In the twelfth century education in the Faroe Islands was provided by the Catholic Church.

In 1979 responsibilities on educational issues started transferring to the Faroese authorities, a procedure which was completed in 2002.

Upon completion of the tenth year of Fólkaskúli, students can continue to upper secondary education which consists of several different types of schools.

The structure of the Faroese educational system bears resemblances with its Danish counterpart.

[7] In November 2013 1,615 people, or 6.8% of the total number of employees, were employed in the education sector.

[8] There is no data on literacy in the Faroe Islands, but the CIA Factbook states that it is probably as high as in Denmark proper, i.e.

In addition, most young Faroese people who relocate to other countries to study are women.

[10] Out of 1,719 holders of master's degrees or PhDs, 1,249 (72.7% have had their education in Denmark, 87 (5.1%) in the United Kingdom, 86 (5%) in both the Faroe Islands and Denmark, 64 (3.7%) in the Faroe Islands, 60 (3.5%) in Norway and the rest in other countries (mostly EU and Nordic).

According to the Sverris saga, Sverre of Norway received schooling by Roe the bishop of Faroe Islands; later speeches of his, show that he was taught Latin, a feature revealed by his knowledge of the Decretum Gratiani.

After the reformation Latin Schools were established in the Danish kingdom, extending over today's Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Skåneland and Gotland in Sweden, and Øsel (now Saaremaa) in Estonia.

[21] The University of the Faroe Islands, was established in 1965; Klaus H. Jacobsen, a Dane, was appointed as the first lecturer in 1970 to teach courses for the examen philosophicum, a prerequisite at the time to pursue higher education in Denmark.

After Denmark abandoned the examen philosophicum in 1971, on the initiative of Jacobsen and Kjartan Hoydal the university accepted its first full-time science students in the autumn of 1972.

[22] Education in the Faroe Islands was administered by Denmark under the Home Rule Act, until in the late 1990s its administration was transferred to the Faroese government as a matter of local interest.

[27] The final examination from the Fólkaskúli gives access to upper secondary education like "Studentaskúlin",[29] "Fiskivinnuskúlin"[30] or other similar secondary schools which takes three years or (Higher Preparatory Examination (HF)) which takes two years.

[26] This type of education is offered at three schools: Føroya Studentaskúli og HF-Skeið in Tórshavn, Studentaskúlin og HF-skeiðið í Eysturoy in Kambsdalur and Miðnámsskúlin í Suðuroy in Suðuroy.

[26] The Business College (Faroese: Føroya Handilsskúli), also called FHS, offers a three-year curriculum and its completion allows its alumni to continue to higher education.

[36] Sjónam in Klaksvík offers a 1½ year shipmaster education, which qualifies its alumni to be either First Officer or Captain on merchant ships up to 3000 gross tonnage.

In order to get access to the education, the applicants must fulfill the terms according to Ship Master Law (Kunngerð um skiparaútbúgving) number 107 of 20 September 2005, i.e. the applicants must have experience of working on board a ship which is at least 20 gross tonnage for at least 36 months, of which at least 18 months should be from a larger vessel of at least 200 gross tonnage.

They should also have finished the nine years of compulsory primary and lower secondary school with at least "passed" results in Faroese, Danish, English, physics, chemistry and math.

The health care assistant education (Heilsuhjálpari) takes fifteen months.

[26][47] Courses range from handicraft, music lessons, foreign languages to swimming.

[48] The courses are offered by the municipalities, with 50% of the teachers' wages paid by them and the rest paid by the Ministry of Culture and Education; the Ministry of Culture pays 100% of the wages in cases of disabled people.

[49] Additionally there are the School of Home Economics (Faroese: Húsarhaldsskúli Føroya) and the Folk High School (Faroese: Føroya Fólkaháskúli) offering half-year courses in food and diet, hygiene, sewing, embroidering and humanities, arts and creative subjects respectively.

[51][52] Higher education is offered by the, Tórshavn based, University of the Faroe Islands (Faroese: Fróðskaparsetur Føroya).

[23] Admission requirements include taking the upper secondary school leaving examination.

[55] It is possible to take individual higher education courses in Commerce from the Business School in Kambsdalur and in Tórshavn.