Upper secondary

These include:

• General and vocational upper secondary education programmes, which primarily prepare for higher education.
• Vocational education and training programmes primarily aimed at preparing students for a career in a specific trade or industry.
  

Approx. 95 per cent of all school leavers continue in one of these programmes.

General upper secondary education

The 3-year Gymnasium (STX -  leading to the schools leaving examination: studentereksamen) and the 2-year Higher Preparatory Examination Course (HF - Højere forberedelseseksamen) are academically oriented programmes preparing pupils for further studies and at the same time developing their personal and general competencies.

The programmes aim at enhancing the students' independent and analytical skills as well as preparing them to become democratic and socially conscious citizens with a global outlook.  

The programmes comprise a wide range of both compulsory and optional subjects at different levels. The curriculum and examinations must follow national standards and are subject to external evaluation. Apart from subject-specific oral and written examinations, students must also prepare one or two major written assignments.

Admission requirements for STX are 9 years of basic school as well as certain subject requirements. For HF, admission requirements are 10 years of basic school or the equivalent thereof. STX is for those aged 16-19, whereas HF attracts both young people and adults. 

These programmes take place at upper secondary schools - gymnasier. The HF programme can be taken on a single-subject basis and is also taught in evening classes. 

Technical and commercial upper secondary education

The 3-year HHX (Higher Commercial Examination) and HTX (Higher Technical Examination) grant access to higher education in line with general upper secondary school, but prepares especially for higher business or technical programmes. HHX and HTX qualify students for employment in trade and industry – usually in training positions.

The curriculum consists of both general upper secondary subjects and financial and business as well as technical subjects, respectively.

These programmes take place at business/commercial or technical colleges, known under one heading as vocational colleges.

Vocational Education and training

Vocational education and training includes the vocational education and training programmes (VET), the social and health education programmes (SOSU) as well as other programmes within the fields of agriculture, forestry, maritime studies, etc.

The VET programmes make up the major part of vocational education and training. VET programmes are of 2 to 5 years' duration, the most typical being 3 ½ to 4 years.

They consist of an initial basic programme with a choice of one of the following 7 access routes:

• Building and construction
• Crafts and engineering trades
• Food production and catering
• Mechanical engineering, transport and logistics
• Service industries 
• Technology and communication
• The commercial field – trade, office and finance

All VET programmes are sandwich-type programmes in which theoretical and practical education at a vocational college (30-50% of the time) alternates with practical training in an approved company or organisation (50-70% of the time).

VET programmes are normally completed with a journeyman's test (svendeprøve) or a similar examination testing vocational skills, knowledge and attitudes.

Admission to vocational education and training requires completion of compulsory education. All programmes qualify pupils for labour market entry as skilled workers. In addition, most programmes qualify pupils for direct admission to certain types of higher education programmes.

A short description of the qualifications and competences in every VET programme may be found in the Certificate Supplements, available in English, German, French and Danish.

The VET programmes take place at vocational colleges, technical colleges, or business colleges. The social and health education programmes at special SOSU-colleges. 

Admission requirements

In order to enrol for upper secondary education and training, students must have completed 9-10 years of basic education, depending on the programme applied for. Each school is in charge of enrolling the students based on an application form distributed by the individual school. The schools are also responsible for assessing qualifications and exams obtained abroad and deciding what credit is transferable to the Danish system.

Tuition and ownership

The Ministry of Education is responsible for the legislative framework, and tuition at public schools is free for citizens from the Nordic and EU countries. For other nationals, certain schools may claim a tuition fee.

The upper secondary schools are owned and financed by the county in which they are situated, whereas the vocational colleges are state-funded, self-governing institutions. 

Some of the schools are privately owned and set their own fees. These range from DKK 30,000 to DKK 85,000 per year.

Upper secondary education for foreigners

Some schools offer general upper secondary programmes in English, German or French.

The English programmes are the international baccalaureate (the IB) and the related pre-IB. The German programmes equal the Abitur, and the French programmes the French baccalauréat. Regardless of language, the diplomas are internationally recognised.

Some of the schools are private, and some are boarding schools.

A list of international schools is availabale at the Ministry of Education.