Are you curious about studying in Finland? Finland is Home to one of the best education systems in the world, as well as several top-ranking universities offering high-quality education.
Finland is known as the happiest country on earth, so why not choose Finland as your study-abroad destination? Let’s explore what makes Finland one of the best places to study abroad.
1. A World-Class Education System
With one of the best-performing education systems in the world every year more and more students are choosing Finland as the study abroad destination.
Finland continues to be the Top most destination today followed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand in math, science, and reading scores, and as of 2019, Finnish universities were ranked among the top 3 percent globally.
Some of the Top ranked universities are:
- <li”>University of Oulu
- University of Eastern Finland
- University of Turku
- University of Helsinki
- Aalto University of Business Aalto University
- Tampere University of Applied Science Tampere University
- University of Jyvaskyla
Finnish schools aim to prepare students for the real world and give them the tools to live a meaningful life. Students are taught through a multi-disciplinary approach that combines self-study, problem-solving and self-development.
2. Affordable Tuition Fees
While tuition at Finnish universities is free for students from Finland and other EU countries, tuition fees for international students range anywhere from €6,000-€16,000 per year.
However, there are several funding opportunities for international students in Finland. Many universities award generous scholarships to international students, which are primarily based on academic merit. Some universities may offer a full ride, but scholarships for a percentage deduction on tuition fees are more common.
FINLAND SCHOLARSHIPS
The Finland Scholarships are aimed at gifted non-EU/EEA students who are liable to tuition fees and apply for international master’s programmes at Finnish universities. Note that these scholarships are not applicable to UAS master’s degrees.
Finland Doctoral Fellowships for doctoral level studies and research at Finnish universities are also part of this programme.
BACHELOR’S AND MASTER’S LEVEL SCHOLARSHIPS
Most of the Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS) offer scholarship options/early bird discounts of their own for gifted non-EU/EEA students who are liable to tuition fees and apply for international bachelor’s or master’s programmes.
DOCTORAL / PHD LEVEL FUNDING
If you are coming to Finland to do your Doctorate (PhD), there is research-related funding available, for example the national EDUFI Fellowships. The universities also have paid doctoral research positions available, or doctoral funding schemes of their own.
3. Flexible system of Education
Equality and freedom are cornerstones of the Finnish education system. In Finland, all students have equal opportunities to receive a high-quality education.
Finnish universities follow a flexible education system where students in Finland have the freedom to decide which modules they’d like to study, ensuring that each student graduates with a diverse body of skills and knowledge.
4. A High Standard of Living
Finland provides a high standard of living for students and families throughout the country. Not only are the Finnish education and healthcare systems top-notch, but the cost of living is quite low, especially since there are plenty of student discounts for food and transportation nationwide.
Work-life balance is also an important part of Finnish society.
5. Job Opportunities for Students
Most Finnish universities provide career support for international students. They’re available to lend a hand during your job search, whether you’re looking for a student job, or a full-time position for after you graduate.
In Finland, it’s not uncommon to have a part-time job alongside your studies — according to Statistics Finland, 55 percent of university students reported having an employment contract while studying. Working was most common in connection with university and university of applied sciences studies. Fifty-five per cent of university students and 55 per cent of university of applied sciences students had an employment contract while studying. One-half of students attending vocational education were employed during their studies, the share increased slightly from the previous year. Of 21-year-old students, 39 per cent and of 24-year-old students, 50 per cent had an employment contract. Among students aged 25 or over, 62 per cent were employed during their studies.
Employment of students during studies varied by field of education. Fifty-nine per cent of students in the fields of social sciences, journalism and information, 56 per cent of students in the fields of health and welfare, and 46 per cent of students in the fields of arts and humanities had a valid employment contract at the end of 2016.
As a student you are allowed to work for up to 25-30 hours per week. Which leads us to our seventh and final reason why you should study abroad in Finland…
Students also receive Type A visa when applying for the residence permit for the first time which means obtaining the same social security and civil rights as a citizen of the country which also allows the student to apply for Permanent Residency just in four years.
6. Pathways to Permanent Residency for Expats
For international students who fall in love with Finland and decide to stay post-graduation, you’ll be granted a 1-year 2-year post-study work permit which can be extended up to five years.
Once you obtain full-time employment, you can go ahead and apply for a work-based residence permit. And work-based residence permits are a foot in the door towards permanent residency — after you’ve worked in Finland for four consecutive years, you’ll become eligible for a permanent resident permit.
Some of the most popular job sectors in Finland are Teaching, Nursing, IT, etc. According to salaryexplorer.com, the average wage for a person working in Finland is around 4,690 EUR per month. The in-demand job roles in Finland are Accountant, Kindergarten Teacher, Nurse, Programmer, Electrical Engineer, etc.
Admission Intake: August/September of each year
The application period to studies starting in autumn (September) is arranged annually in January (4–18 Jan in 2023). Some degree programmes may however have a different application schedule, so-called separate application.
Looking to study Masters of Educational Technology/ Masters of Changing Education