Denmark has a long tradition for private education institutions receiving public grants in the formal and non-formal education sector.

Early childhood education and care

At ECEC level, there are three types of institutions:

• Public
• Government-dependent private
• Private independent

Public institutions account for the majority of institutions. Information on the number of public and private ECEC institutions can be found in chapter 2.8. Statistics on educational institutions.

The Day Care Act applies to both the private and public ECEC institutions.

Grants and grant conditions

Government-dependent private institutions receive grants per child from the municipalities.

Private independent institutions do not receive grants. Parents can receive grants from the municipality if the institution is approved by the municipality.

The municipalities are responsible for the supervision of the institutions.

Primary and lower secondary education

At primary and lower secondary level, there are two types of institutions:

• Public
• Government-dependent private

Public institutions account for the majority of institutions. Information on the number of public and private primary and lower secondary education institutions can be found in chapter 2.8. Statistics on educational institutions.

The public primary and lower secondary education institutions are regulated by the Act on the Folkeskole. Government-dependent private primary and lower secondary education institutions are regulated by the Act on Private Independent Schools and Private Primary and Lower Secondary School etc.

Grants and grant conditions

Publicly funded private schools receive public grants including operational grants, special grants, block grants and building grants.

The grants received for operational expenditures cover the expenditures “per pupil per year”. In principle, the grants correspond to the public expenditures in the municipal primary and lower secondary schools (folkeskolen) excluding the fees paid by the pupils' parents.

Grant conditions

• The school must have a certain degree of self-financing.
• The school must have a certain minimum size.
• The school must have a number of supervisors certified by the Ministry of Children and Education. The task of the supervisors is to check whether the overall teaching of the school measures up to what is required in the primary and lower secondary school.

Upper secondary education

At upper secondary level, there are two types of institutions:

• Public
• Government-dependent private

Public institutions account for the majority of institutions. Information on the number of public and private primary and lower secondary education institutions can be found in chapter 2.8. Statistics on educational institutions.

There are no publicly funded private or fully private vocational upper secondary education institutions.

Grants and grant conditions

Public upper secondary schools are regulated by the Law on Upper Secondary Education and the private upper secondary schools are regulated by the Law on Private Institutions for Upper Secondary Education Programmes.

The funding of government-dependent private gymnasiums corresponds to the public grant system of the publicly funded private primary and lower secondary schools.

Grant conditions

• The education institution must be approved by the National Agency for Education and Quality (Ministry of Children and Education).
• The institution must have a certain degree of self-financing.
• The institution is not allowed to purchase buildings with the purpose of renting out.

Upper secondary schools are supervised by the Ministry of Children and Education.

Higher education

At higher education level, there are two types of institutions:

• Public (universities)
• Self-governing (university colleges, business academies and maritime education and training institutions)

Self-governing institutions account for the majority of the institutions. Self-governing institutions receive public grants. Further information on types of higher education institutions can be found in chapter 7.1.

Higher education institutions are supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

Adult education

Adult education can be distinguished between formal and non-formal adult education. Formal adult education is offered at the same institutions as in the ordinary education system. Public grants might vary between institutions. Adult education typically has a fee for participation.   

Within non-formal adult education, there is a significant number of private independent institutions. In general, competences acquired through this kind of private adult education are not formally recognised.

Information on adult education can be found in chapter 8.3. Main Providers and 8.4. Main Types of Provision.