Universities in Finland

Disadvantages of Finnish universities

• The selectivity of universities. Finnish universities are demanding: almost all universities organize entrance trials or use tests accepted in other countries (for example, SAT or GRE). Passing these exams is not a simple task: only a third of the total number of applicants are able to succeed.
• The Finnish language. Many foreign students consider the need to learn Finnish to be the main drawback of studying in Finland. Finnish is much less popular than some other foreign languages, and also has difficult grammar and pronunciation.

Requirements for admission to universities in Finland

Please note that for EU/EEA nationals education at public universities is free no matter which language of instruction they choose.

There are no foundation courses in Finland before entering a university. The closest alternatives are training programs for high school aimed especially at foreigners. The admission requirements of such courses are knowledge of Finnish or Swedish at A2 level, as well as the completion of nine grades of secondary school.

In case of admission to a bachelor’s program, a student needs to present qualifying documents: Finnish universities accept certificates EB (European Baccalaureate) diplomas, A-Levels, as well as any certificate, that is considered sufficient for admission in the student’s home country.

For admission to a master's program, it is usually sufficient to have a bachelor's degree in the relevant field, however, universities of applied sciences require 2-3 years of work experience. In some areas (art, music, dance, theater, etc.), work experience can replace creative works and merit.

Admission to doctoral and licentiate programs is no different from each other. An important condition is the correspondence of the education received during the master’s studies to the chosen specialty in doctoral studies.

The most crucial step is choosing a research project. When filling out the questionnaire on the university website, you must specify all the information (language, goals, tasks, materials, and methods used, etc.) and state in detail the stages of the planned work. The thematic continuation of the research done during the master’s course will be an advantage.

Colleges in Finland

Vocational education in Finland is provided by colleges (ammattiopisto), special education institutions (erityisammattioppilaitos) and adult employment centers (aikuisopisto).

There are three ways of obtaining a specialist qualification:

• Go to college after graduating from the ninth grade of secondary school;
• Take special courses at the employment center (this option is more suitable for adults);
• Take an internship (oppisopimuskoulutus) at a Finnish company.

Studying in colleges takes about three years on average and gives the student basic qualifications and skills for working in the chosen field. Some educational institutions provide students with the opportunity to simultaneously study at a general secondary school or undergraduate programs (if the student is eligible and the university has the appropriate accreditation). College graduates can either continue their studies or start looking for a job immediately after passing the final exam (näyttötutkinto).

State and private universities

Finland does not officially recognize private universities but does not prohibit them. This makes it rather difficult to judge how strictly they follow educational standards and the equivalence of issued diplomas.

At the same time, state universities exist not only with the money of the country. Government funding covers about 64% of the budget of state universities. Third-party investments are not only allowed but actively encouraged.

Almost all private universities are focused on foreign students and offer a large selection of programs in English. The advantages of such universities may include the flexibility of programs, the ability to study online and focus on the labor market. The downside is the cost of training — the average price is about 11,300 USD per year.

Please note that non-EU/EEA applicants to some private universities may encounter additional difficulties when obtaining a residence permit, i.e. student visa. For example, the Helsinki Business School immediately warns applicants that it does not accept applications from students who do not have a residence permit of an EU country.