Smedjebacken coat of arms

Schools in Smedjebacken municipality

15 active school units in Smedjebacken, Dalarnas län. The three most common school forms: 8 preschool, 6 compulsory school, 5 after-school care (+2 more) (a school can have multiple forms).

Data updated: 7 May 2026. School data covers 2023/24; Kolada data may cover different periods.

Smedjebacken has 15 schools with an average merit value of 210.6, which is below the national average. Teacher qualification: 61.5% (below the national average of 73.3%).

15 schools 1,513 pupils 61.5% qualified teachers Declining municipality (-0.6%)

Summary — Smedjebacken

Five key insights about the municipality's education system.

Key metrics — Smedjebacken municipality

Overview of the municipality's education system.

15 Active schools 15 municipal, 0 independent
1,513 Total pupils 6 compulsory, 1 upper secondary
210.6 Avg merit value yr 9 Skolverket avg, 2 schools (national avg: 228.5)
61.5% Qualified teachers Skolverket avg, all school forms
138,359 SEK/yr Cost per pupil Compulsory school 2024 (national avg: 142,154.8 SEK)
10.4 Pupils per teacher Compulsory/upper secondary in municipality
1.5 Merit value per 1,000 SEK Cost-effectiveness (peer avg: 1.4)

Smedjebacken municipality has 15 schools with an average merit value of 210.6 (national avg 228.5). Teacher qualification is below the national average of 73.3%. Compared to similar municipalities, Smedjebacken outperforms its peers.


In-depth statistics

How does Smedjebacken compare to its neighbours?
Geographic neighbours ↓ Statistical peers ↓
3/7 Merit value
4/7 Qual. teachers
2/7 Cost/pupil

All 15 schools in Smedjebacken

Compare schools
School School forms Provider Pupils Qual. teachers
Bergaskolan Compulsory school Smedjebackens kommun 260 47%
FÖRSKOLAN SAGAN Preschool Smedjebackens kommun 38 56.6%
FRIDHEMS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Smedjebackens kommun 54 22.8%
HAGGE FÖRSKOLA Preschool Smedjebackens kommun 29 65.3%
Hagge skola After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Smedjebackens kommun 110 67.7%
HARNÄS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Smedjebackens kommun 29 75.8%
Kyrkskolan After-school care, Compulsory school Smedjebackens kommun 160 34.4%
LILLGÅRDEN Preschool Smedjebackens kommun 28 0%
Röda Berga After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Smedjebackens kommun 270 74.6%
SKOGSGLÄNTAN Preschool Smedjebackens kommun 34 37.1%
SOLHYTTANS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Smedjebackens kommun 67 38.5%
STRANDÄNGENS FÖRSKOLA Preschool Smedjebackens kommun 114 39.9%
Vad skola After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Smedjebackens kommun 90 75.2%
VBU Smeden Upper secondary school Västerbergslagens Utbildningsförbund,vbu 70
Vinsboskolan After-school care, Compulsory school, Preschool class Smedjebackens kommun 160 70.1%

Compulsory school

Results, teachers, costs and student health

210.7 Merit value yr 9 National: 228.5
58.3% Qualified teachers National: 73.3%
138,359 SEK/pupil National: 142,155
67.5% Passing all subjects

Results and grades

Compulsory school results in Smedjebacken (2025).

Merit value year 9 (municipal avg, 16 subjects)
210.7 (national avg: 228.5) (county avg: 211.3)
Merit score year 9 B
Source
kolada
Period
2025
Quality
B: Direct from source
Passing all subjects year 9
67.5%
Passing mathematics
88.8%
Pupil satisfaction year 5
79.4%
Pupil satisfaction year 8
52.7%
Parents with post-secondary education
51.6%

Source: Kolada.

Teachers and personnel

Teacher density and qualification in compulsory schools (2025).

Qualified teachers (compulsory school)
58.3% (national avg: 73.3 %) (county avg: 65.2 %)
Certified teachers B
Source
kolada
Period
2025
Quality
B: Direct from source
Pupils per teacher
10.4

Source: Kolada.

