Betty Pettersson – Sweden’s first female student
- Betty Pettersson was the first woman to study at a Swedish university.
- She was also the first woman in Sweden to take the upper secondary school examination, which women were only allowed to do in 1870.
- Betty Pettersson enrolled at Uppsala University in 1872 and graduated in 1875.
- After her studies, she became the first Swedish woman employed as a teacher at a state secondary school.
Betty Pettersson was born on 14 September 1838 in Visby, Gotland, where she also grew up. She would go on to be a pioneer in Swedish education in several respects.
It became clear early on that she was a quick learner and she was offered a place at Fröknarna Molanders private school in Visby. As the daughter of a saddler, she was a rare bird among the pupils there, as most of them came from more affluent families.
Found her own way into teaching
At that time, the normal path for women who wanted to teach was to study at a teacher training college for women and then work at a girls’ school. Pettersson instead became the first woman in Sweden to take the upper secondary school examination, just a year after women were first allowed to do so. The examination records state that the headmaster gave her his special congratulations, though her achievement was only noted briefly in the newspapers.
After taking her examination in 1871, she wanted to study humanities and languages at university but women in Sweden were still not allowed to do this. Although women had been allowed to study medicine at university since 1870, the humanities were regarded as a male domain.
Pettersson therefore had to write to the king and argue for an exemption. The exemption was granted, partly because there was no legal provision explicitly prohibiting women from studying at university.
Betty Pettersson’s time at Uppsala University
In February 1872, Betty Pettersson became the first woman in Sweden to enrol at Uppsala University and join the Gotland student nation. She began her studies in October the same year. At this point, Pettersson was the sole female student among 1,544 male students. There was great resistance to female students. Long after she had completed her studies, a mocking song was still sung with the refrain “And therefore I table this motion: that Miss Betty not be admitted to the nation.”
In January 1875, Pettersson obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree, with modern European linguistics and modern literature as her main subjects. Only one woman had taken an academic degree in Sweden before her. Two years later, the restrictions were relaxed somewhat, when women gained the right to take degrees in the faculties of arts and medicine and at lower levels in the faculty of law.
First female teacher at a state secondary school
After graduating, Betty Pettersson again broke new ground by becoming the first female teacher at a state secondary school. She moved to Stockholm where she applied for a probationary year as a teacher.
Her probationary year began in autumn 1875 at the boys’ school Ladugårdslands lägre elementarläroverk (Ladugårdsland junior secondary school), which later became Östra Real. Her final grade for one part of the probationary year was “Pass with credit” for teaching proficiency.
Pettersson was given the opportunity to continue working at the same school and was hired as a temporary member of staff in autumn 1877. She taught there until autumn 1884, also serving as a form teacher. Pupils testified that she was a popular teacher and that she gave extra tuition in her own home to those who needed it.
Pettersson contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and died in 1885. At her funeral, particular emphasis was given to her “sense of duty, zeal and perseverance in her calling”. She was buried at Stockholm’s Northern Cemetery.
Late recognition
Although Betty Pettersson was a pioneer in Swedish education in several respects, she attracted very little attention in her lifetime. Many years elapsed before she received any official recognition:
- In 1925, the 50th anniversary of her graduation was celebrated.
- In 1955, 70 years after her death, a commemorative plaque was presented for installation at Östra Real.
- In 1977, the Cultural Affairs Committee in Visby decided to put up a memorial plaque at the house where she grew up.
- In 1990, a monument was erected at the Northern Cemetery in Stockholm.
- On Equal Opportunities Day, 27 May 2025, 150 years after she graduated from Uppsala University, the Gotland student nation presented a painted portrait of Betty Pettersson to Uppsala University.
Betty Pettersson and Uppsala University today
Betty Pettersson’s legacy is evident throughout the University today. It is now taken for granted that women have the same opportunities for higher education as men. Around 60 per cent of current students at Uppsala University are women. At the same time, the vital work to promote equality and combat all forms of discrimination continues.
The Work environment and equal opportunities policy for Uppsala University states:
Uppsala University is to have a healthy and sustainable work environment for all coworkers and students. The University’s activities must be characterised by equal opportunities. This helps ensure that the University is an institution with a safe, stimulating and challenging learning and research environment.
To honour Betty Pettersson’s important pioneering achievements, Uppsala University has named a lecture hall after her at Campus Blåsenhus. At Campus Gotland, an entire university building bears her name.
Memorial plaque for Pettersson
Betty Pettersson was honoured on 12 February 2026 with a memorial plaque on Övre Slottsgatan in Uppsala.
Vice-Chancellor Anders Hagfeldt and Kalmar Nation’s First Curator Alva Karlsson put up the memorial plaque for Betty Pettersson at Övre Slottsgatan 15.
Vice-Chancellor Anders Hagfeldt together with flag bearers and trumpeters outside Övre Slottsgatan 15 at the unveiling of the memorial plaque for Betty Pettersson on 12 February 2026.