Key metrics — Karlstad municipality Overview of the municipality's education system.
149 Active schools 115 municipal, 34 independent
17,309 Total pupils 41 compulsory, 22 upper secondary
232.2 Avg merit value yr 9 Skolverket avg, 9 schools (national avg: 228.5)
79.4% Qualified teachers Skolverket avg, all school forms
141,174 SEK/yr Cost per pupil Compulsory school 2025 (national avg: 142,154.8 SEK)
12.3 Pupils per teacher Compulsory/upper secondary in municipality
1.6 Merit value per 1,000 SEK Cost-effectiveness (peer avg: 1.5)
Karlstad municipality has 149 schools with an average merit value of 232.2 (national avg 228.5).
Teacher qualification is above the national average of 73.3%. Compared to similar municipalities, Karlstad outperforms its peers.
In-depth statistics Schools Compulsory school Safety Upper secondary Adult education Preschool Children & youth Demographics Economy Society Neighbors Peer municipalities SCB group FAQ How does Karlstad compare to its neighbours?
1/7 Merit value
3/7 Qual. teachers
3/7 Cost/pupil
All F–3 4–6 7–9 F–9 Upper Secondary Preschool
School School forms Provider Pupils Qual. teachers Affärsgymnasiet Sports Academy Karlstad Upper secondary school Edukatus Alliance AB 130 55.7% ALLERGIFÖRSKOLAN RÖNNEN Preschool Allergiförskolan Rönnen Ek. För. 17 71.1% ALSTERS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 85 56.3% BACKA FÖRSKOLA Preschool Nyed Friskola Ekonomisk Förening 29 26.8% Backa Friskola Adapted compulsory school, After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Nyed Friskola Ekonomisk förening 60 74.8% BJÖRKDUNGENS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 89 45.7% BULLERBYNS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 64 61.5% Central Insamlingsenhet BUF Karlstads kommun — — Central insamlingsenhet Centrala elevhälsan Karlstads kommun — — COSMOS MONTESSORIFÖRSKOLA Preschool Cosmos Montessoriförskola AB 25 40.1% DAGGKÅPANS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 61 42.9% Drottning Blankas Gymnasieskola Karlstad 1 Upper secondary school DBGY Juvelen AB 80 — Drottning Blankas gymnasieskola Karlstad 2 Upper secondary school KLARA Gymnasium Kunskap AB 20 — DUVKULLANS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 89 55.2% EDSVALLA FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 43 52.1% FÄRJESTADS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 81 52.4% Färjestadsskolan After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Karlstads kommun — — FOGDEMYRENS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 107 70.8% FÖRÄLDRAKOOPERATIVET RÄVEN Preschool Föräldrakooperativet Räven Ekonomisk Förening 22 60.9% FÖRÄLDRAKOOPERATIVET ULVARNA Preschool Föräldrakooperativet Ulvarna, Ekonomisk Förening 16 29.6% FÖRSKOLAN BLÅKLINTEN Preschool Personalkooperativet Blåklinten Ekonomisk För 30 61.5% FÖRSKOLAN DIRIGENTEN Preschool Karlstads kommun 77 60.3% FÖRSKOLAN FRÖET Preschool Förskolan Fröet, Där Små Frön Växer I Karlstad Ek För 10 0% FÖRSKOLAN GALAXEN Preschool Karlstads kommun 113 57.8% FÖRSKOLAN GOMORRONSOL Preschool Karlstads kommun 62 84.1% FÖRSKOLAN HAGVIDSON KARLSTAD Preschool Hagvidson AB 31 53.1% FÖRSKOLAN KRONOPARKEN 1 Preschool Karlstads kommun 82 60% FÖRSKOLAN LINBLOMMAN Preschool Föräldrakooperativet Linblomman Ek. Förening 23 66.7% FÖRSKOLAN LOKET Preschool Personalkooperativa Förskolan Loket I Karlstad E 16 — FÖRSKOLAN LOTSEN Preschool Karlstads kommun 71 69.2% FÖRSKOLAN TRANAN Preschool Segerstabyns Förskola Tranan Ekonomisk Förening 27 28.2% FÖRSKOLAN VITLÖKEN Preschool Montessoriförskolan Vitlöken Aktiebolag 28 28.7% FREDRICELUNDS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 63 43.4% Fredricelundsskolan