Show more: staff stability, student health, mother tongue, SALSA, grade distribution

Staff stability

Teacher workforce stability in Smedjebacken, measured by the trend in qualified teacher share over time.

Qualified teachers (2025)
58.3% (national avg: 73.3%)
Stability indicator (2020–2025)
↓ Declining (-1.2 pp)
National trend (2020–2025)
↑ Improving (+2.2 pp)
Forecast 2027
≈ 62.4% (linear extrapolation, +0.1 pp/year)

Source: Kolada.

Pupils and providers

Pupil numbers and distribution between municipal and independent schools (2025).

Compulsory school pupils
1,055
Municipal / independent share
95.2% / 4.8%

Source: Kolada.

Costs — compulsory school

Cost per pupil in compulsory school (2024). Includes breakdown for municipal schools.

Cost per pupil (total)
138,359 SEK (national avg: 142,154.8 SEK) (county avg: 150,465 SEK)
Municipal school cost
137,137 SEK/pupil
Teaching
78,035 SEK/pupil
Premises
26,672 SEK/pupil
Student health
3,175 SEK/pupil
School meals
9,539 SEK/pupil
Learning tools
7,522 SEK/pupil

Source: Kolada (N15006, N15008–N15014).

Student health and support

Student health resources, accessibility and school safety in Smedjebacken.

Student health (compulsory)
3,175 SEK/pupil (national avg: 5,053.2 SEK)
Easy to access help, year 5
64.1%
Easy to access help, year 8
38.9%
Safety at school
66.7%
Study environment (studiero)
27.8%

Source: Kolada, Skolinspektionen.

Mother tongue and multilingualism

Mother tongue instruction and multilingualism in Smedjebacken (2025).

Other mother tongue than Swedish
9.7%
Participating in mother tongue instruction
4.1%
Swedish as a second language
2.9%
Passed mother tongue, year 9
100%
Passed SvA, year 9
66.7%
Newly arrived (last 3 years)
1%

Source: Skolverket, Kolada.

SALSA — merit value vs prerequisites Model computedThis value is calculated using a statistical model.This affectsSALSA 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.

-7.0 Average residual (merit value) for 2 schools
SALSA score (municipality) ↓ 2020/21 2024/25
2020/21: +9.5 2024/25: -7.0
School Actual Model Residual
Kyrkskolan 210 213 -3.0
Bergaskolan 211 222 -11.0

Top merit-value schools

Top 2 schools by year-9 merit value.

School Provider Merit value SALSA Qualified teachers Pupils
Bergaskolan Smedjebackens kommun 210.9 -11.0 47% 260
Kyrkskolan Smedjebackens kommun 210.2 -3.0 34.4% 160

Adapted compulsory school

Key metrics for adapted compulsory school in Smedjebacken (2025).

Number of pupils
11
Share of compulsory school pupils
0.9%
Cost per pupil
721,667 SEK/year

Source: Kolada.

Trends — compulsory school

Development over time (2020–2025).

Merit value yr 9 ↓ -3.6%
2020: 218.6 p 2025: 210.7 p
Qualified teachers ↓ -2%
2020: 59.5 % 2025: 58.3 %
Cost per pupil ↑ +17.6%
2020: 117,620 SEK 2024: 138,359 SEK
Number of pupils ↓ -1.1%
2020: 1,067 2025: 1,055
Independent share ↓ -28.4%
2020: 6.7 % 2025: 4.8 %
Pupils per teacher ↓ -4.6%
2020: 10.9 2025: 10.4
Student health SEK/pupil ↓ -22.9%
2020: 4,118 SEK 2024: 3,175 SEK
Student health yr 5 ↑ +5.4%
2022: 60.8 % 2025: 64.1 %
Student health yr 8 ↓ -9.5%
2022: 43 % 2025: 38.9 %
Safety ↓ -10.1%
2022: 74.2 % 2025: 66.7 %

Upper secondary

Results, costs and staff in upper secondary schools

Upper-secondary statistics

Key metrics for upper-secondary schools in Smedjebacken (2024).

