General Upper Secondary Education guides the students towards drawing up plans for the future, growing into global citizens, and continuous learning (National Core Curriculum for General Upper Secondary Education, 2019).
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Photo: Hanna Anttila

The Finnish National Agency for Education is responsible for many aspects of education under the remit of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The Finnish National Agency for Education draws up the national core curricula, including the national core curriculum for general upper secondary education. Local authorities build the local curricula accordingly. This page introduces Finnish general upper secondary education as in the most recent national core curriculum for general upper secondary education of 2019, which has been implemented as of fall 2021.  

General upper secondary education comprises on average three to four years of education following primary and lower secondary education. Its purpose is to strengthen transversal general knowledge and prepare for future studies. Within the 2019 national core curriculum, general knowledge and abilities refer to values, knowledge, skills, and attitudes, as well as individual’s capability of critical and independent thinking to act in a responsible and compassionate manner, and engage in self-development.   

General upper secondary education is built on the primary and lower secondary education syllabus. The education is offered by general upper secondary schools, general upper secondary schools for adults, and other educational institutions with the authorisation to organise general upper secondary education.  

On average, students complete their general upper secondary education in three years, but they can choose to shorten or extend their studies. The maximum time to complete general upper secondary is four years, unless granted an extension due to well-founded reasons. 

Students have completed the general upper secondary education syllabus when they have passed the syllabi and the required number of credits. 

During general upper secondary education, students build their identity, perception of humanity, worldview, and philosophy of life as well as find their place in the world. The studies also advance the students’ interest in the world of science and the arts as well as develops their capabilities for life management and worklife skills. 

Finnish general upper secondary has no tuition fees and offers most materials and free school meals.   

 

At general upper secondary school learning is seen as a consequence of the students’ active and goal-oriented work. During the learning process, the students interpret, analyse, and assess data, information or knowledge presented in different formats on the basis of their previous experiences and knowledge. They are encouraged to create and develop solutions by combining knowledge and skills in new ways. Constructive feedback and guidance for studies strengthen the students’ beliefs in their possibilities and inspire them to a journey of life-long learning.  

The structure of general upper secondary consists of 150 credits, composed of compulsory and optional studies. The compulsory studies and the national optional studies are determined in the national core curricula in the form of subject specific task descriptions and individual study modules. The providers of education build the local curricula and the specific study units on the national core curricula. The study units enable the construction of varying study entities to fit a desired context and purpose. The scope of modules and study units is expressed in credits (cr). 

The subjects of general upper secondary are:   

  • Mother tongue and literature 
  • Second national language, and foreign languages 
  • Maths and natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, geography)
  • Humanities and social studies (philosophy, history, social studies, psychology)
  • Religion, and culture, worldviews and ethics
  • Physical education, music, visual arts
  • Health education 
  • Study and careers education
  • General upper secondary education diplomas
  • Thematic studies

Transversal competences are a key part of both subject-specific studies and those integrating different subjects. Each subject approaches transversal competences from their own fields of knowledge and science.  

Transversal competences in the 2019 national core curriculum are: 

  • Well-being competence 
  • Interaction competence 
  • Multidisciplinary and creative competence 
  • Societal competence 
  • Ethical and environmental competence 
  • Global and cultural competence  
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Assessment is tied to study units and modules rather than year grades. The matriculation examination results are also separate from study unit grades.   

 

Assessment at general upper secondary has two tasks: to provide support and guidance for learning and making the attainment of objectives set for competence and learning visible. 

  

The assessment is based on diverse demonstrations of learning, competence and skills related to achieving the study unit’s objectives (NCC 2019). Both formative and summative assessments are used to evaluate student work. The Finnish general upper secondary uses numerical grades from 4 to 10 (5 being adequate and 10 excellent) and in some cases, pass or fail grading.   

 

Transversal competences are assessed in the formative and summative assessment of each study unit, as the transversal competences are intertwined in the teaching objectives of each subject. This allows students to follow their own competences that are broader than specific subject competences.  

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Students studying at the general upper secondary school are entitled to receiving personal and other guidance for studies to meet the students' study related needs and equip with plans for further studies. Students will also compile their personal study plan that contains an overall plan for studies, a matriculation examination plan, and a plan for further studies and transition to life after general upper secondary education.  

The students are also entitled to other support mesures and special needs education upon request and as agreed within the educational institution.

 

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Matriculation examination is the final assessment for general upper secondary studies, in order to obtain a Certificate of Matriculation. Graduates are eligible to apply to higher education in Finland and abroad. 

The matriculation exam’s purpose is to assess whether the student has achieved the necessary knowledge, skills and other objectives laid out in the core curriculum. 

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All general upper secondary school students are members of the student body and are led by an elected board, whose purpose is to be the voice of students in their school. Its purpose is to promote collaboration and school work. Their activities are statutory activities by students in general upper secondary schools. 

The organising parties of general upper secondary education must hear students when making decisions on studies or the student position significantly affecting students. 