After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Karlstads kommun 250 60.9% Fria Läroverken Karlstad Upper secondary school Fria Läroverken i Sverige AB 570 75.7% Friskolan Stellatus After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Friskolan Stellatus Ekonomisk förening 100 73.7% Frödingskolan After-school care, Compulsory school Karlstads kommun 290 79.1% Frödingskolan AG Adapted compulsory school, After-school care Karlstads kommun — — FULLRIGGARENS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 25 61.5% GLÄNTANS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 26 79.4% GRINDSTUGANS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 60 66.3% GRUVLYCKANS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 61 65.5% HAGABORGS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 90 62% Hagaborgsskolan After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Karlstads kommun 160 84.6% HENSTAD FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 56 63.6% Herrhagsskolan 4-6 After-school care, Compulsory school Karlstads kommun 170 78.6% Herrhagsskolan AG Adapted compulsory school, After-school care Karlstads kommun — — Herrhagsskolan F-3 After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Karlstads kommun 180 82.1% HULTSBERGS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Karlstads kommun 102 74.2% Hultsbergsskolan After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Karlstads kommun — —
See the full school list at: Compulsory schools · Upper secondary · Preschools
Show all 149 schools
Compulsory school Results, teachers, costs and student health
228.7 Merit value yr 9 National: 228.5
80.4% Qualified teachers National: 73.3%
141,174 SEK/pupil National: 142,155
74.6% Passing all subjects
Results and grades Compulsory school results in Karlstad (2025).
Merit value year 9 (municipal avg, 16 subjects)228.7 (national avg: 228.5) (county avg: 213.8) Merit score year 9 B
Source kolada
Period 2025
Quality B: Direct from source
Merit value municipal / independent 223.6 / 249.3
Passing all subjects year 9 74.6%
Passing mathematics 91.4% Pupil satisfaction year 5 74.9% Pupil satisfaction year 8 58.8%
Parents with post-secondary education 73.5% Source: Kolada .
Teachers and personnel Teacher density and qualification in compulsory schools (2025).
Qualified teachers (compulsory school)80.4% (national avg: 73.3 %) (county avg: 72 %) Certified teachers B
Source kolada
Period 2025
Quality B: Direct from source
Qualification municipal / independent 81.1% / 64.5%
Pupils per teacher 12.7 Source: Kolada .
Show more: staff stability, student health, mother tongue, SALSA, grade distribution Staff stability Teacher workforce stability in Karlstad, measured by the trend in qualified teacher share over time.
Qualified teachers (2025) 80.4%
(national avg: 73.3%)
Stability indicator (2020–2025) ↓ Declining (-1.1 pp)
National trend (2020–2025) ↑ Improving (+2.2 pp)
Forecast 2027
≈ 78.7%
(linear extrapolation, -0.2 pp/year) Source: Kolada .
Pupils and providers Pupil numbers and distribution between municipal and independent schools (2025).
Compulsory school pupils 9,369
Municipal / independent share 90.2% / 9.8% Source: Kolada .
Costs — compulsory school Cost per pupil in compulsory school (2025). Includes breakdown for municipal schools.
Cost per pupil (total) 141,174 SEK (national avg: 142,154.8 SEK) (county avg: 156,378.6 SEK)
Municipal school cost 139,702 SEK/pupil
Teaching 70,345 SEK/pupil
Premises 31,908 SEK/pupil
Student health 5,267 SEK/pupil
School meals 6,422 SEK/pupil
Learning tools 6,004 SEK/pupil Source: Kolada (N15006, N15008–N15014).
Student health and support Student health resources, accessibility and school safety in Karlstad.