Upper-secondary pupils
328
Graduating within 3 years
75.2% (national avg: 71.3 %)
University eligibility (3 years)
48.6% (national avg: 57.5 %)
Qualified teachers (upper secondary)
0% (national avg: 82 %)
Cost per upper-secondary pupil
168,054 SEK (national avg: 144,058.4 SEK)
Grade points upper secondary (avg)
14.1 (national avg: 14.8)
Pupils per teacher (upper secondary)
7.3
Withdrawn study support
4.6%
Foreign background (upper secondary)
32%
Diploma/certificate within 3 years
82.9%

Source: Kolada.

Trends — upper secondary

Development over time (2020–2024).

Cost upper sec./pupil ↑ +23.4%
2020: 136,171 SEK 2024: 168,054 SEK
Graduating 3 yrs ↑ +7.9%
2020: 69.7 % 2025: 75.2 %
Qualified teachers US → unchanged
2020: 0 % 2023: 0 %
Univ. eligibility 3 yrs ↓ -4%
2020: 50.6 % 2025: 48.6 %

University connection

Share of upper-secondary students in Smedjebacken going on to higher education.

University eligibility (all)
48.6% (national avg: 57.5 %)
Eligibility — academic programmes
70.6% (national avg: 82.4 %)
Eligibility — vocational programmes
33.3% (national avg: 27.4 %)
Graduating within 3 years
75.2% (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 Smedjebacken (SCB).

Ages 16–18 (2025)
346
Ages 16–18 (2030)
348 (+0.6%)
Ages 6–15 (2025)
1,186
Ages 6–15 (2030)
1,103 (-7%)
Ages 1–5 (2025)
483
Total school age (2035)
1,784

Source: SCB population forecast. The forecast indicates future demand pressure.

Preschool and childcare

Preschool, after-school care and pedagogical care

Preschool in Smedjebacken

Municipal preschool data. Source: Skolverket's statistics database.

Enrolled children
393
Preschool units
8 (8 municipal, 0 independent)
Share of 1–5 year-olds in preschool
90.1% (national avg: 86.3%)
Children per group
13.1 (national avg: 15)
Children per group (1–3 years)
12.1 (national avg: 12.2)
Children per FTE
4.6 (national avg: 5)
Preschool teacher licence
40.9% (national avg: 48.3%)
Pedagogical higher education
40.7% (national avg: 48%)

After-school care (fritidshem)

Key metrics for after-school care in Smedjebacken (2024).

Cost per child
41,924 SEK/year (national avg: 46,711.8 SEK)
Children in after-school care
379
Children per FTE
30.2 (national avg: 21.6)
Staff with pedagogical degree
31.6% (national avg: 36.7 %)
Share of 6–12 year-olds enrolled
47.5% (national avg: 57.9 %)
Share of 6–9 year-olds enrolled
72.7% (national avg: 84.8 %)

Source: Kolada.

Pedagogical care

Key metrics for pedagogical care (family daycare etc.) in Smedjebacken (2025).

Children in pedagogical care
0

Source: Kolada.

Open preschool and family daycare

Open preschool and family daycare in Smedjebacken (2024).

Open preschool units
0
Open preschool FTEs
0

Source: Kolada.

Trends — preschool and childcare

Development over time (2020–2024).

After-school SEK/child ↑ +6%
2020: 39,554 SEK 2024: 41,924 SEK
Enrolled after-school ↑ +19.9%
2020: 39.6 % 2025: 47.5 %

Children and youth

Health, economy and support

Children's and youth's health

Health indicators for children and young people in Smedjebacken (2024).

Mental health issues, children/youth
11.3%

Source: Kolada (N33820).

Child and youth welfare

Key metrics for child and youth welfare in Smedjebacken (2024).

Initiated child investigations
30.3 per 1,000 pop. 0–20
Children placed in care
12 per 1,000 pop. 0–20
Net cost child/youth welfare
1,752 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 Smedjebacken (2025).

