. The Study Assessment score is reviewed by higher education and higher vocational institutions during admissions. In addition, the average of Study Assessments at each Folk High School during an academic year is expected to be approximately 2.7.
Since 2015, eligibility for higher education requires students to pass 10 upper secondary subjects: Swedish (or Swedish as a Second Language or Swedish for Deaf Persons) 1, 2, and 3; English (or English for Deaf Persons) 5 and 6; Mathematics 1a, 1b, or 1c; History 1a1; Science Studies 1a1; Religion 1; and Social Studies 1.
However, students interested in higher vocational education only need to pass 7 subjects: Swedish (or Swedish as a Second Language) 1; English 5; Mathematics 1a, 1b, or 1c; History 1a1; Science Studies 1a1; Religion 1; and Social Studies 1. Essentially, students who seek higher vocational education need fewer Swedish and English courses.
Students may also obtain special eligibility or prior knowledge based on earlier upper secondary studies or attending additional Folk High School courses besides those required to obtain the Eligibility Certificate. Folk High School students who wish to enroll in university education are encouraged to take the Hogskoleprovet (Swedish Scholastic Aptitute Test/SweSAT), a standardized test that can be used to compete for admissions and make their admissions application more attractive.
Resources:
Activity after a General Course at a Folk High School. Statistics Sweden, 2025. https://www.scb.se/en/finding-statistics/statistics-by-subject-area/education-and-research-in-the-higher-education-sector/folk-education/folkhogskolestatistik-en/pong/statistical-news/folk-high-school-transitions-2014-2023/
Behorigheter och Studieomdome pa Skarpnacks Folkhogskola. https://skarpnacksfolkhogskola.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Allman-kurs-behorighet.pdf (includes sample credential)
Folk High Schools Database. https://ep.liu.se/databases/fhdb/search.aspx
Folk High Schools in Sweden: Explanation of Certificate. The Service Organization of the Swedish Folk High Schools, 2020. https://www.folkhogskola.nu/globalassets/folkhogskola.nu/dokument-och-filer/folk-high-school---eligibility-higher-education-and-higher-vocational-education_criteria2.pdf
Folkbildning (Folk High School Activities): https://folkbildningsradet.se/om-oss/translations/english/what-is-folkbildning/ and https://folkbildningsradet.se/om-oss/translations/english/the-folk-high-schools/ and https://folkbildningsradet.se/om-oss/translations/english/the-study-associations/ and https://folkbildningsradet.se/om-oss/translations/english/the-swedish-national-council-of-adult-education/
Folkhogskola (Sweden’s Folk High Schools): https://www.folkhogskola.nu/other-languages/basic-eligibility-for-higher-education-through-the-folk-high-school/ and https://www.folkhogskola.nu/other-languages/a-variety-of-courses-at-the-folk-high-schools/ and https://www.folkhogskola.nu/ and https://www.folkhogskola.nu/kurstyper/behorighetsgivande-kurser/?
Qualifications Framework for Swedish Qualifications and Degrees. Swedish Council for Universities and Higher Education: https://www.uhr.se/en/start/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/enic-naric-sweden/qualification-frameworks-for-swedish-qualifications-and-degrees/
Swedish Council for Universities and Higher Education: https://www.studera.nu/startpage/road-to-studies/other-ways/folk-high-school/ and https://www.uhr.se/studier-och-antagning/tilltrade-till-hogskolan/Betygsurval/Meritvarde/ and https://www.studera.nu/startpage/road-to-studies/other-ways/adult-education/ and https://www.studera.nu/startpage/road-to-studies/admission/bachelors/ and https://www.uhr.se/en/start/international-opportunities/working-in-another-eueea-country/assistance-centre/regulated-education/ and https://www.uhr.se/en/start/system-support-services/system-support-services-for-higher-education-institutions/registering-for-the-swedish-scholastic-aptitude-test/ and https://www.studera.nu/startpage/road-to-studies/hogskoleprovet/SweSAT/
The Swedish Folk High School. Folk High Schools Information Service, 2016. https://www.folkhogskola.nu/globalassets/folkhogskola.nu/dokument-och-filer/folkhogskola_eng_engelska.pdf
Swedish Folk High Schools: https://www.sverigesfolkhogskolor.se/om-folkhogskola/ and https://www.sverigesfolkhogskolor.se/om-folkhogskola/bildning-och-larande/ and https://www.sverigesfolkhogskolor.se/om-folkhogskola/folkhogskolans-utbud/
Svenska Meriter i Antagningen, Polisantagning Samte Lite Tilltradesregler. Swedish Council for Universities and Higher Education, 2022. https://www.nacka.se/495164/contentassets/b334b00166b74dff93eec34599e6a8b3/syv-nacka-20200310.pdf
Vocational Education and Training System in Sweden. CEDEFOP, 2018. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/4168_en_se.pdf