Every 9th grader applies to upper secondary education through the joint application process. The City of Helsinki's general upper secondary schools, Helsinki Vocational College (Stadin AO) and Yrkesinstitutet Prakticum offer a wide range of options.
“It is important that young people make their own choices about where to study, according to their own interests. Our upper secondary institutions provide students with a good foundation for both further studies and the working life,” says the City of Helsinki’s Head of General Upper Secondary, Vocational and Liberal Adult Education Harri Korhonen.
Education and training at Stadin AO is individualised and employer-oriented
Helsinki Vocational College offers nearly 30 initial vocational qualifications to apply to in the joint application process. An initial vocational qualification provides you with the skills required for working as a professional in a particular field or for continuing your studies in higher education.
You can also combine general upper secondary school studies or take the matriculation examination with vocational studies. If you are planning a career as a professional athlete, you can easily combine it with vocational studies.
Stadin AO engages in close cooperation with both companies and higher education institutions.
Swedish-language vocational education and training in Helsinki is provided by the Yrkesinstitutet Prakticum vocational college.
General upper secondary schools have a special tasks and emphases
The City of Helsinki has 15 general upper secondary schools, three of which are Swedish-language schools. All of the general upper secondary schools have a special educational task or a school-specific special emphasis.
This means that the schools may emphasise a certain school subject of study field in their instruction. The City's general upper secondary schools also engage in broad cooperation with higher education institutions.
General upper secondary school and Helsinki Vocational College students can also complete studies offered by other educational institutions besides their own. Helsinki’s general upper secondary schools, Stadin AO, the Helsinki Finnish Adult Education Centre and Helsingfors arbis have a joint selection of studies for students to choose from. These cross-institutional studies allow students to develop their skills more broadly.
New in August 2026: English-track in general upper secondary and tuition fees for foreign students
This year, young people can also apply for fully English-language general upper secondary education starting in August 2026. It is designed for young people who have completed up to three years of Finnish comprehensive education, but whose language skills are not sufficient for general upper secondary education in Finnish or Swedish. Out of the city-run schools, English-language general upper secondary education will be provided at Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages.
Finland is also introducing tuition fees for foreign students in upper secondary education. Tuition fees apply to students who arrive to Finland from countries other than the EU member countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, are starting their studies on 1 August 2026 or after and have been granted a residence permit for studies. The amount of the fees will be specified during spring 2026.
Prepare for upper secondary education in TUVA training
Preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification, or TUVA, allows students to strengthen the skills needed for upper secondary education. While doing so, they also get to learn about vocational education and training and general upper secondary education and improve their basic education grades. Please note that you need basic Finnish or Swedish skills to be eligible for the TUVA training.
TUVA lasts for up to a year, but students participating in it can also apply for upper secondary education earlier on the basis of their own performance.
Applicants who do not get a place in a general upper secondary school or vocational institution in the joint application process are placed in TUVA.
Apply through the Studyinfo service
Applications for upper secondary education are submitted online in the Studyinfo service at opintopolku.fi.
If your 9th grader needs help in making decisions about their future studies, they can contact the comprehensive school’s study and career advisers and teachers.
Important dates for the joint application process:
- The joint application period for studies after comprehensive school is 17 February–17 March 2026.
- The results will be announced no earlier than 11 June 2026.
- The deadline for accepting an offered study place is 25 June 2026.
