Finland has some of the best universities in the world. These schools are known for great teaching and lots of programs taught in English. More than 30,000 students from other countries come to Finland every year to study at its 13 universities and 22 colleges.
The University of Helsinki is Finland’s top school, ranking 107th in the world. Other great schools like Aalto University are famous for technology and design. These schools offer good prices, lots of help with money through scholarships, and great jobs after you graduate.
This guide will show you Finland’s best universities for 2025, what makes them special, how to apply, and why students from around the world love studying in Finland.
🎓 Finland’s Top 5 Universities at a Glance
Students: 31,000+
World Rank: #107
Students: 20,000+
World Rank: #196
Students: 20,000+
World Rank: #375
Students: 14,000+
World Rank: #401-500
Students: 18,000+
World Rank: #462
600+
30,000+
€6,000-18,000
35
📑 What This Guide Covers
- How Finnish Schools Work: The Basics
- How Universities Are Ranked: What Makes Them Good
- Best Universities in Finland 2025: Full List
- What Each School Does Best: Find Your Match
- Classes Taught in English: Your Options
- How to Apply: Step by Step
- Costs and Money Help: What You’ll Pay
- FAQs: Your Questions Answered
Best Universities in Finland 2025: Full List
Finland has many great universities, each one special in its own way. Here’s everything you need to know about the best schools in Finland.
University of Helsinki (#107 in the world)
This is Finland’s oldest and biggest university, started in 1640. Over 31,000 students study here in 11 different departments. The school is really good at medicine, science, and studying the environment. They have 35 programs completely in English, and it costs between €13,000-18,000 per year if you’re not from Europe.
💚 Cool Fact: University of Helsinki is the best in Finland for 8 different subjects including Law and Environmental Science!
Aalto University (#196 in the world)
This newer school was made in 2010 when three schools joined together. It’s in Espoo, close to Helsinki, and has 20,000 students. What’s special about Aalto is that it teaches technology, business, and art all in one place. The business school has special awards that show it’s one of the best.
| University Name | World Ranking 2025 | Number of Students | What They’re Best At |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Helsinki | #107 | 31,312 | Research, Medicine, Law |
| Aalto University | #196 | 20,000 | Technology, Design, Business |
| University of Turku | #375 | 20,800 | Medicine, Biology |
| University of Oulu | #401-500 | 14,400 | Technology, Architecture |
| Tampere University | #462 | 18,400 | Engineering, Social Studies |
University of Turku
This school started in 1920 when regular people in Finland gave money to build it. Today, 20,800 students study here. The school works with universities in other countries so students can study in different places. They’re really good at medicine and making new medicines.
University of Oulu
This school has the world’s most northern architecture school! There are 14,400 students studying in 8 different departments. They study special things like the Arctic (the cold north), phone technology, and mining that doesn’t hurt the environment. The city of Oulu will be a special culture city in Europe in 2026.
Other Good Schools
More great schools include Tampere University (good at engineering), University of Eastern Finland (studies forests), Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (clean energy), and Åbo Akademi University (teaches in Swedish).
What Each School Does Best: Find Your Match
Each Finnish university is really good at certain subjects. This helps you pick the best school for what you want to study.
Technology and Engineering
Aalto University and Tampere University are the best for engineering. They teach about phones, clean energy, and technology that helps the environment. Finland is where Nokia comes from, so there are lots of tech companies that work with the schools.
The Aalto University School of Engineering teaches cool things like quantum computers and new materials that can help make the world better.
Business Programs
Hanken School of Economics is Finland’s special business school. It has 2,500 students and all classes are in English. The classes are small so teachers can help each student. People who graduate usually get jobs that pay about €4,000 per month to start.
Best Subjects to Study in Finland
- Computers and Programming
- Saving the Environment
- Medicine and Health
- How to Be a Teacher
- Art and Design
- Studying Forests
- Learning About the Arctic
Education and Teaching
The University of Jyväskylä is one of the world’s top 100 schools for learning how to teach. In Finland, all teachers must have master’s degrees, which means they really know their subjects well and are great at teaching.
Classes Taught in English: Your Options
Finnish schools have more than 600 programs taught completely in English. This includes 135 bachelor’s programs, 385 master’s programs, and 60 PhD programs. You don’t need to know Finnish to study here!
Most English bachelor’s programs are at the practical schools (UAS). They teach things like business, nursing, and engineering. The research universities mostly have English programs for master’s and PhD students, but some have bachelor’s programs too, like Helsinki’s science program.
📚 Language Help: Even though classes are in English, schools give free Finnish lessons to help you get jobs in Finland later.