Student health (compulsory) 5,267 SEK/pupil (national avg: 5,053.2 SEK)
Student health (upper secondary) 4,118 SEK/pupil (national avg: 3,981 SEK)
Easy to access help, year 5 72.9%
Easy to access help, year 8 62.2%
Study environment (studiero) 31.9% Source: Kolada , Skolinspektionen .
Mother tongue and multilingualism Mother tongue instruction and multilingualism in Karlstad (2025).
Other mother tongue than Swedish 21.4%
Participating in mother tongue instruction 12.6%
Swedish as a second language 10.7%
Passed mother tongue, year 9 91.4%
Passed SvA, year 9 85.5%
Newly arrived (last 3 years) 2.3% Source: Skolverket , Kolada .
SALSA — merit value vs prerequisites ⓘ ∿ Model computed This value is calculated using a statistical model. This affects SALSA score (municipality) SALSA is model-based and does not explain the full variation in school outcomes. Read more → Read more about the method → SALSA compares schools' actual results with model-calculated values based on pupil composition.
A positive residual = better results than expected. School year 2024/25.
SALSA measures relative performance — not absolute school quality. The model explains approx. 53% of variation.
-3.5 Average residual (merit value) for 9 schools
2020/21: -5.4 2021/22: -6.5 2022/23: -3.1 2023/24: -6.6 2024/25: -3.5 2020/21: -5.4 2024/25: -3.5
Top merit-value schools Top 9 schools by year-9 merit value.
School ranking — Karlstad All 9 compulsory schools with merit value, sorted by year-9 merit value. The SALSA residual shows whether a school performs above or below expectations given its pupils' background.
SALSA residual shows whether a school performs above or below expectations given pupil background.
Positive (green) = better than expected, negative (red) = below expected.
Source: Skolverket, 2024/25.
Adapted compulsory school Key metrics for adapted compulsory school in Karlstad (2025).
Cost per pupil 526,258 SEK/year Teachers per 100 pupils 5 Source: Kolada .
Trends — compulsory school Development over time (2020–2025).
2020: 232.8 p 2021: 235.3 p 2022: 234 p 2023: 231.9 p 2024: 224.8 p 2025: 228.7 p 2020: 232.8 p 2025: 228.7 p
2020: 81.5 % 2021: 78.6 % 2022: 79.4 % 2023: 79.3 % 2024: 78.3 % 2025: 80.4 % 2020: 81.5 % 2025: 80.4 %
2020: 115,119 SEK 2021: 120,021 SEK 2022: 127,447 SEK 2023: 132,280 SEK 2024: 140,574 SEK 2025: 141,174 SEK 2020: 115,119 SEK 2025: 141,174 SEK
2020: 8,995 2021: 9,133 2022: 9,251 2023: 9,253 2024: 9,393 2025: 9,369 2020: 8,995 2025: 9,369
2020: 12.5 % 2021: 12.6 % 2022: 12.2 % 2023: 11.4 % 2024: 10.5 % 2025: 9.8 % 2020: 12.5 % 2025: 9.8 %
2020: 12.4 2021: 12.1 2022: 12 2023: 12.2 2024: 12.8 2025: 12.7 2020: 12.4 2025: 12.7
2020: 4,322 SEK 2021: 4,439 SEK 2022: 4,823 SEK 2023: 4,988 SEK 2024: 4,915 SEK 2025: 5,267 SEK 2020: 4,322 SEK 2025: 5,267 SEK
2023: 71.2 % 2024: 71.2 % 2025: 72.9 % 2023: 71.2 % 2025: 72.9 %
2023: 61.7 % 2024: 61.7 % 2025: 62.2 % 2023: 61.7 % 2025: 62.2 %
2023: 77.5 % 2024: 77.5 % 2025: 79 % 2023: 77.5 % 2025: 79 %
Safety and study environment School survey results for schools in Karlstad
Municipal average — safety and study environment
Average results from the national school survey in Karlstad, based on 64 schools with survey data.
79.5% Safety ≈ (national: 78.3%)
58.3% Study environment ≈ (national: 56.2%)
NKI trend over time (Pupils year 8)
Average school satisfaction index (0–10) in Karlstad municipality, based on at least 3 schools per year.
