Universities and adult education

Explore opportunities to study and learn in Helsinki, from independent universities to the City’s vocational and adult education services.

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Higher education in Helsinki

There are several universities in Helsinki, although they operate independently and are not run by the City of Helsinki.

Universities of applied sciences

Universities of applied sciences are known as polytechnics or technical colleges in other countries. They offer practically oriented training for work in areas like nursing, engineering, business and hospitality. Universities of applied sciences in the Helsinki area offer hundreds of study options in Finnish, Swedish and English on campuses with state-of-the-art tools and techniques.

Universities of applied sciences in the Helsinki area

See the links below for universities of applied sciences in the Helsinki area:

Universities

When it comes to universities in the Helsinki area, the University of Helsinki regularly places among the top 100 universities in the world in international rankings. What is more, the state-of-the-art Aalto University, which focuses on technology, business and art, has also performed well in many recent comparisons. English-taught degree programmes are offered on the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels.

See the links below for universities in the Helsinki area:

Universities in the Helsinki area

Adult education in Helsinki

Helsinki offers many opportunities for life-long learning. For those who may not have completed their schooling, free comprehensive education and upper secondary school classes for adults are available at the three convenient locations of the Konepaja Upper Secondary School for Adults.

The City of Helsinki runs two Adult Education Centres, one in Finnish and the other in Swedish:

Both offer courses in languages, art, home economics, IT and exercise, among many other interesting subjects. Both offer classes in English as well. Classes are held in over 70 convenient locations throughout the city. Most take place in the evening.

Arbis also organises Open University(Link leads to external service) courses, which are university-level adult education courses that are available for a fee.

The Helsinki Vocational College Stadin AO (Link leads to external service)also provides a wide range of courses and training towards different professions, open to young people and adults alike. For instance, apprenticeship training allows a trainee to work in a job towards a qualification. In addition, several special programmes offer new arrivals on-the-job training that includes Finnish language instruction.