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The Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland is responsible for daycare, education, training and research; arts, culture, sports and youth work, the archival, museum and public library systems; the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Orthodox Church and other religious communities, student financial aid, and copyright.

Higher education institutions, science agencies, research institutes and other public research organisations The Finnish higher education system consists of universities and universities of applied sciences. A total of 13 universities and 22 unive...

Policy and development in higher education and science The Ministry of Education and Culture helps promote the Government's higher education and science policy targets, and develops the higher education and science system in cooperation with stake...

19.9.2022 | The budget proposal for 2023 of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government will continue to invest in education and culture. The budget proposal helps implement the key objectives in the Government Programme of raising the level of education and competence, bridging learning gaps and increasing educational equality. Arts and culture will be used to boost conditions and strengthen engagement in creative work.

Safeguarding of cultural heritage The UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted in 1972, responds to the concern about the conservation of the world’s threatened cultural and natural heritage and p...

Youth Act 2017 The objectives of the Act is to promote young people’s social inclusion and opportunities for exerting an influence; improve their skills and capabilities to function in society; support their growth, independence and sense of commu...

8.6.2026 | Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie has presented seven State Awards for Public Information in acknowledgment of the dissemination of significant public information. The award ceremony will be celebrated on 8 June in Oulu, which is a European Capital of Culture this year.

Copyright Infrastructure Task Force The Copyright Infrastructure Task Force is an expert forum between multiple countries that promotes standardisation with a view to improving the interoperability and trustworthiness of copyright data. Common dat...

International conventions related to cultural heritage Key conventions related to the preservation and protection of cultural heritage are, for example, the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and Conven...

17.9.2019 | The Government will invest in knowledge and education with a financing package of approximately EUR 350 million for all levels of education. This investment will raise the level of skills and competence in Finland, make education more equitable and improve its quality, and enhance the wellbeing of children and young people. The Government agreed on the content of the budget proposal for 2020 in a budget session on Tuesday 17 September.

Science and research Science policy improves the ability of organisations to conduct and support research. Research generates knowledge and skills that benefit many parties in society, among them companies, communities, public organisations and po...

The core objective of the project is to build digital services to support individuals in making educational and career choices and maintaining and developing their competence throughout their careers and lives, as well as to promote a better match between work, competence, and demand and supply of education.

15.6.2026 | The Ministry of Education and Culture has published Bildung as a Way Forward for Finland – A vision for higher education and research for 2040, a scenario developed in collaboration with higher education institutions, decision-makers, and actors in higher education and research to guide Finland’s future direction. The vision, published on 15 June 2026, sets out objectives for higher education and resear...

Key changes in the Ministry of Education and Culture's administrative branch in the government term Ministry of Education and Culture Publication date 27.1.2023 10.00 | Published in English on 30.1.2023 at 17.04 The term of Prime Minister Sanna Ma...

15.10.2020 | On Thursday, the Government submitted a proposal to Parliament that would extend compulsory education until the age of 18. At the same time, upper secondary education would be made free of charge for students in extended compulsory education. The reform would also improve student guidance and develop transition phase education. The goal is for the reform to enter into force on 1 August 2021. Yo...

11.11.2019 | Minister of Education Li Andersson will attend the General Conference of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 13–14 November 2019 in Paris. Minister of Science and Culture Hanna Kosonen will attend a forum of culture ministers held in conjunction with the General Conference on 19 November.

Questions and answers related to compulsory education This page provides answers to frequently asked questions on the extension of compulsory education. Questions and answers related to compulsory education Free of charge Guidance and supervision ...

The subgroups for copyright infrastructure meet in different configurations including workshops to discuss topical issues related to practices on identifiers in the creative field, metadata, technology and infrastructure development, and legal issues linked to data and IP. A draft roadmap has been developed during year 2021. In 2022 focus on NFT's, data protection and EDICs (European Digital Infrastructure Consortium).

7.5.2020 | The results of the PISA 2018 financial literacy assessments were published in 20 countries on 7 May 2020. With their average score of 537 points for the financial literacy assessment, Finnish young people were the second best together with Canada (532 points). The most financially literate youth were found in Estonia, where the average of 547 points was statistically significantly higher than the average of all other countries.

10.12.2020 | The Government has prepared a draft report on education policy. The report provides an overview of the current situation in education and research and the target state and necessary measures to reach the target. The draft report has been sent on a broad round of consultations. The report is due to be submitted to Parliament early next year.