The Ministry of Education and Culture has approved six education providers to offer general upper secondary education in English. This approval was given to the Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia and the cities of Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Tampere, and Vantaa. Out of the public schools in Helsinki, English-language upper secondary education will be provided by the Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages.
This English-language education follows the Finnish general upper secondary school curriculum. Students will take the Finnish matriculation examination in English. Additionally, all students must complete a compulsory test in Finnish as their second language and literature. The first opportunity to take the matriculation examination in English will be in autumn 2028.
Who is English-language general upper secondary education for?
English-language general upper secondary education is designed for young people who lack the language skills necessary to complete their studies and the matriculation examination in Finnish or Swedish. A student is considered to have insufficient language skills if they have completed three years or fewer of the comprehensive education referred to in the Basic Education Act.
In simple terms, this program targets young students who do not have adequate Finnish or Swedish skills for general upper secondary school but can study fully in English. This group may include Finnish expatriate families and youth who have relocated to Finland due to their parents' jobs.
"Providing the opportunity to complete lukio in English in Finland is crucial for students who lack sufficient Finnish or Swedish language skills and are not enrolled in the IB Diploma Programme. English-language education is aimed at students moving to Finland because of their parents' work, for example. It will be interesting to see how many applications we receive for this program," says Tarja Aro-Kuuskoski, Head of General Upper Secondary Education in Helsinki.
How to apply for the English-language track
Young people can apply for English-language general upper secondary education through the Studyinfo service during the joint application period for upper secondary education, which runs from 17 February to 17 March 2026. All applicants will be invited to an extrance exam. Read more about the entrance exam on Studyinfo or on the Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages website.
The first year will accept 30 students, with 25 spots available through the joint application process. A few additional places will be reserved for students who apply during the school year.
