Namdals Folkehøgskole

What Namdals Folkehøgskole does

Namdals Folkehøgskole is a private, frilynt (non-denominational) Norwegian folk high school located in Grong in central Norway (Namdalen region), founded in 1884 by Marius Hægstad and among the oldest continuously operating folk high schools in Norway. The school offers a year-long residential program (190 school days, no grades, exams, or homework) for students aged 18+, delivered across eight study lines: Backpack Japan, Backpack Europa, Cosplay, Dyrepasser (Animal Caretaker), Creative Writing, Horror, Hest & Natur (Horse & Nature), and Halvårskurs, with a Gaming line announced for the 2027-28 school year. Instruction is delivered by a small permanent staff (14 named members including a rector, inspektør, kitchen manager, and line teachers) using a Grundtvig/Bruun-inspired pedagogical model that emphasizes conversation, community, and active participation over traditional academic metrics.

The school runs a full boarding model on a single campus comprising three dormitories (Tunnsjøguden, Lekamøya, Hylla — roughly 71 beds total), the renovated Hægstadhuset teaching building with amphitheater, kitchen/dining hall, gym, music studio, library, and workshops. Core products are the program lines themselves, supplemented by a broad set of elective courses (valgfag) and shared subjects. Strategic partnerships extend instructional capacity: Park Nordica delivers the Dyrepasser line with possible animal-keeper certification; Jørem Gård delivers Hest & Natur; Grong trafikkskole and Grong videregående skole provide ancillary student services.

The business model is tuition-driven, with annual fees of 154,000–169,000 NOK for double-room programs (160,500–175,500 NOK single room) plus a 3,000 NOK registration fee, supplemented by Lånekassen government student loan support (up to 154,880 NOK for 2026-27). A secondary revenue stream comes from facility rental (Utleie) of the dining hall, gym, amphitheater, dormitory rooms, and meeting spaces for weddings, confirmations, corporate meetings, and concerts. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: students apply through the school's website or the national folkehogskole.no portal, with applications opening October 1 and rolling admissions from November 15, supported by social media presence on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Name

Namdals Folkehøgskole

Legal name

Namdals Folkehøgskole

Website

https://namdals.fhs.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Namdals Folkehøgskole is a private Norwegian folk high school in Grong, founded in 1884, offering year-long residential programs in creative, outdoor, animal-care, and cultural subjects to students aged 18+.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Folk High School Education

NAICS

Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Immersion Programs & Camps (Local/Seasonal) (EDAMAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student & Youth Hostels (Youth Organization/HI-style) (THAGAGAH), School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB)

Keywords

• Folk high school education
• Residential education programs
• Gap year programs
• Personal development courses
• Boarding school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Grong

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and fees: Students pay tuition fees covering food, accommodation, teaching, activities, and study trips. Fees range from 154,000 to 169,000 kr for the full year depending on the program line chosen. Additional fees for single room accommodation (6,500 kr total). Registration fee of 3,000 kr is paid to confirm placement.
2. Facility rental (Utleie): The school rents out facilities including rooms, dining hall, fireplace lounge, gym, auditorium, and meeting rooms for weddings, confirmations, baptisms, meetings, courses, and concerts. Contact via [email protected] or phone 74 33 20 00.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Namdals Folkehøgskole is a frilynt (non-denominational) Norwegian folk high school that delivers year-long residential study programs (linjer) for students aged 18+, combining themed instruction (e.g., Backpack Japan, Backpack Europa, Cosplay, Horror, Creative Writing, Dyrepasser, Hest & Natur) with on-campus boarding, four daily meals, and elective courses (valgfag). It also rents out its dormitory, dining hall, gym, amphitheater, and meeting rooms for events. The model excludes grades, exams, and textbooks, focusing on personal development, community, and international study trips.