Source: Skolinspektionen — Skolenkäten .
6.0 2023 6.1 2025 → Stable (+0.1 on 0–10)
Schools ranked by safety
Schools in Karlstad sorted by pupils' perceived safety (national school survey).
Higher is better.
▲ Highest safety ▼ Lowest safety Safety per school in Karlstad — top 30 and bottom 15 of 64 schools
Source: Swedish Schools Inspectorate — School Survey
Upper secondary Results, costs and staff in upper secondary schools
Upper-secondary statistics Key metrics for upper-secondary schools in Karlstad (2025).
Upper-secondary pupils 3,207
Graduating within 3 years77.3% (national avg: 71.3 %)
University eligibility (3 years) 62% (national avg: 57.5 %)
Qualified teachers (upper secondary) 84.9% (national avg: 82 %)
Cost per upper-secondary pupil 149,347 SEK (national avg: 144,058.4 SEK)
Grade points upper secondary (avg) 14.3 (national avg: 14.8)
Pupils per teacher (upper secondary) 12.9
Municipal upper-secondary cost 137,128 SEK/pupil Learning tools (upper secondary) 10,006 SEK/pupil
Withdrawn study support 11.5%
Foreign background (upper secondary) 22%
Diploma/certificate within 3 years 81.3% Source: Kolada .
Trends — upper secondary Development over time (2020–2025).
2020: 119,860 SEK 2021: 125,619 SEK 2022: 133,015 SEK 2023: 140,508 SEK 2024: 148,246 SEK 2025: 149,347 SEK 2020: 119,860 SEK 2025: 149,347 SEK
2020: 72.8 % 2021: 72.6 % 2022: 70.8 % 2023: 70.9 % 2024: 75.5 % 2025: 77.3 % 2020: 72.8 % 2025: 77.3 %
2020: 87.4 % 2021: 86.3 % 2022: 86 % 2023: 86.6 % 2024: 90.1 % 2025: 84.9 % 2020: 87.4 % 2025: 84.9 %
2020: 3,598 SEK 2021: 3,661 SEK 2022: 3,822 SEK 2023: 4,373 SEK 2024: 4,118 SEK 2020: 3,598 SEK 2024: 4,118 SEK
2020: 63.6 % 2021: 61.8 % 2022: 59.6 % 2023: 59 % 2024: 65 % 2025: 62 % 2020: 63.6 % 2025: 62 %
University connection Share of upper-secondary students in Karlstad going on to higher education.
University eligibility (all) 62% (national avg: 57.5 %)
Eligibility — academic programmes 87.4% (national avg: 82.4 %)
Eligibility — vocational programmes 20.6% (national avg: 27.4 %)
Graduating within 3 years77.3% (national avg: 71.3 %) Source: Kolada . Directly to university = share starting university the same year as graduation.
Pupil forecast Population forecast for school-age children in Karlstad (SCB).
Ages 16–18 (2025) 3,253
Ages 16–18 (2030) 3,357
(+3.2%)
Ages 6–15 (2025) 10,527
Ages 6–15 (2030) 9,974
(-5.3%)
Ages 1–5 (2025) 4,520
Total school age (2035) 17,166 Source: SCB population forecast . The forecast indicates future demand pressure.
Adult education Komvux and SFI (Swedish for immigrants)
Komvux (adult education) Key metrics for municipal adult education in Karlstad (2024).
Number of komvux pupils 2,935 Cost per FTE student 61,452 SEK/year Passing grades, basic level 74.4% Passing grades, upper-sec. level 70.3% Teacher licence, basic level 100% Teacher licence, upper-sec. level 95% Net cost basic adult edu. 110 SEK/capita/year Net cost upper-sec. adult edu. 374 SEK/capita/year Source: Kolada .
SFI (Swedish for immigrants) Key metrics for SFI in Karlstad (2024).
Cost per FTE student 226 SEK/year SFI course D pass rate 98.2% Teachers with licence 70.6% Source: Kolada .
