Red Cross University College

What Red Cross University College does

Red Cross University College (Röda Korsets Högskola, RKH) is a state-funded Swedish higher education institution founded in 1867 by Emmy Rappe, making it the country's first non-religious nursing school. It is owned by the Stiftelsen Rödakorshemmet (Swedish Red Cross Home Foundation, formed 1915) and operates under the Swedish Red Cross humanitarian umbrella, which links it to the global Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement spanning 190 countries. The university is headquartered at Campus Flemingsberg in Huddinge, adjacent to Karolinska University Hospital, where it co-locates with five other higher education institutions.

RKH offers a 180-credit undergraduate nursing programme (primarily in Swedish) and three 60-credit specialist nursing programmes in intensive care, psychiatric care, and infectious care (the last delivered as distance learning and the first of its kind in Sweden, launched in 2016). It also operates the Swedish Red Cross Competence Center for Rehabilitation of Torture and War Trauma (founded April 2020), which links clinical work with education and research. Educational delivery relies on standard higher-ed technology: Canvas LMS (Instructure), Zoom, Microsoft Office 365, Inspera Assessment, and Ladok for student administration. The university enrolls approximately 850 students, employs approximately 70 staff, and graduates roughly 200 nurses and 50 specialist nurses annually.

Revenue is primarily state-funded under the 1977 Swedish higher education reform, with no tuition for EU/EEA students; minor revenue streams include printing quota purchases (1 SEK per sheet after a 250-sheet semester allowance), replacement Red Cross nurse brooches (275-415 SEK), and selected course or program fees. Distribution combines on-campus instruction, work-integrated clinical placements in Swedish hospitals, distance learning for specialist tracks, and an international exchange network spanning Europe (Florence Network, Erasmus+), Tanzania, Colombia, Japan, and South Korea. The university disseminates content through its podcast "Omvårdnad och hälsa" and active social media presence, and pursues research collaborations including the HEaL project (2025-2028) funded by the Research Council of Norway and a national research school initiative in 2026.

Name

Red Cross University College

Legal name

Stiftelsen Röda Korsets Högskola

Website

https://rkh.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Red Cross University College is a state-funded Swedish nursing institution founded in 1867, delivering undergraduate and specialist nursing programmes to roughly 850 students annually under the Swedish Red Cross humanitarian umbrella.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nursing Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Nursing (EDAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Allied Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Schools (PT/OT/SLP, etc.) (EDAHAGAH), Direct Enrollment & Third-Party University Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAB), Study Abroad Credit Transfer, Transcript & Academic Advising Services (EDAIAAAI)

Keywords

• Nursing education
• Specialist nursing programs
• Health sciences research
• Clinical placement training
• Trauma rehabilitation research

Headquarters

HQ city

Huddinge

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Higher Education Funding: The university is a public higher education institution whose activities are financed by the state according to the 1977 higher education reform. Revenue comes primarily from government higher education funding (forsknings- och utbildningsanslag).
2. Tuition and Student Fees: As a Swedish public university, the institution does not charge tuition fees for EU/EEA students. Exchange students from partner universities participate under Erasmus+ agreements. Course fees may apply for standalone courses or specific programs.
3. Printing Quotas: Students receive a printing quota of 250 sheets per semester. Additional quota can be purchased at the Student Expedition at 1 SEK per sheet, minimum 50 sheets (50 SEK).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Red Cross University College delivers higher education in nursing, including a 180-credit undergraduate Nursing Programme, three 60-credit Specialist Nursing Programmes (intensive care, psychiatric care, infectious care), single standalone courses, and contract training (uppdragsutbildning). It complements teaching with clinical practice placements (VFU) in Swedish and international healthcare facilities and operates the Competence Centre for Rehabilitation of Torture and War Trauma, conducting research on refugee health, trauma-informed care, and rehabilitation of torture survivors. Educational programmes are conducted primarily in Swedish, with international exchange opportunities across Europe, East Africa, South America, and East Asia.

