News
30.01.2023
A record number of over 53400 international students participated in the January 2023 joint application to Finnish higher education – more than twice the amount compared to the previous year’s application round.
Finnish universities continue to attract more and more international applicants!
On the joint application round arranged 4-18 January, a record number of prospective students submitted applications at Studyinfo.fi for English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programmes starting in autumn 2023. Additionally, the application round included the study options offered by the University of the Arts Helsinki.
Number of non-EU/EEA applicants rising sharply
From a total of around 61800 applicants, more than 53400 were of non-Finnish nationality - and a majority of these, over 50800, came from outside the EU/EEA area. The number of non-EU/EEA applicants more than doubled when compared to last year’s joint application round.
The biggest nationalities in terms of number of international applicants were Bangladesh, Nigeria, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
About 8200 applicants were Finnish nationals. Over a third of them applied to the University of the Arts Helsinki programmes. Another national joint application for degree programmes offered in Finnish and Swedish will be arranged later this spring.
The overall total number of applicants for autumn 2023 study start will be known later, once the separate applications are also completed.
Study place numbers also on the increase
On the January joint application round, there were approximately 7400 study places available within 369 study programmes, which is about 1000 study places more than on last year's joint application round. A bit more than half of the study places available are offered by universities, and the remaining by universities of applied sciences (UAS).
The most popular options by number of applicants this January were studies in the fields of business administration and information and communication technologies.
Admission process – what happens next
During the next few months, higher education institutions inspect applications and organize entrance exams. The first results of the first joint application will be published starting from the end of January and the beginning of February. The selection results will be published as soon as they are ready, however no later than 2 June.
Accepted applicants will be automatically informed via e-mail.
Additional information for those who have applied is available on the Studyinfo website, and from the Admissions Services of the university/UAS they have applied to.
Good luck in the student selection process to all those who applied!
Some study programmes still open for admission
In case you missed the January joint application period, check the Studyinfo.fi database for possible degree study options where application may still be ongoing.
A number of English-taught degree programmes have separate applications or rolling admissions, whereby individual universities can accept applications outside the January joint application.
(Statistics source: EDUFI / Vipunen - Education Statistics Finland, 1/2023)