Preschool and childcare Preschool, after-school care and pedagogical care
Preschool in Karlstad Municipal preschool data. Source: Skolverket's statistics database.
Enrolled children 4,008
Preschool units 69 (50 municipal, 19 independent)
Share of 1–5 year-olds in preschool 88.3%
(national avg: 86.3%)
Children per group 15.1 (national avg: 15)
Children per group (1–3 years) 12 (national avg: 12.2) Children per FTE 5.2 (national avg: 5) Preschool teacher licence 61.2% (national avg: 48.3%)
Pedagogical higher education 60.5%
(national avg: 48%) After-school care (fritidshem) Key metrics for after-school care in Karlstad (2025).
Cost per child 40,173 SEK/year (national avg: 46,711.8 SEK)
Children in after-school care 4,212
Children per FTE 22.6 (national avg: 21.6) Staff with pedagogical degree 68.6% (national avg: 36.7 %)
Share of 6–12 year-olds enrolled 57.7% (national avg: 57.9 %) Share of 6–9 year-olds enrolled 87% (national avg: 84.8 %) Source: Kolada .
Pedagogical care Key metrics for pedagogical care (family daycare etc.) in Karlstad (2025).
Children in pedagogical care 20 Share of children 1–5 0.6% Cost per enrolled child 124,667 SEK/year Source: Kolada .
Open preschool and family daycare Open preschool and family daycare in Karlstad (2025).
Source: Kolada .
Trends — preschool and childcare Development over time (2020–2025).
2020: 32,995 SEK 2021: 33,582 SEK 2022: 34,795 SEK 2023: 35,482 SEK 2024: 34,678 SEK 2025: 40,173 SEK 2020: 32,995 SEK 2025: 40,173 SEK
2020: 56.1 % 2021: 54.5 % 2022: 55.9 % 2023: 57.4 % 2024: 57.4 % 2025: 57.7 % 2020: 56.1 % 2025: 57.7 %
Children and youth Health, economy and support
Children's and youth's health Health indicators for children and young people in Karlstad (2024).
Mental health issues, children/youth 9.5% Source: Kolada (N33820).
Child and youth welfare Key metrics for child and youth welfare in Karlstad (2024).
Initiated child investigations 38 per 1,000 pop. 0–20 Children placed in care 12.4 per 1,000 pop. 0–20 Net cost child/youth welfare 2,943 SEK/pop. 0–20/year Source: Kolada (N31801, N31810, N31819).
Show community data (demographics, economy, society) Demographics and population Population, households and migration patterns
Demographics Population data for Karlstad (2025).
Total population 99,007
Population change 0.9%
Ages 1–5 (preschool age) 4,474
Ages 6–15 (compulsory school age) 9,564
Ages 16–18 (upper-secondary age) 3,231
Higher education 25–64 36.1%
Foreign-born 20–64 19.6%
16–24 not in work/education 5% Source: Kolada .
Household types Distribution of household types in Karlstad (2024).
Single without children 48.1%
Single with children 5.4%
Couple without children 24.1%
Couple with children 17.3%
Other households 5%
Total number of households 51,317 Source: SCB .
Neighboring municipalities
Comparison with the 6 nearest municipalities by geographic distance.
Colour coding: better / average / worse than neighbour average (±3%).
Municipality Distance Merit value Qual. teachers Cost/pupil Pupils Karlstad you — 232.2 79.4% 141,174 SEK 17,309 Hammarö 8 km 227.9 83.6% 143,611 SEK 3,091 Kil 17.7 km 220.1 75.4% 135,851 SEK 1,876 Forshaga 18.2 km 207.3 73.9% 137,783 SEK 2,108 Grums 25.6 km 194.4 83.4% 147,638 SEK 1,181 Kristinehamn 36.3 km 205.3 71.5% 142,811 SEK 3,666 Säffle 44.6 km 206.7 72.7% 165,163 SEK 2,197 Neighbour avg. 210.3 76.8% 145,476 SEK 2,353
Source: Skolverket & Kolada .
Municipalities selected by geographic distance.
Refugee reception Refugee reception in Karlstad (2025).
