It is one of the largest upper secondary schools in Norway, with approximately 1,650 students as of December 2013[update], and offers 10 programmes or courses of instruction.

[2] The school was split between several locations until a new building, built as a combined project with Arena Larvik, opened on 17 August 2009.

[2][3] The gymnasium's history goes back to the foundation of Laurvigs Middelskole (Larvik Middle School) in 1824; the Thor Heyerdahl name was first used in 1994.

Interior decoration of the new building was budgeted at approximately 1.8 million kroner, the design scheme being chosen by a jury.

[18] Both are student-organised charity actions to assist children in other countries in obtaining an education: the primary form of participation is for students to donate their pay from a day's work.