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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...

Higher education Universities and universities of applied sciences enjoy freedom of research, science, art and tuition. They are responsible for the content and quality of the education they provide. On the basis of foresight, the Ministry of Educ...

Higher education and science The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for the planning and implementation of higher education and science policy and preparing statutes, national Budget proposals and Government decisions that apply to t...

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.

Special features of the Finnish education system Education is viewed positively in Finnish society. Nearly three in four Finns aged between 25 and 64 have at least an upper secondary school certificate (a completed matriculation examination or voc...

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...

The Sustainable Growth Programme for Higher Education in Finland seeks solutions through which higher education and research can contribute to the strengthening of the Finnish public economy and fuel sustainable growth.

11.6.2026 | The Government proposes a comprehensive reform of the legislation on basic education in the arts. The aim is to clarify the structure of basic education in the arts and improve access to instruction across different art disciplines and fields. The proposal would also introduce a single syllabus and reform the criteria for central government transfers to municipalities.

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...

Bildung as a Way Forward for Finland – A vision for higher education and research for 2040 The shared vision for higher education and research has been completed. The vision is a futures scenario of higher education and research in Finland in a ch...

Vision for higher education and research in 2030 The vision for the Finnish higher education and research in 2030 was drawn up in cooperation with higher education institutions and other stakeholders and was published in October 2017. NB: This pro...

Steering, financing and agreements of higher education institutions, science agencies and research institutes The Ministry of Education and Culture coordinates the activities of higher education institutions, science agencies and research institut...

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...

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...

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 ...

12.5.2026 | A joint vision for higher education and research, titled Bildung as a Vision for Finland, is due to be completed in June. The vision represents Finland’s pledge for the future of higher education and research and is based on the current strengths and policies of the higher education system. The vision will be finalised during the spring under the leadership of the vision's steering group and the support of the parliamentary monitoring group.

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...

In accordance with Prime Minister Orpo’s Government Programme (2023), the Government will reform the legislation on basic education in the arts. The aim is to make access to teaching smoother, taking into account different fields of art.

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...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its effects in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education and Culture On this page, we will update information on the impacts of the situation in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education a...