General upper secondary education continues the teaching and educational tasks of basic education to students aged about 16–19. The general upper secondary school ends in the matriculation examination which yields eligibility for all higher education studies. 

Geographical accessibility of education in Finland is high. The school network is comprehensive at all levels of education. The starting point of general upper secondary education is to guarantee educational and cultural basic rights to all young people regardless of the place of residence, language and financial standing. According to the Statistics Finland, approximately 38 500 new students began general upper secondary education in 2007.

Students in general upper secondary education intended for young people are usually 16 to 19 years of age. General upper secondary education is mainly organised without division into grades and teaching is not tied to year classes. The scope of the syllabus is three years but the studies may be accomplished in two, three or four years; the students may proceed in their studies either as a group or individually. There are no national regulations concerning the pupils/teacher ratio.

All those who have completed the basic education syllabus are eligible for general upper secondary education. Those who have not finished the basic education syllabus may also be accepted as students, if they are otherwise deemed to have sufficient capabilities to cope at upper secondary school This may be the case e.g. in case the applicant has conducted studies abroad.

Education provider will decide on student admission criteria and any possible entrance or aptitude tests. The main selection criterion is the average grade of the basic education certificate. More precise criteria for student selection may be determined by the Ministry of Education. All applicants must be subject to equal selection criteria.

The education provider will decide on the selection criteria for general upper secondary education for adults. Those under 18 years of age may apply only on special grounds (like disability).

Admission procedure will take place through the joint application system, which is today an electronic process maintained by the Finnish National Board of Education.

Students are free to choose which educational institution they apply to. If a person does not gain admittance to the school of his or her first choice, other possible schools are considered.

General Issues

The purpose and objectives of general upper secondary education have been set out in the General Upper Secondary Schools Act from 1998 (629/1998). General upper secondary education is education, which provides students with the capabilities to continue to further studies. According to the General Upper Secondary Schools Act of 1998, the objective of general upper secondary education is to promote the development of students into good, balanced and civilized individuals and members of society and to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for further studies, working life, their personal interests and the diverse development of their personalities. In addition, the education must support students’ opportunities for lifelong learning and self-development during their lives.

General upper secondary education is primarily free of charge for students, but students have to pay for the materials. Based on the decrees stipulated by the Ministry of Education, the candidates taking a matriculation examination are required to pay for a basic fee and a fee per each subject for which they take the examination.

Virtually all students who complete the upper secondary school syllabus will also take the national matriculation examination, The purpose of the matriculation examination held at the end of the general upper secondary education is to determine whether students have acquired the knowledge and skills required by the curriculum for the upper secondary school, and whether they have reached an adequate level of maturity in line with the goals of the upper secondary school.

Passing the Matriculation Examination entitles the candidate to continue his or her studies at university. Upon successful completion of the matriculation examination and the entire upper secondary school syllabus, students are awarded a separate certificate that shows details of the tests passed and the levels and grades achieved.

Students in vocational upper secondary education and training may also take the matriculation examination.

Matriculation examination is drawn up nationally, and there is a centralised body to check its individual tests against uniform criteria.

Visit the Matriculation Examination Board site