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EducationAll children between the ages of 7 and 16 receive compulsory basic education. Education beyond the age of 16 is voluntary, taking the form of either three to four years in upper secondary school or two to five years at a vocational school. Education in Finland is free at all levels. There are 20 universities or institutes of higher education in Finland, with a total student population of around 271,200, of whom 53% are women. Nearly 60% of the population have completed post-primary education and 13% have a university degree or equivalent. Finnish researchers are at the leading edge of developments in a number of fields, including forest improvement, brain research, neural networks, low-temperature physics, new materials, biotechnology, and genetic technology. Their results speak for themselves. In 2000, the private and public sectors in Finland invested a total of some EUR 4.3 billion in research and product development, equivalent to approximately 3,3% of the country's GNP. Relatively, it is at the top level in the world. Young Finns were among the OECD top in matematical, science and reading literacy and in problem-solving according to the OECD PISA 2003 assessment. Young Finns are the best in mathematical literacy in the OECD. The same level of mathematical competencies were found in Korea, the Netherlands and Japan, and the non-OECD participating area Hong Kong (China). In sciences, Finland was also the best, before the two other top OECD countries, Japan and Korea. And like the previous Pisa survey, young Finns were now again better at reading than young people in other high-literacy OECD countries. The PISA 2003 findings can be accessed in their entirety on the OECD site at www.pisa.oecd.org. More information Studying in FinlandEducation Finland offers a wide variety of educational programs, from short-term courses to full degree programs. All of the country’s institutions of higher education offer courses taught in English. Finland receives international students from all over the world. More information Finnish university networkPolytechnics Centre for International Mobility CIMO, a program of Finland’s Ministry of Education, administers scholarship and exchange programs. Universities and PolytechnicsThe Finnish higher education system comprises two parallel sectors: universities and polytechnics. The universities specialize in research and higher education connected with it. They offer a lower (Bachelor's) and a higher (Master's) academic degree, as well as post-graduate licentiates and doctoral degrees. The polytechnics provide instruction in subjects from several vocational and professional sectors. They provide higher education degrees with an emphasis on working life. UniversitiesThere are 20 universities in Finland: ten multifaculty institutions, three technical universities, three schools of economics and business administration, and four arts universities. In 2000, there were about 150,000 degree students at Finnish universities, including about 3,700 foreign students. Universities represent the oldest educational tradition in Finland: the first The Royal Academy of Turku, was founded in 1640. Their operations are based on academic and personal freedom. Each university defines its own regulations governing curricula and degrees, and sets its own annual admission limits. PolytechnicsThere are 29 polytechnics in Finland. The special feature of the polytechnics is their close link with working life and their aim of providing vocational skills in different sectors: technology and transport, business and administration, health and social services, culture, tourism, catering and institutional management, natural resources, the humanities and education. The polytechnics system is fairly recent in Finland, having been created in the 1990s. International Student Exchange ProgramsYour university may have a student exchange agreement with one or more Finnish universities. For more information, visit the International Office of your university. All Finnish universities have exchange programs. To find out more, visit the Websites of the Finnish university network and the Finnish polytechnics. WorkingIf you are looking for a job in Finland, here is a good web-site to start: Ministry of Labour - Employment service More information
Directorate
of Immigration
- Living in Finland Other useful links
Institute of Migration
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