Højskolerne / The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark

What Højskolerne / The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark does

Højskolerne / The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark (legally Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark, FFD) is a private nonprofit association headquartered at Højskolernes Hus, Nytorv 7, Copenhagen, that organizes all approximately 70 Danish folk high schools. Founded on the 1844 educational philosophy of N.F.S. Grundtvig, the movement has operated for over 180 years and is a UNESCO cultural heritage candidate ranked #1 by Danes in cultural heritage polling. The association serves as the central coordination body for a network delivering residential, non-graded, exam-free liberal education across 200+ subjects and 1,100+ short courses, reaching a record 40,000+ participants annually in short courses alone.

FFD's core product is the hojskolerne.dk web platform, a discovery and search engine aggregating courses across the member school network, complemented by Højskolesangbogen and a portfolio of cultural publications (Melodibogen, Korbogen, Sanghåndbogen, children's songbook, Thøger Larsen songbook) sold through the 24/7 webshop at 150-599 DKK per item. Additional offerings include the Højskoletesten swipe-based matching tool, the Level Up campaign (250+ subjects), and the Vekselvirke sustainability initiative. Underlying technology is conventional: a CMS-based website with course search and filtering, e-commerce storefront with standard payment integrations (MobilePay, Dankort, VISA, Mastercard), Mailchimp-powered email newsletters, Google Analytics, and Google ReCaptcha bot protection.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit structure: the association collects membership fees from ~70 member schools, earns modest webshop revenue from publications, and channels grant funding (notably from Nordea-fonden, ~23M DKK across 2025-2026 tranches) to member schools for sustainability projects. Individual schools set their own course pricing (e.g., Uldum Højskole: 1,950-2,250 DKK/week with under-25 discounts) and collect fees directly from consumers. Customer segments span young adults (17.5+ on gap years), adults/seniors (50+), families, and youth without secondary education. Governance is led by Chairman Lisbeth Trinskjær. No public revenue is disclosed.

Name

Højskolerne / The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark

Legal name

Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark

Website

https://hojskolerne.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1844

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Højskolerne (FFD) is the Copenhagen-based nonprofit association organizing Denmark's ~70 folk high schools, operating the hojskolerne.dk discovery platform, a publication webshop, and coordinating a 180-year-old residential liberal education tradition serving 40,000+ annual participants across all ages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Support Activities for Printing (323120)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW) (EDAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Adult education courses
• Folk high schools
• Residential education
• Personal development programs
• Danish cultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Course fees from member schools: Folk high schools charge participants for lodging, meals, and instruction. Individual schools set their own pricing for multi-month or week-long courses.
2. Webshop sales of publications: The webshop operated by FFD sells Højskolesangbogen (songbooks), Melodibogen, and other educational publications. Prices range from 150-599 DKK per item.
3. Membership fees from ~70 member schools: FFD organizes all folk high schools in Denmark and serves as their association. The organization provides services to member institutions.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Folkehøjskolernes Forening i Danmark (FFD) operates as the national membership association for approximately 70 Danish folk high schools, providing a central digital discovery platform (hojskolerne.dk) for residential, non-formal courses lasting 1 week to 12 months across 200+ subjects. The association also runs the Højskolernes Webshop selling iconic publications such as the Højskolesangbogen (601-song songbook), and offers advocacy, marketing, and support services to its member schools.

Product overview

Højskolerne operates a comprehensive digital platform centered on hojskolerne.dk, which serves as the primary discovery and information hub for Denmark's approximately 70 folk high schools. The platform includes course search tools allowing users to explore over 200 subjects across both long courses (2-12 months for students aged 17.5+) and short courses (1-7 weeks for all ages). Supporting the main platform is Højskolernes Webshop, which sells publications including Højskolesangbogen (the Danish folk high school songbook), Melodibogen (piano arrangements), Korbogen (choir arrangements), Sanghåndbogen, children's songbook editions, and specialized songbooks. Additional offerings include Højskoletesten (an interactive matching tool), newsletters (Højskoletid, FFD NYT, Højskolebladet KORT), and the Vekselvirke sustainability initiative. The organization also runs campaign programs like 'Level Up' promoting skill development across diverse subjects including sports, arts, business, and technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forlaget Højskolerne: Publishing arm that produces the Højskolesangbogen (Folk High School Song Book) and other publications sold through the webshop.

