Finland

⇑Universities

Finland has two types of higher education institutions. According to the official Study in Finland portal, there are:

• 13 universities (yliopisto) – research-based bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes,
• 22 universities of applied sciences (ammattikorkeakoulu, AMK for short; UAS in English) – practice-oriented degrees, close cooperation with companies and work on real-life problems.

More than 30,000 international students study here, and Finnish institutions offer over 600 bachelor's and master's programmes taught in English.

Universities in Finland – profiles

⇑Study system

How long your studies take depends on the type of institution:

• university – a bachelor's degree takes 3 years, a master's another 2 years,
• university of applied sciences – a bachelor's takes 3.5 to 4.5 years and a master's 1–1.5 years. To start a UAS master's, though, you need 2 years of work experience,
• doctorate – about 4 years, at universities only.

The academic year starts in August or September. On some programmes you can also start in January.

Finland – bachelor's programmes
Finland – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Finland – master's programmes
Finland – doctoral programmes

⇑Admission

Most programmes admit students through the joint application (yhteishaku) on Studyinfo.fi (Opintopolku in Finnish). With one form you can apply for up to 6 programmes.

Deadlines for studies starting in autumn 2027 (Finnish time):

• first joint application – bachelor's and master's programmes taught in English: from 7 January 2027, 8:00, to 21 January 2027, 15:00,
• second joint application – mainly programmes taught in Finnish and Swedish: from 9 March 2027, 8:00, to 23 March 2027, 15:00,
• results of both rounds by 6 July 2027 at the latest.

Some master's programmes run their own admissions. For example, you apply for the University of Helsinki's international master's programmes from 5 to 19 January 2027. For studies starting in January 2027, applications were open from 31 August to 10 September 2026.

Applicants from outside the EU/EEA pay a one-off national application fee of €100. EU/EEA citizens don't pay it. If you need a residence permit, apply for it as soon as you have accepted your study place: you apply before you travel, and you will need your letter of acceptance (see: Residence and formalities).

⇑Entrance exams

For many programmes in Finland you will face an entrance exam or an interview. Institutions can admit students on the basis of school certificates, an entrance exam, an interview or a combination of these – the rules are in the programme description on Studyinfo.fi.

An example: in the 2026 admissions, the University of Helsinki admitted applicants with a foreign school leaving certificate to its English-taught bachelor's programmes on the basis of their SAT or ACT scores. On the basis of the certificate alone, it admitted only applicants with the Finnish matriculation examination, the International Baccalaureate (IB), the European Baccalaureate (EB) or the German Abitur taken in Finland. Check the rules for your programme carefully – each institution sets its own.

⇑Language

Finnish institutions offer a wide choice of programmes in English – more than 600. For these you have to prove your English, usually with IELTS or TOEFL. Each institution lists the required score and the documents it accepts in the programme description.

For programmes taught in Finnish or Swedish (both are official languages in Finland) you need proof that you know one of these languages – again according to the institution's rules.

Even if you study in English, basic Finnish is really useful – in everyday life and when you look for a job.

⇑Residence and formalities

EU citizens don't need a visa. If you stay in Finland for more than 3 months without a break, you register your EU right of residence with the Finnish Immigration Service, Migri:

• if you register on the basis of studies, you can apply only after your studies have started,
• you must show that you have enough money to support yourself,
• the fee is €53 (2026), for both online and paper applications.

After registration, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) can give you a Finnish personal identity code (henkilötunnus) and register you as a resident of your municipality.

Students from outside the EU/EEA need a residence permit for studies. You apply for your first permit before you come to Finland – online in the Enter Finland service or on paper at a Finnish mission abroad – and you have to visit a Finnish embassy or consulate to prove your identity. The fee in 2026 is €600 online and €750 on paper. You will need, among other things, your letter of acceptance, proof that you have paid the tuition fee (or have a scholarship or fee waiver), a bank statement covering the past 6 months and health insurance. You must also show that you have at least €800 a month for living costs – for studies lasting a year or more, that means €9,600 in your account when you apply (Migri, 2026). Money for the tuition fee must come on top of this.

Health insurance: if you come from the EU, Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) usually treats your stay as temporary, so you won't get Kela benefits. With your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) you get necessary medical care. If you are covered by health insurance in another EU country, you can also use the student health service FSHS (YTHS) without paying the healthcare fee. Students from outside the EU/EEA need private insurance for the residence permit: it must cover medical costs up to €120,000 with a deductible of no more than €300, and for studies of 2 years or more also medicines up to €40,000.

⇑Tuition fees

EU/EEA citizens don't pay tuition fees in Finland – not even for programmes taught in English.

Students from outside the EU/EEA usually pay €8,000–20,000 a year for bachelor's and master's programmes taught in English, depending on the institution. Programmes taught in Finnish and Swedish are free for everyone. Institutions offer scholarships and fee waivers to fee-paying students (see: Scholarships).

Fees that may apply to you as well:

• student union fee – about €50–70 per academic year,
• student healthcare fee – €35.35 per semester (2026). You don't pay it if you are covered by social security in another EU/EEA country.

⇑Accommodation and living costs

Study in Finland estimates a student's living costs at around €900–1,200 a month for housing, food and transport. The official minimum that non-EU students must show for their residence permit is €800 a month.

The cheapest option is student housing foundations: a room in a shared flat usually costs around €200–380 a month. Studios and family flats cost more, and the queues for them are longer. You will find a list of foundations on the website of SOA (Finnish Student Housing).

Apply for housing as soon as your admission is confirmed – there are lots of applicants before the academic year starts, and the earlier you apply, the better your chances of getting a room.

⇑Scholarships

Finland has no government scholarship programmes for international students. Scholarships and fee waivers are awarded by the institutions themselves and are meant for fee-paying students from outside the EU/EEA – they usually cover part or all of the tuition fee, not living costs.

Other options:

• Erasmus+ – a semester or a year in Finland as part of an exchange with your home university,
• Finnish student financial aid from Kela (opintotuki) – available to an EU citizen who works in Finland for an average of at least 10 hours a week for at least 4 months (and only while the work lasts). Other routes are a permanent right of residence in Finland or a family member working in Finland.

⇑Working while studying

EU/EEA citizens can work in Finland without any permit, also while studying.

Students from outside the EU/EEA with a residence permit for studies may work in any field for an average of 30 hours a week (or 1,560 hours a year).

The European Commission's portal is honest about it: casual jobs can be hard to find, and Finnish greatly improves your chances. Start with your university's careers service. Jobs are also listed on the public service Job Market Finland.

Finland – why work there?
How to find a job abroad?

⇑Useful links

• Study in Europe – Finland – the official country profile on the European Commission's portal,
• Study in Finland – the official portal for international students: institutions, admission, costs,
• Studyinfo.fi – programme search and the joint application system,
• Migri – registration of an EU citizen's right of residence,
• Migri – residence permit for studies – requirements and application for students from outside the EU/EEA,
• Kela – social security and benefits for students,
• SOA – student housing foundations,
• ENIC-NARIC – recognition of qualifications in Europe,
• Eurodesk – free information on studying, traineeships and volunteering in Europe.