The merit value (Swedish: meritvärde) is the most widely used measure of school results in Sweden. It is calculated as the sum of a student's 16 best final grades in year 9. The grading scale has six levels: each grade awards points according to A = 20, B = 17.5, C = 15, D = 12.5, E = 10 and F = 0. The maximum merit value is therefore 320 points (16 × 20). Students who study a modern language as an elective can receive a 17th grade, bringing the maximum to 340 points.
How is the merit value used?
The merit value determines which upper secondary (gymnasium) programmes the student can apply to. Popular programmes and schools have high admission thresholds, making the merit value a key factor for a student's options after compulsory school. Upper secondary schools publish their admission scores annually, and the competition varies considerably between regions and programmes.
Merit value at school level
When Skolkoll displays the merit value for a school, it refers to the average of all students' merit values at that school. The national average is around 225–230 points. A school where every student has a C in all subjects would score 240 points.
Interpret the merit value with caution
The merit value is strongly influenced by students' socioeconomic background — above all their parents' education level. A school with a high merit value is not necessarily a better school, and vice versa. To compare schools fairly, the merit value should be viewed alongside the SALSA model, which adjusts for student composition.
Skolverket (the Swedish National Agency for Education) publishes merit values annually based on final grades. Data refer to the 2023/24 school year and are sourced from Skolverket's open statistics database.