Products and services

• Højskolerne Website (hojskolerne.dk) Primary discovery and information portal for all Danish folk high schools, providing searchable access to long courses (2-12 months for those aged 17.5+) and short courses (1-7 weeks open to all), across more than 200 subjects.
• Højskolernes Webshop (webshop.hojskolerne.dk) Online shop operated by FFD selling the Højskolesangbogen and other publications, gift cards, and memberships published by Forlaget Højskolerne; open 24/7 and accepting MobilePay, Dankort, VISA, and Mastercard.
• Højskolesangbogen (The Folk High School Songbook) The 19th edition comprehensive Danish folk high school songbook containing 601 songs (including 68 by Grundtvig); available in multiple editions including large print, gold foil, and children's version. Priced 150-599 DKK per item.
• Melodibogen (Melody Book) Companion piano-arrangement book covering all 601 songs from the Højskolesangbogen; available with spiral binding for ease of use.
• Korbogen (Choir Book) Choir-arrangement book containing 50 new and old choir arrangements of songs from the Højskolesangbogen.
• Sanghåndbogen (Song Handbook) Reference handbook containing background articles on all 601 songs in the Højskolesangbogen.
• Højskolesangbogen for Børn (Songbook for Children) Second-edition children's songbook containing 90 songs, available with personalized gold foil options.
• Thøger Larsen-sangbogen (Thøger Larsen Songbook) Special anniversary songbook marking the 150th anniversary of poet Thøger Larsen in 2025, with melodies for 35 of his poems.
• Højskoletekster - Folkehøjskolens idé og opgave gennem tiden Collection of 28 texts examining the purpose and idea of folk high schools from different historical perspectives.
• På gyngende grund - Bæredygtig dannelse i et højskoleperspektiv Book providing insight into how sustainability is approached pedagogically at Danish folk high schools.
• Højskoletid Newsletter Monthly newsletter covering current stories from folk high school life, new courses, news about the Højskolesangbogen, public events, and competitions.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Folkehøgskolerådet: Norwegian council representing folk high schools in Norway. Direct Nordic peer with a similar association structure, course platform, and advocacy mandate for the folk high school model in a different national context.
• Föreningen för Folkhögskolor i Sverige (FFS): Swedish national association for folk high schools — the Nordic counterpart to FFD. Comparable mission (organizing residential folk high schools, advocacy, course discovery) but operating in Sweden under the Swedish folkbildning tradition.
• Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband (DVV): German adult education association operating Volkshochschulen (adult education centers) nationwide. Largest continental European analog to FFD's role as coordinator of non-formal adult learning institutions, though the German model is more decentralized and classroom-based.
• Norsk Voksenopplæring: Norwegian association for adult learning organizations. Comparable in coordinating and advocating for non-formal adult education across a Nordic national context, parallel to FFD's role in Denmark.

Direct peers

• Efterskoleforeningen: Association for Danish efterskoler (boarding schools for 14–18 year olds), operating as a membership organization with a comparable discovery platform, advocacy role, and residential alternative-education model. Most directly comparable Danish association with similar structure and mission.
• Folkbildningsrådet: Swedish National Council of Adult Education that funds and coordinates study associations and folk high schools. Comparable in its role as a national-level umbrella/distributor of state funding for non-formal adult education, parallel to FFD's coordination role in Denmark.
• VUC (Voksenuddannelsescenter): Network of Danish adult education centers providing continuing education and second-chance academic programs. Comparable in serving adult learners in Denmark, though the model is more credential-focused versus folk high schools' non-formal approach.

Broad incumbents

• DGI (De Danske Gymnastikforeninger): Large Danish association for gymnastics, sports, and exercise. Comparable as a Danish mass-membership cultural/sports association with similar scale (136+ employees), advocacy role, and grassroots community-event presence such as Folkemødet.
• Statens Kunstfond (Danish Arts Foundation): Danish state arts foundation distributing cultural funding. Comparable in its role as a Danish institutional stakeholder that channels state and foundation resources into cultural/educational initiatives, intersecting with FFD's grant-funded programs.

Others

• Study Circles Sweden: Swedish study-circle association promoting informal adult learning through member organizations. Comparable as a Nordic adult-lifelong-learning network with a similar non-formal, community-driven pedagogical approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hojskolerne
• YouTubeyoutube.com/hojskolerne
• Facebookfacebook.com/hojskolerne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hojskolerne
• Instagraminstagram.com/hojskolerne
• TikToktiktok.com/@hojskolerne

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Højskolerne / The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark