Norway · Bergen
A public upper-secondary school in central Bergen offering English-taught Pre-IB and IB Diploma routes. The pupil and parent or guardian must live in Vestland. Direct MYP entry has exact grade, project and two-year conditions.
Bergen Katedralskole is a Vestland county upper-secondary school at Kong Oscars gate 36 in central Bergen. It offers Norwegian general studies, an English-taught Pre-IB year and the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). It is a day school and has no boarding provision on the published pages.
This is not a through-school. Families seeking English-medium primary or lower secondary education should look separately at International School of Bergen, which ends after MYP 5 and does not itself offer the Diploma.
Pre-IB is a Vg1 programme aimed at Norwegian-speaking pupils considering the Diploma in Vg2. It follows the Norwegian Vg1 general-studies curriculum, taught in English with preparation for IB terminology. At the end, a pupil can apply to the Diploma or continue in Norwegian general studies. It is a county-wide special offer rather than a normal local-catchment place.
The IBDP corresponds broadly to Vg2 and Vg3 and is taught in English. The school has offered it since 1988. As elsewhere in the IB, pupils take six subjects plus Theory of Knowledge, Creativity, Activity and Service, and an extended essay. Ask for the current subject combinations before applying, especially if transferring after the first Diploma year.
The current admission page requires both the pupil and the parent or legal guardian to be registered as resident in Vestland county during the study period. The pupil also needs valid Norwegian residence permission.
A family moving to Vestland together may receive a conditional offer if the pupil is otherwise qualified. The place is not secured until the family documents its registered Vestland address. The school does not accept an application where the parent or guardian will remain resident outside the county.
The published deadline is 1 March. Later applications can be submitted, but on-time applications receive priority. The page does not label that recurring date with a particular intake year, so check the current calendar before relying on it.
Applicants also need at least ten years of schooling and English strong enough for the programme. Admission depends on available places and subject combinations.
For pupils coming from Norwegian Vg1, the published academic thresholds are:
A pupil applying after MYP 5 is not admitted automatically. The school publishes all of these conditions:
A family coming from International School of Bergen should verify the two-year and Personal Project conditions early. A strong final report alone does not replace them.
Other educational backgrounds are assessed individually against Vg1 general-studies equivalence. Documents must be translated into English. The school may require extra tests or interviews when a foreign certificate is difficult to assess.
Use Vigo first if the pupil has a Norwegian identity number. Other international and overseas applicants use the school’s linked form. A transfer from another IB Diploma school is possible only if places and matching subjects are available.
Bergen Katedralskole charges no tuition because it is a Norwegian public school. Its admission page does, however, list an annual NOK 10,000 IB administration and examination charge, paid in two parts.
The page does not identify that amount as a 2026–27 or 2027–28 tariff. Treat NOK 10,000 as the currently displayed figure, not a guaranteed future fee, and confirm it for the intended intake.
Books, travel, meals and optional activities should be checked separately. Public-school status does not answer every household-cost question.
Katten is a compelling Bergen option for a qualified pupil who wants a public English-taught Diploma and will live with a parent or guardian in Vestland. The main risks are not tuition but residence documentation, academic thresholds and subject fit.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
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7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.