Total population
10,758
Population change
-0.6%
Ages 1–5 (preschool age)
449
Ages 6–15 (compulsory school age)
1,073
Ages 16–18 (upper-secondary age)
338
Higher education 25–64
18.1%
Foreign-born 20–64
11.7%
16–24 not in work/education
6.9%

Source: Kolada.

Household types

Distribution of household types in Smedjebacken (2024).

Single without children
41.8%
Single with children
5.2%
Couple without children
31.9%
Couple with children
15.8%
Other households
5.2%
Total number of households
5,416

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
Smedjebacken you 210.6 61.5% 138,359 SEK 1,513
Ludvika 17 km 211.4 56.5% 136,758 SEK 5,037
Fagersta 25 km 206.3 59.2% 146,282 SEK 2,511
Norberg 28.3 km 201.6 71.5% 151,177 SEK 697
Säter 31.8 km 214.7 69.4% 147,918 SEK 1,673
Ljusnarsberg 35.5 km 188.8 69.5% 198,015 SEK 454
Skinnskatteberg 38.8 km 203.3 55.1% 188,450 SEK 464
Neighbour avg. 204.4 63.5% 161,433 SEK 1,806
Merit value year 9
Säter
214.7
Ludvika
211.4
Smedjebacken
210.6
Fagersta
206.3
Skinnskatteberg
203.3
Norberg
201.6
Ljusnarsberg
188.8
Qualified teachers
Norberg
71.5%
Ljusnarsberg
69.5%
Säter
69.4%
Smedjebacken
61.5%
Fagersta
59.2%
Ludvika
56.5%
Skinnskatteberg
55.1%

Source: Skolverket & Kolada. Municipalities selected by geographic distance.

Refugee reception

Refugee reception in Smedjebacken (2025).

Newly arrived received
0.8 per 1,000 pop.
Newly arrived children 0–17
6 per 1,000 pop.
Establishment rate after 2 years
60.3%

Source: Kolada.

Trends — demographics

Demographic development (2020–2025).

Pop. change ↓ +50%
2020: -0.4 % 2025: -0.6 %
Youth not in work/edu. ↓ -6.8%
2020: 7.4 % 2024: 6.9 %
Newly arrived ↓ -65.2%
2020: 2.3 2025: 0.8

Economy and housing

Municipal economy, housing and infrastructure

Municipal economy

Economic key metrics for Smedjebacken (2025).

Municipal tax rate
22.5%
Total tax rate (municipality+region)
34.4%
Tax base
256,815 SEK/capita
Annual result
3,115 SEK/capita
Result, share of tax+grants
4%
Solidity
41.5%

Source: Kolada.

Economic assistance

Economic assistance (social benefits) in Smedjebacken (2024).

Assistance households
2.4 per 1,000 pop.
Young adults 18–24 with assistance
6.5%
Assistance months (avg)
46.8
Net cost economic assistance
1,357 SEK/capita

Source: Kolada.

Learning tools and digitalisation

Cost of learning tools in Smedjebacken. Includes textbooks, computers, software, internet access and other teaching equipment.

Learning tools, compulsory school
7,522 SEK/pupil

Source: Kolada (N15012, N17011). Learning tools incl. IT: computers, software, books, AV equipment etc.

Housing and infrastructure

Housing and infrastructure indicators for Smedjebacken.

Overcrowded households (Kolada)
11.1%
Completed dwellings
2 per 1,000 pop.
Good public transport
96%
Broadband ≥100 Mbit/s
80.7%
Rental
16.9%
Cooperative
3.3%
Owner-occupied
75.9%
Cars in traffic
6,574

Source: Kolada, SCB.

Trends — economy and housing

Economic development (2020–2025).

Municipal tax rate → unchanged
2020: 22.5 % 2025: 22.5 %
Economic assistance ↓ -31.4%
2020: 3.5 2024: 2.4
Overcrowding ↓ -30.6%
2020: 16 % 2025: 11.1 %

Society, culture and environment

Safety, culture and sustainability

Crime and safety

Reported crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in Smedjebacken (2025).