Product overview

Swedish Red Cross University College (Röda Korsets Högskola) is a specialized nursing education institution offering a unified portfolio of educational programmes and research services. The core offering consists of a 180-credit Nursing Programme complemented by three Specialist Nursing Programmes (in Intensive Care, Psychiatric Care, and Infectious Care), each 60 credits. The institution also provides single courses and operates a dedicated Competence Centre for Rehabilitation of Torture and War Trauma. Educational delivery is supported through the Canvas learning management platform and a podcast service. Founded in 1867, the institution graduates approximately 200 nurses and 50 specialist nurses annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nursing Programme (Sjuksk\u00f6terskeprogrammet) 180-credit undergraduate nursing programme leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and registration as a nurse in Sweden, conducted primarily in Swedish with a global nursing perspective and modern pedagogical methods including Canvas LMS integration.
• Specialist Nursing Programme in Intensive Care (Specialistsjuksk\u00f6terska intensivv\u00e5rd) Advanced 60-credit specialist programme for licensed nurses providing in-depth competence in medical science, nursing, and medical technology for intensive care settings.
• Specialist Nursing Programme in Psychiatric Care (Specialistsjuksk\u00f6terska psykiatrisk v\u00e5rd) Advanced 60-credit specialist programme training students to take responsibility for quality and development of nursing care for people with mental illness.
• Specialist Nursing Programme in Infectious Care (Specialistsjuksk\u00f6terska i infektionssjukv\u00e5rd) Advanced 60-credit distance learning programme for licensed nurses in infectious disease care, the first of its kind in Sweden, started in 2016.
• Single Courses (Frist\u00e5ende kurser) Individual standalone courses offered in Swedish for students seeking specific nursing knowledge without enrolling in a full programme, useful for professional development and elective credits.
• Commissioned / Contract Education (Uppdragsutbildning) Contracted, custom-designed continuing professional development courses commissioned by external organisations such as healthcare providers, built on RKH's nursing expertise and delivered on a fee-for-service basis.
• Competence Centre for Rehabilitation of Torture and War Trauma (research, publications, treatment methodology, student thesis collaboration) Research and knowledge centre founded in April 2020 contributing evidence on treatment and support for people affected by torture and war, linking clinical work in five Swedish Red Cross treatment centres with education and research, and offering student thesis collaborations.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~200 nurses and ~50 specialist nurses graduate annually, contributing to national nursing workforce
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SEEEPHI Consortium (ASPHER-coordinated, 4 EU + 4 Israeli universities)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Sharing European Educational Experience in Public Health for Israel (SEEEPHI) is a 3-year ERASMUS+ capacity building project started January 2021. EU partners: University College Cork (Ireland), Jagiellonian University (Poland), Maastricht University (Netherlands), RKH (Sweden). Israeli partners: Ashkelon Academic College, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of Haifa, Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Aims to develop public health in Israel by sharing European experience.
• Swedish Red Cross Competence Center for Rehabilitation of Torture and War TraumacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020Competence Center founded April 2020 and located at RKH. It aims to contribute knowledge and evidence regarding treatment and support for people affected by torture and war. Focuses on linking clinical work with education and research.
• Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo), TanzaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with KCMUCo in Moshi, Tanzania. Students have opportunities for clinical placement and theoretical exchange at the college. Part of the university's international clinical placement network.
• Kolandoto Hospital, TanzaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch-run hospital founded in 1913, affiliated with Africa Inland Church Tanzania, providing clinical placement opportunities for students in Tanzania.
• Machame Hospital, TanzaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission hospital belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, started by German missionaries in the late 19th century. Clinical placement partner.
• Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing (JRCCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing, which trains nurses and care staff at bachelor's and master's levels. Students can study abroad in Japan.
• Japanese Red Cross Medical CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner healthcare facility in Japan for clinical practice exchange with JRCCN.
• Universidad del Magdalena, ColombiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Universidad del Magdalena in Santa Marta, Colombia, where nursing students have the opportunity to study in the coastal city of Santa Marta.
• Red Cross College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, South KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Red Cross College of Nursing at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, where nurses are educated at both bachelor's and master's levels. Students can study abroad in South Korea.
• Chung-Ang University Hospital, South KoreaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical placement partner associated with Chung-Ang University's nursing college in Seoul.
• Oxford Brookes University, UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partner university in Oxford, UK. Students and staff can participate in exchange programs within the nursing and healthcare education field.
• La Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería Cruz Roja Española, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, SpaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partner institution in Madrid, Spain. Exchange of nursing students and staff within the Red Cross network.
• Universidad de Málaga, SpaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partner university in Málaga, Spain for nursing student and staff exchanges.
• Institut Régional de Formation Sanitaire et Sociale Rhône-Alpes, Croix-Rouge Française, FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partner institution in Lyon, France, affiliated with the French Red Cross. Exchange of nursing students and staff.
• UCLL (UC Leuven-Limburg), BelgiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partner university in Belgium, part of the 'We are the Moving Minds' network. Nursing student and staff exchanges.
• UiT The Arctic University of NorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partner university in Tromsø, Norway for nursing student and staff exchanges.
• University of South-Eastern NorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partner university in Norway for nursing student and staff exchanges.
• Professionshøjskolen Absalon, DenmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partner institution in Denmark for nursing student and staff exchanges.
• Escola Superior de Enfermagem S. José de Cluny, PortugalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partner institution in Funchal, Portugal for nursing student and staff exchanges.
• Florence NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean nursing and midwifery network established in 1995, consisting of 37 higher educational institutions in 18 European countries. RKH has been a member since the beginning and initiated the network's name. Objectives include student/teacher exchange, curriculum comparison, joint research, and Bologna Declaration implementation.
• ASPHER (Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRKH is a member of ASPHER, the key independent European organization dedicated to strengthening public health by improving education and training of public health professionals for practice and research.
• Svenska Röda Korsets Behandlingscenter för krigsskadade och torterade i MalmöcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of five Swedish Red Cross treatment centers for war-injured and tortured individuals. Part of the 'Mitt hjärtas syster' research project and provides clinical context for the Competence Center's research.
• Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter om vold og traumatisk stress (NKVTS), Oslo, NorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNKVTS in Oslo serves as the research headquarters for the HEaL (Health, Education and Labour market integration among Refugees) project, a 6-million-NOK research initiative funded by the Research Council of Norway, running 2025-2028. RKH collaborates on this project examining mental health and labor market integration among refugees.
• Uppsala UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUppsala University coordinates the research school in the Stockholm region in collaboration with RKH, Karolinska Institutet, Marie Cederschiölds högskola, and Sophiahemmet Högskola, as part of a national government research school initiative.
• Karolinska InstitutetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with RKH on the government-funded research school in the Stockholm region and the RMSR research program. Students have access to Karolinska's library services. Also partner in the Lana Zelic PhD project.
• Södertörns högskolebibliotek (Södertörn University Library)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary services for RKH students are provided through collaboration with Södertörn University. Distance students have access to all library services.
• Malmö University (Malmö universitet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers at Malmö University conducted the pilot study for the 'Mitt hjärtas syster' project on trauma-focused group intervention for women with war, torture, and flight experiences. Also involved in the RMSR research program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Uppsala University: Major Swedish research university that coordinates the national research school alongside RKH. Offers nursing and specialist nursing programs at scale, competing for both applicants and faculty.
• Linnaeus University: Swedish public university with nursing and health sciences programs operating at significantly larger scale. Competes for Swedish nursing applicants and serves as an alternative placement partner in clinical education.
• Karolinska Institutet: Sweden's largest medical university, located adjacent to RKH at Campus Flemingsberg / Huddinge. Offers nursing programs alongside a full medical faculty, making it a larger-scale competitor for applicants and clinical placements.
• Malmö University: Large Swedish public university with a significant nursing program and active trauma/health research (partner in RKH's 'Mitt hjärtas syster' project). Competes nationally for nursing applicants and research funding.