Popular Master’s Programs in English
Master’s programs teach many different things, from green technology at Aalto to health data science at Oulu. These programs take 2 years and include both classes and research projects.
According to official numbers, students like to study technology (28%), business (22%), health (15%), and environment (12%) the most.
Programs with Other Countries
Some Finnish schools have programs where you study in different countries. These often come with special money to help pay for school. When you graduate, your degree works in all of Europe.
How to Apply: Step by Step
You apply to Finnish schools through a website called Studyinfo.fi. The main time to apply is in January for classes that start in September. You can apply to 6 programs at the same time and put them in order of which one you want most.
What You Need to Apply
- Your diploma from your last school
- Your grades from school
- English test scores (IELTS 6.5+ or TOEFL 92+)
- A letter about why you want to study there
- A list of what you’ve done (CV)
- Letters from teachers who know you
- Proof you paid €100 to apply (if not from EU)
- Art examples (only for art programs)
English Test Scores
You need to show you can speak English well. Most schools want IELTS 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each part) or TOEFL iBT 92. Some schools also take other tests like PTE Academic (at least 62).
If you went to school in English before, you might not need to take the test. Some practical schools (UAS) give their own English tests.
When Things Happen
Applications open in early January and close on January 21st. Schools tell you if you got in during March or April. You have to say yes within two weeks or you lose your spot and any money help they offered.
⚠️ Important: If you’re not from Europe, you need to apply for a visa right after you get accepted. This can take 3-4 months!
Common Questions About Finnish Universities
Most Finnish schools want IELTS 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each part) or TOEFL iBT 92. Some schools also take PTE Academic (at least 62) or Cambridge C1. If you studied in English before, you might not need a test. Some schools have their own English tests. Always check what each program needs because some subjects like medicine might want higher scores.
If you’re not from Europe, school costs €6,000-18,000 per year. Most programs cost €10,000-15,000. People from Europe study for free. You also need €700-1,200 each month for living. You must show you have €7,560 saved to get a visa. All together, you need about €15,000-30,000 per year. Many schools give scholarships that pay 50-100% of school costs if you have good grades.
The main time to apply is January 7-21 each year for classes starting in September. You can apply to 6 programs at once through Studyinfo.fi. Schools tell you if you got in during March or April. You must say yes within two weeks or lose your spot. If you’re not from Europe, apply for your visa right away because it takes 3-4 months.
Yes! Students can work up to 30 hours per week on average during school and full-time during holidays. But it can be hard to find work if you don’t speak Finnish, especially in small cities. Most student jobs are in restaurants, cleaning, or delivery. After you graduate, you can stay one more year to look for a job in Finland.
Each Finnish school has scholarships that pay 50-100% of your school costs if you’re not from Europe. The Finland Scholarship pays all school costs plus gives €5,000 to help you move. Many schools give €1,500-3,000 off if you accept quickly. You apply for scholarships when you apply to school. They pick students with the best grades. Remember, scholarships only pay for school, not for food and housing.
University of Helsinki is ranked highest (#107 in the world) and has 35 English master’s programs. Aalto University is great for technology and design and works with lots of companies. For specific subjects: Hanken for business, Oulu for Arctic studies, Turku for biology. The practical schools (UAS) like Metropolia and HAMK are good for getting jobs quickly. Pick based on what you want to study and how much money you have, not just rankings.
No, you don’t need Finnish for English programs. Over 90% of Finnish people speak great English. But learning Finnish helps you get jobs and make friends. Schools give free Finnish classes to foreign students. Basic Finnish helps with daily life and finding part-time work. For some jobs like doctor or lawyer, you need to know Finnish well.
Regular universities focus on research and big ideas. They have bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs. UAS schools teach practical job skills and make you do internships. UAS bachelor’s programs take 3.5-4 years, a bit longer than university programs. For UAS master’s programs, you need 2-3 years of work experience first. Pick universities if you want to do research or get a PhD. Pick UAS if you want to get a job quickly.
Yes! Finnish university graduates usually find good jobs, especially in technology, engineering, and health. You can stay in Finland for one year after graduating to look for work. Starting salaries are €2,500-4,000 per month depending on your job. Knowing Finnish helps a lot with finding jobs. Many students get jobs through internships or projects they did in school. Finland has lots of new tech companies that like hiring international workers.
It depends on the school and program. Top schools like Helsinki and Aalto accept about 10-15% of people who apply for popular programs. UAS schools usually accept 20-30% of applicants. Technology, business, and medicine programs are hardest to get into. You need good grades (GPA 3.5 or higher), experience in your field, and a good letter about why you want to study there. Many UAS programs have entrance tests to see what you know.
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