Between Access and Success: How Nordic Upper Secondary Education Prepares Student for Higher Education

In higher education system with a relative high degree of openness, in terms of places available are there growing concerns about students’ readiness for higher education—their capacity to succeed once enrolled. University lecturers report that incoming students struggle with academic reading, engaging with complex texts, academic writing conventions, and independent learning strategies. Students themselves report feeling unprepared for the volume of reading, the pace of progression, and the expectations for self-directed study. Despite these concerns, there is limited empirical knowledge about what «study preparedness» actually entails, which competencies matter most for higher education success, and how different upper secondary educational systems support or hinder the development of these competencies. This symposium addresses this gap by examining how upper secondary education in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden prepares students for both access to and success in higher education.