Folkehøgskolen Sørlandet
- Folkehøgskoleveien 30, Birkeland
- Telephone: 37281100
- E-mail: post@fhssorlandet.no
- Number of students: 135
- Hours of tuition per week: 27One tuition hour is 45 minutes.
- Start-up date: 21.08.2027
- Location: Birkenes Kommune
We are proud to be a broad-based folk high school, offering a wide range of study programs, electives, facilities, and experiences. Our diverse staff and student community create an inclusive environment where different interests, backgrounds, and perspectives come together.
Founded in 1912, Folkehøgskolen Sørlandet combines tradition with modern facilities. Students enjoy comfortable rooms with private bathrooms, shared lounges and kitchens, a well-equipped gym, a modern sports hall, a swimming pool with sauna, campus-wide internet access, and a dedicated LAN room. The campus also includes a café, workshops, arts and crafts facilities, billiards, table tennis, and spacious common areas, providing everything needed for a memorable school year.
The school is located in the heart of Birkeland, within walking distance of shops, cafés, sports facilities, and beautiful natural surroundings. Excellent public transport links provide easy access to Kristiansand, Lillesand, and Arendal, while Kristiansand Airport Kjevik is just 20 km away.
Our vision is that the friendships, experiences, and encounters formed at school and on our travels create lasting positive change.
Our core values are:
You will become part of a welcoming and inclusive community where students and staff are genuinely engaged. Inspired by our Christian values, we promote compassion, respect, and human dignity, while ensuring that every student is seen, valued, and encouraged to grow.
I denne perioden har du valget mellom ulike turer. Alternativene blir presentert i starten av året, og du får begrenset med tid til å velge, så sett deg inn i turene i forkant. Om det skulle skje at det er få som velger samme alternativt som deg, vil det kunne påvirke både pris, og hvorvidt turen blir gjennomført eller ikke.
Pris og destinasjon kan bli endret til skolestart.
Price: Included in course price
This is one of the 3 group trips you can choose from. It takes place in March/April. You choose the trip after you have started school (The cost is included in the school fee - so this trip does not cost anything extra).
Copenhagen is a vibrant capital with a European flair. There are many opportunities here!
Lonely Planet named Copenhagen the best city in the world to visit in 2019. If you choose to join us to the “King’s City,” you might understand why.
We stay very centrally, within walking distance to most of what the charming capital is known for: bustling street life, cozy cafes, happy people, peaceful parks, magnificent architecture, beautiful streets and alleys, exciting art and cultural life, shopping, and Tivoli.
The Copenhagen Card is included, giving you access to free public transport and about 80 attractions and sights. Some activities we do together, some in groups, and some you can choose freely. Together, we create a program that is educational, exciting, and unique.
Since the price for Copenhagen is included in the school fees, this is a budget trip. But you will see and experience that it is entirely possible to have a rich and unforgettable trip without it costing too much.
Price: 10 500
This is one of the 3 group trips you can choose from. It takes place in March/April. You choose the trip after you have started school (This trip costs an additional 10,500).
Join us on a rich journey you will not soon forget! We travel across England. From the port city of Liverpool to the capital London. Experience musicals, Stonehenge, Oxford University, Silverstone Racetrack, and the city of London itself! This is a trip for those who want to see and experience a lot!
We start the trip in Liverpool, where we visit the Beatles Museum, the Merseyside Maritime Museum, and try to schedule the trip on a match day so that those who wish can get tickets to a Liverpool match at Anfield! We then travel to Birmingham, where we both explore the city and attend a musical together.
Next, we travel to Silverstone, a renowned Formula 1 track, where we visit the motor history museum. Here you have the opportunity to book a drive on the track in beautiful supercars! (This is paid for by the student if desired).
We then visit Oxford University, where we get a tour from local students, before traveling to see perhaps the world’s most talked-about mystery: Stonehenge. The trip ends in London, where we have plenty of time for sightseeing, shopping, and exploration.
This is a fantastic opportunity for those who want to experience the best of England!
