17 - Iceland - Private education
There are three private higher education institutions (government-dependent private institutions) in
Iceland (of eight institutions at this level). Private institutions receive considerable financial assistance
from the state under service contracts made with each institution. The institutions are subject to the
provisions of the Universities Act but they also operate according to their individual charters, which are
confirmed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
The institutions have private boards and they have a significant degree of autonomy, and can for
example decide such matters as admission requirements, progression of students from one year to the
next, certification etc. These matters do not differ much between public and private institutions.
The tuition fees for private institutions vary between higher education institutions and fields of study.
The tuition fees for undergraduate programmes are approx. ISK 120,000 – 350,000 for each school
year. In private institutions students pay additional payments to student organisations.
Private institutions are recognised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and are subject to
the same provisions as public institutions concerning external reviews and quality control.
The private higher education institutions are:
Bifröst University
Reykjavík University
Iceland Academy of the Arts
The distinction between public and private HEIs is mainly based on legal differentiation. The role of
public institutions is defined in separate laws and regulated by the Ministry of Education, Science and
Culture or Ministry of Agriculture. Additionally, the public institutions are legally obliged to follow
various laws and regulations applying specifically to them, such as laws on budgetary responsibilities,
access to information and transparency, and recruitment procedures. The private institutions also
operate under the Universities Act and in accordance with an individual charter that is confirmed by the
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
The Universities Act stipulates internal financial and management autonomy of the HEIs. The formal
relationship with the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is further defined in performancerelated
agreements with public institutions and service contracts with private institutions. The private
institutions receive more than 50% from core funding for teaching and facilities from the central
government, according to the same funding formula as the public institutions. In addition they charge
students tuition fees, whereas the public institutions do not have the legal authority to do so. The
research allocation is based on a three-year agreement between the Ministry of Education, Science
and Culture and individual institutions under its auspices. The institutions differ in the extent to which
they engage in research. In 2002 the income ratio of the University of Iceland was balanced between
research and teaching, whilst the other institutions received most of their income for teaching.
Furthermore, all institutions operate on a non-profit basis.
Institutions:
University of Iceland
Reykjavík University
The Ministry of Agriculture
Iceland Academy of the Arts
The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
The Bifröst School of Business
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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