Study in Helsinki

Great food

Helsinki’s cuisine is based on local ingredients and fresh fish, making it unlike anything you’ve tasted before. In the summer, the city’s parks are filled with food markets, alongside Helsinki’s many bars, cafes and restaurants. In the winter months holiday markets fill the city. 

Great universities

The city is home to two world renowned universities: University of Helsinki and Aalto University. 

Chat to students from the University of Helsinki to learn more about life at the university and why you should choose the city for your study abroad adventure.

It’s well connected

Although the city is located on the edge of Europe, Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL) airport has connections to over 170 destinations around the world. Public transport in Helsinki is also great, with trains, buses, ferries, trams and the metro to get you where you want to go. 

High quality of life

Helsinki is frequently ranked highly amongst the best cities for quality of life.

Need more convincing? Here are six more reasons to study abroad in Helsinki. 

Low tuition fee costs

Higher education in Finland is free to those in the EU/EEA, but students from outside this area have to pay extra international tuition fees. 

Given the Nordic region’s reputation for high living costs, it shouldn't be surprising to find that Helsinki has a low rank in the affordability indicator this year.

Numbeo estimates a one-bedroom apartment in Helsinki’s city center costing around US$1,010 per month on average and advises students to save around US$1,000 each month for additional living costs.

Helsinki is a city surrounded by nature. In the summer you can take a boat to visit the archipelago’s islands, stroll through the city’s numerous parks and gardens and relax in the sun on one of its beaches. When the temperature drops in the winter you can instead enjoy skiing, ice fishing and ice skating on the frozen lakes.

The city isn’t short on indoor attractions either. Helsinki is home to plenty of boutiques and galleries full of glassware, textiles, lighting and other homewares. You can take a look at how they’re made in the city’s design museum. Culture seekers should visit Helsinki’s Kiasma museum of temporary art, the concert hall Musiikkitalo and the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress.

For dinner, try the delicious Nordic cuisine including karelian pies, Näkkileipä bread and Grillimakkara sausages.  

Alongside its high score in desirability, Helsinki also performs well in the employer activity indicator. There are plenty of jobs available for those wanting to stay in Helsinki after graduation, particularly in engineering, IT and electronics.

If you’re from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland you won’t need a residence permit to live and work in the city. However, if you’re from a country outside the EU/EEA, you’ll need to obtain a residence permit to stay after graduation.