Product overview

Namdals Folkehøgskole is a frilynt (non-denominational) folk high school offering a year-long residential educational program with study lines (linjer), elective courses (valgfag), and shared subjects (fellesfag). The school provides eight distinct study lines: Backpack Japan (focused on Japanese culture and travel), Backpack Europa (European travel and culture), Cosplay (costume and prop making with Japan trip), Dyrepasser (animal caretaking at Park Nordica), Creative Writing (English creative writing with UK trip), Horror (film and SFX with trip to British Isles), Hest & Natur (horse and nature at Jørem gård with UK trip), and Gaming (announced for 2027-28). The school also offers facility rental services and variable elective courses. All students live on campus in dormitories and receive meals included in the program price.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Backpack Japan A study line focusing on Japanese language, culture, history, and travel, culminating in a 3-week trip to Japan during cherry blossom season visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and other destinations. Priced at 169,000 NOK (double room) / 175,500 NOK (single room).
• Backpack Europa A travel-focused study line exploring European countries through train, bus, and boat travel, covering Italy, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, and the British Isles.
• Cosplay A creative program teaching sewing, armor making, props, makeup, wig styling, 3D printing, and costume construction, with a trip to Japan and participation in conventions. Priced at 169,000 NOK (double room) / 175,500 NOK (single room).
• Gaming A gaming-focused study line announced for the 2027-28 school year at Namdals Folkehøgskole.
• Dyrepasser (Animal Caretaker) An animal care program at Park Nordica teaching animal care, training, and activation of predators, small animals, and hoofed animals, with potential certification as an animal caretaker. Priced at 167,000 NOK (double room) / 173,500 NOK (single room).
• Creative Writing A creative writing program focused on writing in English across various genres including fantasy, horror, sci-fi, dark academia, and romantasy, with a literary study trip to Britain. Priced at 157,000 NOK (double room) / 163,500 NOK (single room).
• Horror A film and art program focused on horror as a genre, teaching film production, SFX makeup, special effects, scenography, and scare acting, with a trip to the British Isles. Priced at 169,000 NOK (double room) / 175,500 NOK (single room).
• Halvårskurs (Half-year Course) A half-year study program at Namdals Folkehøgskole, offered as an alternative to the full year-long courses.
• Hest & Natur (Horse & Nature) A horse and nature program at Jørem gård with Icelandic horses, Nordland horses, warmblood riding horses, and Dole horses, including riding, training, and care, with a trip to the UK. Priced at 167,000 NOK (double room) / 173,500 NOK (single room).
• Valgfag (Elective Courses) Variable elective courses including Amigurumi, Anime & Manga, Baking, Ball sports, Board game making, Photography, Outdoor activities, Frisbee golf, Game tasting, Impro/theater, Japanese food, Japanese language, Japanese tea, Ceramics, Climbing, Knife and sheath making, Choir, Creative writing, Art club, Painting, Food preparation, Mental training, Multisport/Training, Music workshop, Pop-up café, School revue, Knitting/crochet, Drawing/painting, Warm conversation, Volleyball, and Yoga.
• Utleie (Facility Rental) Rental of rooms, dining hall, fireplace lounge, gymnasium, amphitheater, meeting rooms, and accommodation at the school's dormitory for weddings, confirmations, baptisms, and other events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% of government student loan convertible to stipend upon completion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Park NordicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife park partnership for the Dyrepasser (Animal Keeper) line. Students work with professional animal keepers learning animal care, training, and activation of predators, small animals, and hoofed animals. Students also work at the park as part of their studies and can obtain animal keeper certification.
• Jørem GårdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorse farm partnership for Hest & Natur (Horse & Nature) line. Located near school, provides access to Icelandic horses, Nordland horses, warmblood riding horses, Døl and Fjording breeds. Students ride, train, and care for horses. Farm breeds their own horses and has over 20 different horses. Owner Tilde is agronomist and certified riding instructor.
• Grong videregående skoleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for private exam administration. Students who take private exams receive approved absence in connection with exams at the partner school.
• Grong trafikkskoleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraffic school accepting students from the folk high school. Enables students to obtain driver's license while attending school.
• Tilde (Jørem Gård)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOwner of Jørem Gård, certified agronomist, authorized riding instructor level 1 and 2, approved trainer 1 by Norwegian Equestrian Federation. Former active show jumper. Provides expert instruction for Hest & Natur program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First (Gap Year programs): Large global education provider offering gap-year and language immersion programs. Overlaps with Namdals' language/cultural immersion tracks (Backpack Japan, Creative Writing in English) but operates at much larger scale internationally.
• Where There Be Dragons: US-based experiential gap-year provider combining travel, cultural immersion, and community-based learning. Comparable in pedagogical philosophy (experiential, no exams) and youth gap-year demographic, though operating in different geographies.

Direct peers

• Hurdal Folkehøgskole: Norwegian folk high school with year-long residential programs across creative, outdoor, and cultural tracks. Directly comparable in pedagogical model (Grundtvig-inspired) and customer segment.
• Torshov Folkehøgskole: Norwegian folk high school with year-long residential programs in creative arts, music, and culture. Similar mix of specialized 'lines' and reliance on government student financing.
• Ringerike Folkehøgskole: Norwegian folk high school offering year-long residential programs with multiple specialized study lines. Most direct comparable in structure, pricing model, and reliance on Lånekassen student financing.
• Sunnhordland Folkehøgskole: Norwegian folk high school in western Norway offering residential gap-year programs with multiple study lines. Comparable scale, tuition model, and youth gap-year target segment.
• Kristiansand Folkehøgskole: Folkehøgskole in southern Norway offering residential year-long programs across diverse specialty lines. Comparable structure, scale, and customer demographic.
• Bakketun Folkehøgskole: Christian folk high school in Lyngdal, Norway offering residential year-long programs with diverse elective lines. Comparable in target market, residential model, and tuition range.
• Stavanger Folkehøgskole: Folkehøgskole in Stavanger offering residential gap-year programs with multiple study lines. Comparable in target market, line-based pedagogy, and pricing structure.
• Romerike Folkehøgskole: Norwegian folk high school providing year-long residential programs to youth 18+. Comparable tuition levels, Lånekassen dependence, and pedagogical approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NamdalsFolkeh%C3%B8gskole
• Facebookfacebook.com/namdals.fhs.no
• Instagraminstagram.com/namdalsfhs
• TikToktiktok.com/@namdalsfhs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Namdals Folkehøgskole