Nord University
Nord University is a publicly funded Norwegian state university headquartered in Bodø, operating eight campuses across northern Norway and serving ~10,000+ students through degree programs, SEA-EU joint European degrees, and continuing education, with specializations in Arctic, marine, and blue/green growth fields.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBodø, Norway
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Nord University does
Nord University (Nord universitet) is a publicly funded Norwegian state university headquartered in Bodø, Norway, operating across eight campuses in Nordland and Trøndelag counties. Founded in 2016 through the merger of Høgskolen i Nord-Trøndelag, Høgskolen i Nesna, and Universitetet i Nordland, the institution serves approximately 10,000+ students through ~1,634 employees organized across five faculties: Biosciences and Aquaculture, Education and Arts, Social Sciences, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Nord University Business School. Its educational portfolio spans 1,818 study plans and 1,167 courses, delivered via Canvas LMS, Microsoft 365, and an upcoming transition to WISEflow for examinations in September 2026.
The university's core products are degree programs (bachelor's, master's, PhD) with distinct Arctic and High North specializations in blue/green growth, marine sciences, aquaculture, public security, and sustainability. It operates several differentiated offerings: SEA-EU joint degree programs (SeaBluE Bachelor at €1,500/year, STORM Master at €3,750/year, MIPMAL Master at €4,500/year), the Nord Summer School (~130 international participants in 2026), continuing education (EVU) micro-modules and session-based master's for working professionals, and an extensive exchange network via north2north and Erasmus+ with 205+ partner institutions.
Nord University's business model is anchored in Norwegian government appropriation through the Ministry of Education and Research, supplemented by competitive research grants (Norwegian Research Council, EU programs), international tuition from SEA-EU programs, and commissioned research. Its go-to-market combines direct student recruitment (international education fairs, senior advisors targeting EU markets), partner-channel recruitment through 205+ institutional partnerships, and community-led growth via the Nord Summer School. The university is a core member of two strategic alliances — SEA-EU (9 European universities, 150,000+ students) and Arctic Six (6 Nordic universities) — providing network-driven access to joint degrees, student mobility, and collaborative research.
Nord University firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nord University
- Legal name
- Nord universitet
- Website
- https://nord.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Nord University is a publicly funded Norwegian state university headquartered in Bodø, operating eight campuses across northern Norway and serving ~10,000+ students through degree programs, SEA-EU joint European degrees, and continuing education, with specializations in Arctic, marine, and blue/green growth fields.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nord University industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- University-Led Summer/Winter Schools (Credit/Non-Credit) (EDAIAIAA)
Where Nord University is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bodø
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Nord University business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Government Funding: As a public Norwegian university, Nord University receives primary funding from the Norwegian government through the Ministry of Education and Research. This covers core operations, research activities, and most educational programs for domestic students.
- International Student Tuition - SEA-EU Programs: Nord University charges tuition for SEA-EU joint degree programs: SeaBluE Bachelor costs 1500€ per year (4500€ total), STORM Master costs 3750€ per year, MIPMAL Master costs 4500€ per year. Scholarships and merit-based waivers are available.
- Non-EU/EEA Student Funding Requirements: Non-EU/EEA exchange students must document sufficient funds: NOK 91,014 for Spring semester 2026, demonstrating living expense requirements rather than direct tuition payments.
- Research Grants and Contracts: Nord University generates revenue through competitive research funding from Norwegian Research Council, EU research programs, and commissioned research for public and private sector partners. Active research projects span blue/green growth, health, public security, and innovation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | SeaBluE Bachelor Program - 3 year sustainable blue economy degree |
| Subscription | Annual | STORM Master Program - 2 year sustainability transition degree |
| Subscription | Annual | MIPMAL Master Program - 2 year port management degree |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Exchange Student Living Expenses Requirement |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Nord University product offering
Product offeringCore offering
No information regarding Nord University's core offerings is available in the provided input data.
Product overview
Nord University is a Norwegian educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of study programmes across multiple faculties. The university's educational offerings include bachelor's programmes, master's programmes, PhD programmes, one-year programmes, and shorter programmes through its faculties: Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture (FBA), Faculty of Education and Arts, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Nord University Business School. Special offerings include SEA-EU joint degree programmes with European partner universities (SeaBluE bachelor's, STORM and MIPMAL master's, and doctoral programme in marine sciences), Nord Summer School courses, and continuing education programmes. The university operates multiple campuses across Northern Norway and provides library services, research programmes, and international exchange opportunities as part of its educational service portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SEA-EU: European University of the Seas alliance - a European university alliance for collaboration in education and research across borders, with Nord University as a member alongside 8 other European universities.
- Arctic Six
- Nord Summer School
Quantifiable outcome
- 62% increase in international first-priority applicants from 592 to 957 between 2025-2026
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Nord University
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Nord University technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Nord University partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Øvelse Nord Samvirke Partners (Hovudredningssentralen, Salten Brann, Nordland Politidistrikt)coreRenewed cooperation agreement for Øvelse Nord (Nord Exercise), Nordic's largest civil emergency cooperation exercise conducted for over 30 years. Partners include Main Rescue Centre, Salten Fire Service, and Nordland Police District. 17 emergency actors and ~300 students participated in 2026 exercise managing a major traffic accident scenario in a tunnel.
