Norway · Sandefjord
Sandefjord vgs offers Pre-IB in Vg1 and an English-medium IB Diploma in Vg2–Vg3. Check county eligibility, subject compatibility and the application timetable before planning a transfer.
Sandefjord videregående skole offers a public International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma route within a Vestfold county upper-secondary school. It is worth considering for pupils ready for the final two years of upper secondary, or for its preparatory first year, rather than for families seeking English-medium schooling from childhood.
The day school is at Krokemoveien 2–4, 3214 Sandefjord. It is separate from private Skagerak International School. That comparison is useful if you are weighing a public upper-secondary route against a longer international-school pathway; the schools’ fees and admissions must be assessed separately.
Sandefjord has offered IB since 1992. The two-year Diploma Programme occupies Vg2 and Vg3, the second and third years of Norwegian upper secondary, and is taught in English. Applicants normally enter after Vg1 general studies, Pre-IB or an equivalent year abroad. Pupils from other study-preparatory Vg1 programmes may apply and take missing subjects through external examinations as a privatist.
Pre-IB is a Vg1 option within the IB department, with some teaching in English. On Vigo, the admissions portal, specify Pre-DP as the Vg1 general-studies option at SVGS. It is preparation for the Diploma, not the Diploma itself.
Diploma pupils take three subjects at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. The school says it does not currently offer Pamoja online courses, so transferring pupils need a subject combination the school actually teaches. IB and Pre-IB information, updated 13 January 2026.
Every pupil applies through Vigo each year, including IB pupils. The ordinary deadline is 1 March. The subject-choice form also goes to the IB coordinator by 1 March. Applicants not already at SVGS send grades electronically; applicants from abroad use the linked internal form.
The admissions page, updated 23 June 2026, gives this timetable:
An advance response is not the ordinary deadline for accepting a July offer. The page gives two weeks to respond after the main allocation; missing that deadline risks losing the offer or waiting-list place. An advance response normally removes the need to reply again unless declining.
These 2026 dates have passed. A late applicant should ask the school about a possible vacancy, not assume either availability or automatic exclusion. Waiting-list enquiries go to adminsvgs@vestfoldfylke.no. Check the next intake’s published timetable before using these dates for 2027.
The school’s IB page states that the Diploma Programme has no fees and that pupil rights to loans and grants apply. The admissions policy dated 23 January 2025 specifies free IB and Pre-IB for pupils registered in Vestfold. Applicants from outside the county must go through the county admissions office.
See the Sandefjord guide and Norway guide for context.
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.
Skagerak offers an English-medium IB route in Vestfold, but families must distinguish the Sandefjord and Tønsberg campuses. Its 2026 fee pages publish instalments rather than a clear academic-year total, and the site gives conflicting descriptions of the Tønsberg programmes’ IB status.
BergenA 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.
TrondheimBirralee provides an English-medium route from Year 1 to IGCSE in central Trondheim. It receives state support and publishes modest monthly fees, but pupils must move elsewhere for upper secondary school and the IB Diploma.
SageneChoose DENOSO for sustained German–Norwegian education, not an English-medium international curriculum. The complete Grade 11–12 route, after-school costs and absence of a school bus matter before committing to Sagene.
Sandefjord offers two very different IB routes. Skagerak is an English-medium private day school from kindergarten through the Diploma. Sandefjord videregående is a county upper-secondary school with Pre-IB in Vg1 and a tuition-free IB Diploma in Vg2–Vg3.
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.