Search

General upper secondary education General upper secondary education and the matriculation examination taken at the end of it make it possible to apply for studies in higher education institutions. The unit of the scope of studies is a credit. The ...

Developing general upper secondary education In order to develop general upper secondary education, the Ministry of Education and Culture is drawing up proposals for overhauling the financing of general upper secondary education, and for reforming...

Upper secondary education Upper secondary education in Finland consists of two types of upper secondary studies, namely general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. General upper secondary education and the matriculatio...

Tuition fees in upper secondary education Students from third countries will, in future, be required to pay tuition fees in both general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. These fees apply to those who start their stu...

29.9.2026 | While women make up a clear majority of teachers at lower levels of education, they remain underrepresented in education leadership positions in almost all OECD countries. The findings come from the OECD's Education at a Glance report, which compares education systems across countries. In 2026, the report focuses on teacher shortages and the attractiveness of the teaching profession.

General education General education comprises pre-primary, primary, lower secondary, general upper secondary education and other non-vocational studies, such as those at liberal adult education institutions. It also includes basic art education. T...

Financing of general education The state and the local education providers share the financial cost for tuition. Pre-primary education, primary and lower secondary education (basic education) and upper secondary education are all free of charge. I...

Key legislation on general education This page lists the key acts and decrees on general education. If an English translation of an act or decree is available, the link takes you directly to the English version of the statute in the Finlex databas...

Financing and administration of general education The Ministry of Education and Culture drafts legislation and government resolutions related to general education and coordinates the activities under its remit. The policies outlined in the Governm...

3.11.2025 | The Ministry of Education and Culture has granted the first five authorisations to provide general upper secondary education in English. The authorisations were granted to Gradia, Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia, and to the cities of Helsinki, Oulu, Pori and Tampere. This is part of the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government.

Education is one of the cornerstones of the Finnish welfare society. We pride ourselves on an educational system that offers equal opportunities for education for all.

Education for immigrants Immigrants usually participate in the same early childhood education and care, education and training as the rest of the population. In addition to these, integration training and support for learning as well as preparator...

Basic education Basic education provides a general education and general knowledge and is typically given in comprehensive schools. A pupil is not awarded a degree when graduating from comprehensive school, but it does provide them with the qualif...

Ministry of Education and Culture Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz The Swedish People's party of Finland Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz heads the Ministry of Education and Culture. In accordance with the division of responsibilit...

Education policy report The Education Policy Report paves the way for equitable and high-quality education in the 2040s in Finland, where skills requirements are growing and age cohorts are shrinking. The report outlines the target state for educa...

Vocational education and training in Finland Vocational education and training (VET) is designed both for young people without upper secondary qualifications and for adults already in work life. VET provides students with strong vocational compete...

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 ...

Organisation of the Ministry of Education and Culture According to the division of duties agreed by the Government, Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz heads the Ministry and is responsible for early childhood education and care, general educ...

Qualifications and studies in vocational education and training The qualifications structure in vocational education and training (VET) has three levels. There are three types of qualifications: vocational upper secondary qualification, further vo...

9.10.2025 | Students from non-EU countries will in future be required to pay tuition fees in both general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. These students will therefore no longer be included in the system of central government transfers to local government. At the same time, providers of vocational education and training will be permitted to sell commissioned education leading to a qualification also to citizens of EU Member States and EEA countries.