- SEA-EU (European University of the Seas)coreSEA-EU is a European university alliance established in 2019 with 6 founding universities and expanded in 2022 with 3 new members including Nord University. The alliance focuses on coastal research and education with over 150,000 students and 18,000 employees across 9 universities. Nord has co-responsibility for education/training and research/innovation work packages. Joint degree programs include SeaBluE Bachelor, STORM Master, and MIPMAL Master.
- Arctic SixcoreArctic Six is an alliance of six universities in Norway, Sweden, and Finland focusing on education, research, and innovation for sustainable Arctic development. Members include Luleå Technical University, UiT, Umeå University, Lapland University, Oulu University, and Nord University. Nord is represented by chairs and fellows in research positions.
- SEA-EU Associated Partners (Bodø kommune, Levanger kommune, ACT Cluster, NCE Aquaculture, SALT, InnovArena, Nordlandsforskning, Bodø havn, Trondheim havn)minorRegional stakeholders associated with SEA-EU alliance including municipal governments, industry clusters (aquaculture, innovation), research institutes, and port authorities. They participate in alliance activities and can host students and serve as research partners.
- University of Alaska AnchorageminorDiane Hirshberg from University of Alaska Anchorage received High North Hero award in 2023 and returned to Nord University to lecture and mentor students at Nord Summer School, supporting Arctic-focused educational collaboration.
- Freie Universität BerlinminorGerman university whose student Frederik Safner (AI/informatics master's) attended Nord Summer School, demonstrating institutional connections through student mobility and academic exchange.
- Salmon Center GildeskålminorAquaculture company hosting field visits for Nord Summer School students as part of the 'Sustainable Blue Growth in the High North' program, providing hands-on industry exposure.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nord University competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- UiT – The Arctic University of Norway: Norway's flagship Arctic-focused public university based in Tromsø. The most directly comparable peer: similar public-funder structure, Arctic/High North research specialization, multi-campus footprint across northern Norway, comparable international recruitment motion, and similar competing portfolio in biosciences, fisheries, and humanities.
- University of Alaska Anchorage: U.S. Arctic-focused public university explicitly named in Nord's partnership activity (Diane Hirshberg lectures at Nord Summer School). Directly comparable through shared Arctic pedagogy, circumpolar research themes, and a regional-multi-campus distribution model.
- Luleå University of Technology: Swedish Arctic Six partner university with comparable positioning around northern/Arctic engineering, applied research, and public-sector collaboration. Operates as a mid-sized regional university distributing education across northern Sweden, much like Nord distributes across northern Norway.
- Umeå University: Arctic Six member with a similar profile as a multi-faculty public university serving northern Sweden. Comparable in scale, public funding model, and a portfolio that includes medicine, biosciences, and sustainability research.
- University of Akureyri: Icelandic public university with a strongly Arctic/circumpolar identity and similar small-to-mid scale. Directly comparable niche positioning in northern studies, health sciences, and aquaculture-adjacent programs aimed at sparsely populated northern regions.
- Lapland University of Applied Sciences: Finnish Arctic Six partner operating across multiple northern campuses. Comparable in serving a sparsely populated Arctic region with applied, professional-education programs in health, business, and industry — closely parallel to Nord's regional mandate.
- University of Oulu: Finnish Arctic Six member with comparable scientific and applied research profile around northern, biomedical, and ICT themes. Operates as a multi-faculty public research university serving the Nordic north.
Broad incumbents
- NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology: Norway's largest public university. A broader incumbent in the same Norwegian higher-education funding system with overlapping faculties (natural sciences, business, social sciences). Not an Arctic specialist, but competes for the same domestic applicant pool and research grants.
- University of Bergen: Major Norwegian public university competing for similar domestic and international applicants in life sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Comparable as a multi-faculty publicly funded institution, but with a Mediterranean-climate rather than Arctic focus.
- NMBU – Norwegian University of Life Sciences: Norwegian public university sharing a public-funder model and overlap on biosciences, aquaculture, and sustainability — areas where Nord's FBA competes for the same applicant pool and research funding.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nord University social profiles
Digital presenceNord University financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nord University leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Nord University funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nord University M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nord University
What does Nord University do?
No information regarding Nord University's core offerings is available in the provided input data.
Is Nord University a public or private company?
Nord University is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Nord University founded?
Nord University was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Nord University based?
Nord University is headquartered in Bodø, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Nord University make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are international Student Tuition - SEA-EU Programs, non-EU/EEA Student Funding Requirements and research Grants and Contracts.
Who are Nord University's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, University of Alaska Anchorage, Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University, University of Akureyri, Lapland University of Applied Sciences and University of Oulu. Broad incumbents are NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University of Bergen and NMBU – Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
Does Nord University have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nord University.
What industry is Nord University in?
Nord University's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAIAA, University-Led Summer/Winter Schools (Credit/Non-Credit). Its NAICS code is 611310 and its SIC code is 8200.