Newly arrived received 0.6 per 1,000 pop. Newly arrived children 0–17 13 per 1,000 pop. Establishment rate after 2 years 67.6% Source: Kolada .
Trends — demographics Demographic development (2020–2025).
2020: 1 % 2021: 0.6 % 2022: 1.1 % 2023: 0.8 % 2024: 0.9 % 2025: 0.9 % 2020: 1 % 2025: 0.9 %
2020: 5 % 2021: 4.5 % 2022: 3.9 % 2023: 4.3 % 2024: 5 % 2020: 5 % 2024: 5 %
2020: 1.7 2021: 1.3 2022: 1.2 2023: 0.7 2024: 2.4 2025: 0.6 2020: 1.7 2025: 0.6
Economy and housing Municipal economy, housing and infrastructure
Municipal economy Economic key metrics for Karlstad (2025).
Total tax rate (municipality+region) 33.6% Tax base 266,343 SEK/capita Annual result 2,079 SEK/capita Result, share of tax+grants 3.1% Source: Kolada .
Economic assistance Economic assistance (social benefits) in Karlstad (2024).
Assistance households 3 per 1,000 pop. Young adults 18–24 with assistance 4.4% Assistance months (avg) 45.4 Net cost economic assistance 1,775 SEK/capita Source: Kolada .
Learning tools and digitalisation Cost of learning tools in Karlstad. Includes textbooks, computers, software, internet access and other teaching equipment.
Learning tools, compulsory school 6,004 SEK/pupil Learning tools, upper secondary 10,006 SEK/pupil Source: Kolada (N15012, N17011). Learning tools incl. IT: computers, software, books, AV equipment etc.
Housing and infrastructure Housing and infrastructure indicators for Karlstad.
Overcrowded households (Kolada) 8.7% Completed dwellings 5.1 per 1,000 pop. Good public transport 99.1% Broadband ≥100 Mbit/s 90.5%
Rental 37%
Cooperative 20.4%
Owner-occupied 41.3%
Cars in traffic 42,655 Source: Kolada , SCB .
Trends — economy and housing Economic development (2020–2025).
2020: 21.3 % 2021: 21.3 % 2022: 21.3 % 2023: 21.3 % 2024: 21.3 % 2025: 21.3 % 2020: 21.3 % 2025: 21.3 %
2020: 4.2 2021: 3.8 2022: 3.4 2023: 3 2024: 3 2020: 4.2 2024: 3
2020: 10.4 % 2021: 9.9 % 2022: 9.9 % 2023: 9.5 % 2024: 9.2 % 2025: 8.7 % 2020: 10.4 % 2025: 8.7 %
Society, culture and environment Safety, culture and sustainability
Crime and safety Reported crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in Karlstad (2025).
Reported crimes (total) 9,960 per 100,000 pop. Violent crimes 781 per 100,000 pop. Burglaries 458 per 100,000 pop. Drug crimes 726 per 100,000 pop. Source: Kolada . Data from BRA .
LSS and disability services LSS services in Karlstad (2025).
LSS cost per capita 0–64 5,910 SEK/year LSS decisions per 1,000 pop. 0–64 1 Source: Kolada .
Work environment and sick leave Sick leave among municipal employees in Karlstad (2025). Relevant for understanding teacher recruitment and retention.
Long-term sick leave (>59 days) 50.7% of total Sick leave 30–49 years 6.6% Sick leave >49 years 7.1% Stress-related sick leave 0.6% of population Source: Kolada (N00090–N00094, N00103).
Culture school Key metrics for the music and culture school in Karlstad (2023).
Share of pupils 6–19 11.3% Average pupil fee 583 SEK/pupil Cost per capita 283 SEK/capita Source: Kolada .
Public library Key metrics for public libraries in Karlstad (2024).
Loans per capita 5.5 per capita Children's book loans (0–17) 5.3 per capita Media allocation 529 SEK/capita Source: Kolada .
Environment Environmental indicators for Karlstad (2023).
CO₂ emissions per capita 2.3 tonnes Organic food (municipal kitchens) 29.5% Source: Kolada .
