Living in Oslo
Oslo has a population of approximately 600 000 and is surrounded by magnificent scenery from the fjord to the forested hills. It is a friendly and exciting city where you can find everything you need within a short distance from the downtown area.
As a student at the University of Oslo you will be living in a city that has all the benefits of a capital while never being more than a 15-minutes bus ride from the sea or the forests. Whether culture or nature, arts or sports is your scene, you will find it in Oslo!
The city of everything
Culture, nature, politics, diversity, large, small, few, many – you will find everything in Oslo. The Norwegian capital houses almost 600 000 inhabitants, and over 10% of the whole population of Norway. Among Oslo’s 60 000 students, almost 75% come from outside Oslo.
Although Norwegian is the official language in Norway, most of the inhabitants in Oslo are both happy and able to communicate with newcomers in English – many even speak a third language, such as French, German or Spanish.
Fjord city
The city of Oslo lies at the top of the 100 km Oslo Fjord and is surrounded by sea, forests and hills. You can reach many of the 40 islands in the Oslo Fjord by boat from downtown Oslo. The climate in Oslo is milder than the latitude suggests, and in the summer the temperature normally exceeds 20°C. Yet, the winters are cold enough to make Oslo a popular venue for skiing.
Green city
Oslo’s many parks cover more than 8 km2 of the city. Over 50% of the city area is covered by forest and parks, and you find hundreds of lakes within the boundaries of the city. With public transport, you can fast and easy reach Oslomarka, the forested and hilly areas surrounding Oslo. Here you can go hiking, skiing, kajakking, camping, swiming, or travel on bicycle deeper into the forests surrounding the city.
Friendly and safe capital
Students in Oslo can feel safe. According to the Oslo Police Oslo is one of the world’s safest capitals in comparison with the capitals in other countries. There is less crime in Oslo than in other Nordic capitals.
For more information about Oslo and Norway, see VisitOslo.com - the official website for Oslo, and visitnorway.com.