Reported crimes (total)
7,154 per 100,000 pop.
Violent crimes
751 per 100,000 pop.
Burglaries
185 per 100,000 pop.
Drug crimes
306 per 100,000 pop.

Source: Kolada. Data from BRA.

LSS and disability services

LSS services in Smedjebacken (2024).

LSS cost per capita 0–64
5,392 SEK/year
LSS decisions per 1,000 pop. 0–64
0.9

Source: Kolada.

Work environment and sick leave

Sick leave among municipal employees in Smedjebacken (2025). Relevant for understanding teacher recruitment and retention.

Total sick leave
7.1%
Long-term sick leave (>59 days)
36.4% of total
Sick leave <30 years
7.6%
Sick leave 30–49 years
6.7%
Sick leave >49 years
7.3%
Stress-related sick leave
0.7% of population

Source: Kolada (N00090–N00094, N00103).

Culture school

Key metrics for the music and culture school in Smedjebacken (2023).

Share of pupils 6–19
14.9%
Number of pupils
245
Average pupil fee
0 SEK/pupil
Cost per capita
322 SEK/capita

Source: Kolada.

Public library

Key metrics for public libraries in Smedjebacken (2024).

Loans per capita
8.7 per capita
Children's book loans (0–17)
5 per capita
Active borrowers
30.6%
Media allocation
706 SEK/capita

Source: Kolada.

Environment

Environmental indicators for Smedjebacken (2023).

CO₂ emissions per capita
6.1 tonnes
Organic food (municipal kitchens)
28%

Source: Kolada.

Trends — society and culture

Development in society and culture (2020–2023).

Culture school share ↑ +36.7%
2020: 10.9 % 2023: 14.9 %
Reported crimes ↑ +13.2%
2020: 6,317.8 2025: 7,154.4
Mental health issues (youth) ↑ +39.5%
2020: 8.1 % 2024: 11.3 %
CO₂/capita ↑ +3.4%
2020: 5.9 t 2023: 6.1 t
Broadband 100+ ↑ +42.3%
2020: 56.7 % 2024: 80.7 %
Total sick leave ↓ -11.3%
2020: 8 % 2025: 7.1 %
Stress-related cases ↑ +75%
2020: 0.4 % 2024: 0.7 %

Trends — adult education

Development in komvux and SFI (2020–2024).

Cost adult edu./pupil ↑ +59.7%
2020: 48,905 SEK 2024: 78,105 SEK

Teacher certification: trend and forecast

Historical trend for the share of qualified teachers in Smedjebacken with a forecast based on linear extrapolation.

2020 59.5%
2025 (latest) 58.3%
Forecast 2027 62.4% (linear extrapolation)
County avg 65.2%
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 Smedjebacken.

Cost per pupil
138,359 SEK · national avg 142,155 SEK
Merit value year 9
210.7 · national avg 228.5
Merit points per 10,000 SEK
1.5 (national avg: 1.6)

Smedjebacken achieves fewer merit points per invested krona than the national average.

Source: Kolada. Merit value per cost unit is a simplified measure and should be interpreted considering the municipality's socioeconomic conditions.

Peer municipalities

Compare Smedjebacken with statistically similar municipalities

Comparison with peer municipalities

Smedjebacken 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
Smedjebacken you 210.7 58.3% 138,359 SEK 75.2% -7.0
Vansbro 201.3 60.1% 146,991 SEK 59.7% -9.0
Ludvika 211.3 51.2% 136,758 SEK 73% -4.5
Hedemora 199.8 63.1% 140,975 SEK 66% -11.0
Gagnef 213.4 64% 149,864 SEK 77.9% -10.0
Borlänge 209.3 66.5% 145,165 SEK 68.7% -5.5
Avesta 208.5 65% 152,291 SEK 62.4% -4.7
Säter 214.7 68.9% 147,918 SEK 80.8% -2.0
Peer average 208.3 62.7% 145,709 SEK 69.8% -6.7