Trends — society and culture Development in society and culture (2020–2023).
2020: 8.6 % 2021: 8.9 % 2022: 11.1 % 2023: 11.3 % 2020: 8.6 % 2023: 11.3 %
2020: 10,383.3 2021: 9,854.1 2022: 9,440.6 2023: 9,345.4 2024: 9,882.4 2025: 9,959.9 2020: 10,383.3 2025: 9,959.9
2020: 7.6 % 2021: 7.7 % 2022: 8.4 % 2023: 9 % 2024: 9.5 % 2020: 7.6 % 2024: 9.5 %
2020: 2.6 t 2021: 2.6 t 2022: 2.3 t 2023: 2.3 t 2020: 2.6 t 2023: 2.3 t
2020: 77.8 % 2021: 85.8 % 2022: 90.8 % 2023: 92.3 % 2024: 90.5 % 2020: 77.8 % 2024: 90.5 %
2020: 7.9 % 2021: 7.5 % 2022: 8.4 % 2023: 7.5 % 2024: 7.2 % 2025: 6.9 % 2020: 7.9 % 2025: 6.9 %
2020: 0.5 % 2021: 0.6 % 2022: 0.8 % 2023: 0.8 % 2024: 0.6 % 2020: 0.5 % 2024: 0.6 %
Trends — adult education Development in komvux and SFI (2020–2024).
2020: 3,325 2021: 3,445 2022: 3,010 2023: 2,763 2024: 2,935 2020: 3,325 2024: 2,935
2020: 48,712 SEK 2021: 52,664 SEK 2022: 84,833 SEK 2023: 60,082 SEK 2024: 61,452 SEK 2020: 48,712 SEK 2024: 61,452 SEK
2020: 74 % 2021: 66.8 % 2022: 63.7 % 2023: 71.9 % 2024: 74.4 % 2020: 74 % 2024: 74.4 %
2020: 58.4 % 2021: 58.1 % 2022: 56 % 2023: 67.6 % 2024: 70.3 % 2020: 58.4 % 2024: 70.3 %
2020: 87.9 % 2021: 94.4 % 2022: 79.6 % 2023: 94.8 % 2024: 100 % 2020: 87.9 % 2024: 100 %
2020: 90.7 % 2021: 82.4 % 2022: 63.5 % 2023: 58.1 % 2024: 53.3 % 2025: 95 % 2020: 90.7 % 2025: 95 %
2020: 586 2021: 642 2022: 496 2023: 429 2024: 488 2020: 586 2024: 488
2020: 92.9 % 2021: 95.1 % 2022: 89.1 % 2023: 95.2 % 2024: 98.2 % 2020: 92.9 % 2024: 98.2 %
Teacher certification: trend and forecast
Historical trend for the share of qualified teachers in Karlstad with a forecast based on linear extrapolation.
2020: 81.5% 2021: 78.6% 2022: 79.4% 2023: 79.3% 2024: 78.3% 2025: 80.4% 2020 81.5%
2025 (latest) 80.4%
Forecast 2027 78.7% (linear extrapolation)
County avg 72%
National avg 73.3%
Source: Kolada . The forecast is indicative and based on linear regression.
Cost-effectiveness
Comparison between cost per pupil and achieved school results (merit value year 9) in Karlstad.
Cost per pupil 141,174 SEK · national avg 142,155 SEK
Merit value year 9 228.7 · national avg 228.5
Merit points per 10,000 SEK 1.6 (national avg: 1.6)
Karlstad achieves more merit points per invested krona than the national average — an indication of good cost-effectiveness.
Source: Kolada . Merit value per cost unit is a simplified measure and should be interpreted considering the municipality's socioeconomic conditions.
Peer municipalities Compare Karlstad with statistically similar municipalities
Comparison with peer municipalities ⬇ Export CSV Karlstad compared with 7 statistically similar municipalities.
Colour coding: better / average / worse than peer average (±3%).
