University of Helsinki

Overview

The University of Helsinki began in 1640 as the Royal Academy of Turku and moved to Helsinki in 1828. It is a public, multidisciplinary university with four campuses in the city: City Centre, Kumpula (sciences), Meilahti (medicine) and Viikki (life sciences and agriculture). Teaching is mainly in Finnish and Swedish, the two national languages, with English used widely at master level.

English-taught bachelor programs

For international students who do not speak Finnish or Swedish, there are two bachelor programs taught in English: Liberal Arts and Sciences and Science. The Science program lets students build a study path in areas such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science. Liberal Arts and Sciences combines humanities and social sciences. Check each program page for its study tracks and any subject expectations.

Admission routes for Canadian and US students

Helsinki sorts applicants to English-taught bachelor programs into two admission groups. Admission Group 1 is for applicants without a Finnish matriculation examination, IB Diploma, European Baccalaureate or similar diploma. Admission in this group is based on SAT or ACT scores, and applicants are ranked by their results. A student finishing a regular high school diploma in Canada or the US would usually be in this group. Admission Group 2 covers students with the Finnish matriculation examination, the IB Diploma, the European Baccalaureate or the Reifeprüfung, who are assessed on that diploma.

The university says it will update the admission criteria by the end of October 2026, so read the latest criteria on the program page before testing. The page does not set out AP-based admission, so do not count on AP scores alone.

Application periods for autumn 2027

You submit the application on Studyinfo.fi, the national Finnish portal, which is open only during the application periods. Non-EU/EEA applicants pay a one-time 100 euro application fee there. Results are sent by email.

Tuition and permits

Students from outside the EU and EEA pay tuition fees for English-taught degree programs in Finland. The University of Helsinki publishes its fees and its scholarship program on the tuition fees page; amounts can change between intakes, so check the figure for 2027. A Finnish residence permit for studies is required for Canadian and US citizens.

Preparation with StudyBrix

If SAT or ACT scores decide your admission, early practice matters. Our quantitative reasoning deck and critical reading and reasoning help with test-style questions, and the AP Calculus AB review supports the Science program. See the Finland guide for the joint application system.