The trip may vary slightly from year to year. This outline is based on the trip in March 2025.
Price: 35 500
This is one of the 3 trips you can choose from. The decision you make after arrival at the school.
Join us on an exclusive journey in beautiful Ecuador! A trip of a lifetime. High mountains, jungle, and lush nature on the mainland, before flying 100 km out into the Pacific Ocean to the world’s most exotic place: the Galápagos Islands. On this trip, you will experience unique encounters with local people and see parts of the world that are difficult to visit.
Do you want to experience being 4000 meters above sea level? Meet people who live in the Amazon? Meet monkeys and wild animals? From high mountains, to jungle, rivers, and an incredible coast.
Here is a bit of what you will experience if you choose to join the trip to Ecuador:
We have ourown guide and bus driver whowilltakeusaroundthe country. We will travel a lot and get many impressions!
We have three different kind of trips:
Price and destination for school trip is opt for change before the school begins.
Mandatory: Yes
Price: Included in course price
Duration: 2 days x2
Meals included per day: 3
We travel to the archipelago of Southern Norway for overnight stays and fellowship twice a year. The first time is at the beginning of the school year to get to know each other better, and the second time is at the end of the school year to reminisce and enjoy good times together.
Mandatory: Yes
Price: Included in course price
Meals included per day: 3
The first overseas trip of the year is a group excursion where friendships are forged, laying the foundation for an amazing year ahead!
At the beginning of the school year, we travel to Rønbjerg Holiday Center in Denmark. There, we mainly stay in cabins grouped by our respective classes, but much of the program is communal and cross-line. As part of the mandatory activities, you can choose from an activity menu based on your own interests and preferences.
During the four days of this getting-to-know-you trip, we bond together. In many ways, we lay the groundwork for a safe and strong community, which in turn contributes to making the year at Folkehøgskolen Sørlandet great!
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation by email confirming that we have received it. We will also try to contact you through WhatsApp or SMS.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; however, no admission offers can be made before 15 November, which is the common admission start date for all Norwegian folk high schools.
Applications submitted after 15 November will be processed as they are received.
If you are offered a place, we will contact you directly. If we are unable to reach you by phone, we will send you a text message.
The admission offer will be sent both digitally by email and if you have a contact person in Norway, as a printed letter by post. You will have 14 days to respond to the offer.
When you accept the offer of admission and you have paid the full tuition, we will send you documentation confirming that you have been admitted to the school, included proof of your place to stay, and payment of tuition fee.
You are the one that need to apply for a VISA, and need to find out how you do it from your country, and what documents you need. Check this link for more information.
The UDI promise that application for a VISA that is received before 1st of July 2027 will be processed before the school starts.
Please note that applicants who accept an offer of admission have a 14-day right of withdrawal in accordance with the Norwegian Right of Withdrawal Act.
Students live in comfortable dormitories on the campus with all classrooms and facilities close by. Most rooms have a private bathroom, (a few share with another room) and all dorms offer shared lounges and kitchens that create a welcoming community.
Why share a room?
For many students, sharing a room becomes one of the most valuable parts of the folk high school experience
Everything is designed to give students an active, social, and memorable year
From Kristiansand: Birkeland is just 30 minutes from Kristiansand by car, or 50 with bus. Regular bus services connect the city centre, train station, and airport with Birkeland. The bus stop is only a short walk from campus.
From Oslo: Travel by train, bus, or flight to Kristiansand, then continue to Birkeland by local bus. Direct flights to Kristiansand Airport Kjevik are available throughout the year.
From Stavanger: Travel by train, coach, or car to Kristiansand and continue by bus to Birkeland. The journey offers beautiful views of Norway's southern coastline.
By Air: Kristiansand Airport Kjevik is only 20 km from the school, making arrivals and departures easy for both Norwegian and international students. There are no direct buses going to Birkeland, but there are connected buses either in Kristiansand, or somewhere between.
No matter how you travel, Folkehøgskolen Sørlandet is easy to reach and well connected to the rest of Norway.