Municipality Merit value Qual. teachers Cost/pupil Graduating 3 yrs SALSA score Karlstad you 228.7 80.4% 141,174 SEK 77.3% -3.5 Hammarö 225.4 83.5% 143,611 SEK 88.6% -18.7 Kil 220.1 73.3% 135,851 SEK 70.7% -6.0 Forshaga 210.4 75.8% 137,783 SEK 72.3% -17.5 Arvika 213.8 73% 158,016 SEK 71.9% -2.5 Säffle 206.7 75.4% 165,163 SEK 68.4% -5.0 Sunne 202.8 68.7% 139,262 SEK 70.7% -19.0 Kristinehamn 205.6 67% 142,811 SEK 67.3% -19.7 Peer average 212.1 73.8% 146,071 SEK 72.8% -12.6
Trends compared with peer municipalities Hammarö Kil Forshaga Arvika Säffle
Hammarö Kil Forshaga Arvika Säffle
Hammarö Kil Forshaga Arvika Säffle
Hammarö Kil Forshaga Arvika Säffle
Source: Kolada .
Municipalities selected based on similar education key metrics within Värmlands län.
Similar municipalities (SCB group) Municipalities in the same SCB classification group: Larger city
Benchmark vs SCB group B3 Karlstad belongs to SCB municipality group B3 — Larger city : municipalities with 50,000–200,000 inhabitants in the largest urban area.
Here is how Karlstad compares to the 21 municipalities in the group.
Karlstad vs SCB group B3 — percentile position Merit value Qualified teachers Students/teacher Cost/pupil Graduating 3 yrs All subjects passed
Merit value 228.7 (median: 227.8)
69th Qualified teachers 80.4 (median: 74)
88th Students/teacher 12.7 (median: 11.8)
12th Cost/pupil 141173.6 (median: 141173.6)
50th Graduating 3 yrs 77.3 (median: 70.3)
93th All subjects passed 74.6 (median: 70.9)
74th ✅ Above group median for merit value
✅ Above group median for qualified teachers
✅ Above group median for graduating 3 yrs
✅ Above group median for all subjects passed
Municipalities in the same SCB group Karlstad belongs to SCB municipality group B3 — Larger city : municipalities with 50,000–200,000 inhabitants in the largest urban area.
21 municipalities in total. Showing 8 below.
Municipality Merit value Qualified teachers Cost/pupil Graduating 3 yrs Karlstad 228.7 80.4% 141,174 SEK 77.3% Borlänge 209.3 66.5% 145,165 SEK 68.7% Borås 218 69.9% 138,648 SEK 69.8% Eskilstuna 227.8 68% 143,059 SEK 67.9% Gävle 218.4 71.9% 141,361 SEK 70.3% Halmstad 222.5 74.7% 137,744 SEK 68.8% Helsingborg 228.3 74% 125,859 SEK 70.3% Jönköping 221.7 78.5% 127,050 SEK 74.7% Linköping 228.3 82.4% 146,110 SEK 71.7%
Source: SCB municipality classification (2017) and Kolada .
Compare with more municipalities using the Benchmark tool →
Common questions about schools in Karlstad
How many schools are there in Karlstad? Karlstad municipality has 149 active school units: 41 compulsory schools and 22 upper-secondary schools. Of these, 115 are municipal and 34 are independent. A total of 17,309 pupils attend schools in Karlstad.
What are the merit values in Karlstad? The average year-9 merit value in Karlstad is 232.2 points (based on 9 schools). The highest merit value belongs to Nordic International School Karlstad with 257.3 points.
Which school in Karlstad has the highest teacher qualification rate? Sundsta-Älvkullegymnasiet 4 has the highest share of qualified teachers in Karlstad at 99.6%. The municipal average is 79.4%.
How much does a school place cost in Karlstad? The cost per pupil in compulsory school in Karlstad is 141,174 SEK per year (2025). In municipal schools the cost is 139,702 SEK per pupil.
How do student health services work in Karlstad? Student health services in Karlstad cost 5,267 SEK per pupil (2025). 72.9% of year 5 pupils find it easy to access student health services. The figure for year 8 is 62.2%. 
