Of the 64 municipal or independent compulsory schools in Umeå, 8 are run as independent schools (friskolor) and 56 as municipal schools — an independent-school share of 12.5%.
Independent schools (friskolor) are operated by a non-municipal operator (joint-stock company, foundation or association) but funded by the same pupil voucher (skolpeng) as municipal schools. Admission criteria vary: waiting time, sibling priority or geographic priority.
The national average sits around 17% and varies considerably between municipalities. Metropolitan regions generally have a higher share of independent schools than rural ones.
Data from Skolverket + Skolkoll calculation. Last updated 2026-06-04. Spot any errors? Go to the municipality page for Umeå.