The students define the actions. Anything that the students can think of and have energy for, within the bounds of law and school rules, can be done. After all, the board exists to make an impact and improve school matters. This binds the students to act – the more active, the better! 

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There are various opportunities to complete general upper secondary education. Below, you will find additional options to the ordinary general upper secondary education path. 

 

General upper secondary schools with a special educational task 

 

The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture has granted some providers of general upper secondary education a special educational task. In this case, the educational provision has a special task or area. A general upper secondary school can have an emphasis in their teaching, such as music. There may also be additional paths to the ordinary general upper secondary education. These paths may be focused on arts, physical health, natural sciences or languages. 

In these general upper secondary schools' students have the right to diverge slightly from the distribution of lesson hours. In these schools the primary task is to complete general upper secondary syllabus and the Matriculation examination, whilst completing special educational areas. 

Local emphases 

With a local educational provider's decision, a general upper secondary school may emphasise certain specialties or subjects, such as arts, media, entrepreneurship, natural sciences or languages. These general upper secondary schools follow the national core curriculum, but also offer optional studies. You can find more information of potential emphases from individual educational providers’ websites.  

International Baccalaureate (IB) 

Education leading to an International Baccalaureate (IB) is also organised based on a special educational tasking. The studies are organised as a two-year programme, that is preceded by a one-year preparatory class. IB studies are already partly in English in the first year, and primarily in English on the second- and third-year studies (not including mother tongue and languages). IB gives the same eligibility for further studies as a Finnish matriculation examination.  

Steiner schools

The Finnish Ministery of Education and Culture grants educational providers a permission to offer general upper secondary education based on the Steiner (also called Waldorf schools in English) pedagogy. Steiner school education follows a curriculum based on Steiner pedagogy. General upper secondary education is mainly offered to Steiner school students, but available places maybe granted to new students. Skills and arts subjects of all students continues in a class form until the end of general upper secondary. Steiner school and its units are a part of the national joint applications. For more information visit Waldorf Schools in Finland-site (see links below).

Folk high school 

Some folk high schools also offer general upper secondary education in a general upper secondary track. This track allows to complete a general upper secondary graduation diploma, or parts of it and participate in the Matriculation examination. Information and availability about general upper secondary education in folk high schools should be checked with each school. For more information visit The Finnish Folk High School Association’s site (see links below.)

General upper secondary education for adults and distance learning 

In general upper secondary education for adults, you can complete the syllabus, Matriculation examination, individual subject syllabi or raise grades. The education allows adults to revise and supplement previous knowledge and so, increase chances if applying for higher education, improving one’s general education or finish previous studies. Each student creates a personal study plan with a study adviser. In general upper secondary for adults the whole syllabus is at least 88 credits. 

General upper secondary education for adults is mainly for adults. The teaching is carried out in a diverse manner (contact teaching, distance teaching, online teaching, and independent studying). Many other general upper secondary schools also offer adults an opportunity for general upper secondary education, as well as some folk high schools.  

General upper secondary education for adults can be completed as distance learning. In this case, studying is teacher directed online studying. Distance learning utilises textbooks, other written material and online teaching material, as contact teaching would. Distance learners usually have an opportunity to receive contact teaching as well. For the most part, distance learning is distant, and as so, particularly suitable for

  • Supplementing a general upper secondary student’s studies
  • To a student in a vocational school
  • Revision and support for a student at a University of Applied Sciences
  • An adult supplementing their general education
  • Someone living abroad temporarily 

Summer general upper secondary schools

Summer general upper secondary schools are for general upper secondary school, basic education secondary school, vocational school students, and adult students. Summer general upper secondaries are one to three weeks of intensive study periods, during which one can supplement and revise general upper secondary studies, complete modules and listen to specialists’ lectures on current topics. 

During summer general upper secondary one can complete one or more general upper secondary modules. This is to be agreed upon together with your own general upper secondary’s principal or the subject teacher. A significant amount of summer general upper secondary educators announce their activities in the Summer High School Association’s brochure.  

Exchange studies and studying in other Nordic countries 

A general upper secondary student has an opportunity to apply for an exchange. During the programme exchange students familiarise themselves to another country’s life, culture, and language by living with a host family and going to a local school. An exchange is a time of learning, growing, and becoming independent. Students learn languages, internationality, and collect valuable tools for future decision making in terms of studies and career planning.  

The following organisations provide information about applying for an exchange programme and the pricing: 

Following the Nordic general upper secondary agreement, students from other Nordic countries are eligible to general upper secondary education in the same way as the nationals. This means that a student transferring from Finland to Sweden has the right to receive general upper secondary education in Sweden too. 

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The Finnish National Agency for Education has determined a regulation on 20 March 2025 regarding the core curriculum for English-language general upper secondary education, covering both youth and adult English-language general upper secondary education. The English-language core curriculum is an accurate translation of the 2019 Finnish-language general upper secondary education core curriculum.

For more information, please see the link below

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