Trends compared with peer municipalities

Merit value yr 9 2020–2025
VansbroLudvikaHedemoraGagnefBorlänge
Qualified teachers 2020–2025
VansbroLudvikaHedemoraGagnefBorlänge
Cost/pupil 2020–2025
VansbroLudvikaHedemoraGagnefBorlänge
Graduating 3 yrs 2020–2025
VansbroLudvikaHedemoraGagnefBorlänge

Source: Kolada. Municipalities selected based on similar education key metrics within Dalarnas län.

Similar municipalities (SCB group)

Municipalities in the same SCB classification group: Commuting municipality near a smaller town

Benchmark vs SCB group C7

Smedjebacken belongs to SCB municipality group C7 — Commuting municipality near a smaller town: municipality where at least 40% of the night-time population commutes to a smaller town. Here is how Smedjebacken compares to the 52 municipalities in the group.

Smedjebacken vs SCB group C7 — percentile position Merit valueQualified teachersStudents/teacherCost/pupilGraduating 3 yrsAll subjects passed
Smedjebacken Group median
Merit value 210.7 (median: 207.4)
59th
Qualified teachers 58.3 (median: 70.9)
9th
Students/teacher 10.4 (median: 10.6)
57th
Cost/pupil 138358.9 (median: 153333.9)
91th
Graduating 3 yrs 75.2 (median: 65.4)
91th
All subjects passed 67.5 (median: 61.6)
72th
Above group median for merit value
Above group median for students/teacher
Above group median for cost/pupil
Above group median for graduating 3 yrs

Municipalities in the same SCB group

Smedjebacken belongs to SCB municipality group C7 — Commuting municipality near a smaller town: municipality where at least 40% of the night-time population commutes to a smaller town. 52 municipalities in total. Showing 8 below.

Municipality Merit value Qualified teachers Cost/pupil Graduating 3 yrs
Smedjebacken 210.7 58.3% 138,359 SEK 75.2%
Arboga 226.7 72.1% 138,550 SEK 58.2%
Boxholm 224.5 79.6% 164,524 SEK 67.9%
Bromölla 203 75.2% 145,712 SEK 67.9%
Degerfors 209.1 76.1% 139,707 SEK 49.5%
Eksjö 217.9 65.4% 151,682 SEK 71.1%
Emmaboda 216.4 77.7% 181,122 SEK 64.3%
Essunga 177.6 69.3% 162,716 SEK 81.3%
Fagersta 206.3 56% 146,282 SEK 54.1%

Source: SCB municipality classification (2017) and Kolada. Compare with more municipalities using the Benchmark tool

Common questions about schools in Smedjebacken

How many schools are there in Smedjebacken?
Smedjebacken municipality has 15 active school units: 6 compulsory schools and 1 upper-secondary schools. Of these, 15 are municipal and 0 are independent. A total of 1,513 pupils attend schools in Smedjebacken.
What are the merit values in Smedjebacken?
The average year-9 merit value in Smedjebacken is 210.6 points (based on 2 schools). The highest merit value belongs to Bergaskolan with 210.9 points.
Which school in Smedjebacken has the highest teacher qualification rate?
HARNÄS FÖRSKOLA has the highest share of qualified teachers in Smedjebacken at 75.8%. The municipal average is 61.5%.
How much does a school place cost in Smedjebacken?
The cost per pupil in compulsory school in Smedjebacken is 138,359 SEK per year (2024). In municipal schools the cost is 137,137 SEK per pupil.
How do student health services work in Smedjebacken?
Student health services in Smedjebacken cost 3,175 SEK per pupil (2024). 64.1% of year 5 pupils find it easy to access student health services. The figure for year 8 is 38.9%.

Statistics: school year 2023/24. Source: Skolverket, SCB, Kolada. Glossary · About the data.
— = data not available from source.

National comparison

See how Smedjebacken municipality compares in a national perspective.

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