In the past 50 years, higher education systems in the Nordics have undergone significant transformations. Once focused on educating a select intellectual elite, they have evolved into diverse and inclusive institutions designed to serve a broad spectrum of the population with various educational and professional aspirations. This transformation was marked by the geographic expansion of higher education into more peripheral regions, with the purpose of providing more diverse and accessible educational opportunities, reducing geographic and social imbalances in recruitment to higher education, and thereby fostering regional growth and innovation.
This policy brief explores the current status, key characteristics, and distribution of peripheral higher education institutions located in smaller towns and rural regions across the Nordic countries. It aims to increase knowledge about the types of students who are attracted to these institutions and the factors influencing their choices. The analysis in this policy brief draws on statistical data, a literature review, results from focus group discussions, and a survey conducted among young adults in the Nordic countries.