Finland is a developed country that offers tuition-free higher education to students from Switzerland or EU/EEA member countries. For English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs, students from outside the EU/EEA generally pay tuition, while doctoral programs do not charge tuition regardless of nationality. Fee-paying students may also apply for scholarships offered by Finnish universities.
The country is also a strong destination for international students who want to pursue a degree in Data Science. Finnish universities offer several English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs relevant to Data Science, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Statistics.
Many universities in Finland offer exchange or international mobility opportunities, allowing students to experience an international learning environment. Finland also welcomes thousands of international degree and exchange students; in 2025, Finnish higher education institutions recorded 12,180 inbound exchange students and trainees. In this article, we will look at the top schools offering Data Science in Finland!
Top Schools Offering Data Science in Finland
1. University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki has a long history dating back to 1640, when it was founded as the Royal Academy of Turku. It later moved to Helsinki in 1828 and received its current name in 1919.
The University of Helsinki is a leading institution for data science in Finland and currently ranks among the top 1% of academic institutions worldwide. The university describes itself as an international academic community of over 40,000 students and staff, and it welcomes exchange students from abroad each year.
The university’s Master of Science in Data Science is an English-taught master’s program worth 120 ECTS credits and planned for two years. Tuition is €15,000 per year for tuition-fee-liable students from outside the EU/EEA. The program can help graduates prepare for data-intensive careers in industry or science, or for further doctoral studies.
2. Aalto University
Aalto University is a young institution that began operating in 2010 after the merger of three schools: Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology, and University of Art and Design Helsinki. It ranks among the top universities in global rankings, and its international appeal is supported by a diverse student and faculty community.
Aalto University offers a five-year Data Science pathway that combines a three-year Bachelor of Science (Technology) degree with a two-year Master of Science (Technology) degree. The bachelor’s part consists of 180 ECTS credits, and the master’s part consists of 120 ECTS credits. Non-EU/EEA students must pay €12,000 per year for the bachelor’s studies and €17,000 per year for the master’s studies.
The bachelor’s Data Science major is conducted entirely in English, and studies at the master’s level can also be completed entirely in English. Around 20% of the professors in the Departments of Computer Science and Mathematics and Systems Analysis are from outside Finland. Graduates of the program can gain skills for roles such as data scientist, engineer, business analyst, or researcher in Finland or abroad.
3. Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology LUT
The Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT, or LUT University, has combined technology and business since its inception in 1969 and now also includes social sciences. According to its 2024 key figures, LUT had 8,542 undergraduate and postgraduate students representing 102 nationalities.
In response to the growing demand for professionals who can help deal with advancements in data-driven technologies, prospective students may pursue the Master’s Programme in Data-Centric Engineering at LUT University. Students must complete 120 ECTS credits in two years to graduate, and the program costs €15,000 per academic year for students from outside the EU/EEA.
For better chances of maximizing the competencies offered by the program, applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, or a related field. Qualified students may specialize in Applied Mathematics, Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, or Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
4. Åbo Akademi University
The Åbo Akademi University was founded in 1918 and is the only multidisciplinary Swedish-language university in Finland. It has campuses in Turku and Vaasa and about 7,000 students, including about 1,000 international students. The university offers English-taught master’s programs, including EDISS, for an international learning environment.
The university offers a master’s degree in Engineering of Data-Intensive Intelligent Software Systems (EDISS) as a two-year Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree delivered by four partner universities: Åbo Akademi University in Finland, the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain, the University of L’Aquila in Italy, and Mälardalen University in Sweden. All students in the program begin their first year at Åbo Akademi University in Finland.
Depending on the specialization, students spend the second year at a partner university. Those who choose Industrial Machine Learning – Software Engineering study in Sweden, those who choose Model Driven Machine Learning – Software Engineering study in Italy, and those who choose Computer Vision and Intelligent Systems study in Spain. Students who complete EDISS receive a double master’s degree from Åbo Akademi University and the second-year institution, which can support both professional and academic goals in data-related fields.
5. Tampere University
Tampere University is one of the younger universities in Finland in its present form. Its roots go back to the Civic College founded in 1925 and technical education established in Tampere in 1965; the current foundation-based Tampere University was created in 2019 through the merger of the University of Tampere and Tampere University of Technology. The institution now has about 23,200 students and 4,400 employees.
The Data Science specialization in Tampere University’s Data Science, Computing Sciences and Electrical Engineering master’s program provides education in data analysis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computational approaches to big data. Graduates may find work in research centers, universities, data science consultancies, government agencies, law enforcement, finance, insurance, journalism, and other organizations that gather and analyze public or private data.
The program is taught in English and is planned as a two-year, 120 ECTS master’s degree. International students from outside the EU/EEA who are liable for tuition fees must pay €12,000 per academic year. Qualified students may apply for Tampere University scholarships, including limited 50% tuition fee scholarships and an early bird reduction for eligible fee-paying students.
Hopefully, this article will encourage you to pursue Data Science in Finland. Visit our Study in Finland and Programs in Europe for International Students sections for more information!
