Over 23 000 applicants to higher education institutions’ English-taught study programmes and art study programmes

Current issues Higher education Student selection

A record number of applicants participated in this spring’s first joint application to higher education: the number is approx. 3000 more than the number of applicants in the corresponding joint application last spring. There are also more study places available. The application included English-taught study programmes, studies offered by the University of the Arts and the theatre study programme at Tampere University.

Kaksi naisopiskelijaa mobiililaitteen kanssa

Photo: Satu Haavisto

The spring 2021 joint application to higher education ended on Wednesday 20 January. There were approx. 5600 study places available within approx. 270 study programmes, which is higher compared to last year where there were approx. 4700 study places within approx. 260 programmes. Two thirds of the study places available are offered by universities of applied sciences and the remaining third by universities.

Overall, there were approx. 23400 applicants. 4000 applied to the University of the Arts and to the theatre study programme at Tampere University and the rest applied to English-taught study programmes. Approximately 14500 applicants were of non-Finnish nationality and a majority of these, 12500 applicants, came from outside the EU/EEA -area.

Huge differences in competition between fields

The most popular fields were business, administration and law, information and communication technologies and arts and culture.

The toughest competition for study places in higher education was in the fields of arts and culture (13,7 applicants / study place), social studies (8 applicants / study place) as well as health and welfare (6,6 applicants / study place).

The fields with the lowest number of applicants per available study place were humanities (3,4) and natural sciences (3,3).

Admission results published in the beginning of June at the latest

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. All results will be published on 4 June at the latest.

Accepted applicants will be automatically informed via e-mail.

The second joint application to higher education in the end of March

The joint application for degree programmes offered in Finnish and Swedish will be arranged 17 to 31 March 2021.

Additional information

Planning specialist Risto Hanhinen, risto.hanhinen[at]oph.fi, tel. +358 29 533 1615
Special advisor Merja Väistö, merja.vaisto[at]oph.fi, tel. +358 29 533 1386