Direct peers

• Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing: Toyko-based Red Cross nursing college offering bachelor's and master's-level nursing programs. Strategic partner of RKH for student exchange; the most directly comparable international Red Cross nursing institution.
• Marie Cederschiöld University: Stockholm-based independent university college specializing in nursing, specialist nursing, and health sciences. Collaborates with RKH in the national research school and competes for similar applicants in the Stockholm nursing market.
• Sophiahemmet University: Stockholm-based specialist nursing and health sciences university college founded in 1884. Offers the same combination of nursing and specialist nursing programs as RKH and is one of the closest domestic competitors in the Swedish nursing education market.
• Red Cross College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University: Seoul-based Red Cross-affiliated nursing college at Chung-Ang University, offering bachelor's and master's nursing programs. International exchange partner of RKH and a structural parallel within the global Red Cross nursing education network.

Regional players

• Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo): Tanzanian health sciences university offering nursing and medical programs. Long-standing international exchange partner of RKH for theoretical exchange and clinical placements, representing the East African leg of RKH's network.
• Universidad del Magdalena: Colombian public university in Santa Marta with a Faculty of Health Sciences. Active bilateral exchange partner of RKH, providing Latin American clinical placement capacity; comparable in offering nursing programs but in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rkh_official
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@rodakorsetshogskola
• Facebookfacebook.com/rodakorsetshogskola
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/röda-korsets-högskola
• Instagraminstagram.com/rodakorsetshogskola

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Red Cross University College