Studying in Finland

Education is highly valued in Finland, and the high standard of education forms one of the corner-stones of the Finnish national strategy, which is based on a desire to develop the country as an information society.

For foreign students, studying and training in Finland offers a safe, though quite exotic way to acquire academic and professional experience, as well as to gain personal growth through living in a foreign country and culture.

On this you will find basic information about the Finnish education system and a closer look at the higher education in Finland. I will list the student exchange programmes with which you can come to study in Finland, as well as practically all study programmes taught in English at Finnish universities and polytechnics. Here you will find also important information about various practical matters related to studying in this Northern country.

In Finland the national strategy is based on a desire to develop the country as an information society that educates its citizens to a high standard. In order to achieve this, Finland channels substantial investment into research and development. In addition, Finland has internationally recognized expertise in many areas, and its institutions of higher education have state-of-the-art facilities.

Plenty of choice

Finnish universities and polytechnics offer over 400 international study programmes in different disciplines taught in English.

In 2007, some 11 300 foreign students representing more than 100 nationalities were studying for a degree in Finland, and of them approximately 11 300 were enrolled in universities and polytechnics. In addition, approximately 8 400 other students come to Finland every year either on exchange programmes or independently.

Internationally compatible degrees

In 2005, the degree structure of Finnish universities was amended to become more compatible internationally. All programmes are based on a joint European credit transfer system (ECTS), which facilitates international transparency and recognition of Finnish degrees at a global level.

As the network of Finnish universities and polytechnics covers the whole country, students can choose among very different study environments: there are large urban campuses and quieter, close-to-nature campuses. Thanks to the quality assurance system, the quality of universities’ infrastructures, student services, and teaching and research is high irrespective of location.

More than just studying

Studying in Finland offers also an insight into the culture of Finland and the country's two official languages, Finnish and Swedish, all of which are unique in many ways. Finnish society is egalitarian and well-organised: it provides a solid foundation for the development of modern, internationally-oriented higher education.