Finland is a country in Northern Europe, bordering Sweden to the west, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east. It has a population of about 5.6 million, and the official languages are Finnish and Swedish. Its capital and largest city is Helsinki; the city had 684,018 residents at the end of 2024 and is projected to exceed 700,000 residents in 2026.
Finland, like many Nordic countries, performs strongly in areas such as education, quality of life, health care, and public services. The World Happiness Report has ranked Finland as the happiest country in the world every year since 2018. Due to these high standards, many international students look to continue their education in this country, so in this article, we will highlight affordable universities and universities of applied sciences in Finland.
Note: Tuition fees listed below apply to fee-paying students from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland in English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs, unless otherwise stated. EU/EEA and Swiss students, and some residence permit holders, may be exempt.
Affordable Schools in Finland for International Students
1. Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, also referred to as Diak, is one of the more affordable universities of applied sciences in Finland for international students. It is Finland’s largest provider of UAS-level education in social work and specializes in social work, health care, diaconia, and interpreting. Diak is a privately owned institution, with the main shareholders being church foundations and institutions. Its English-taught degree programs are offered on the Helsinki campus and are open to eligible applicants from a wide range of backgrounds.
2. Kajaani University of Applied Sciences
Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, also known as KAMK, is located in the town of Kajaani in central Finland. Much like the town that it is in, the university is relatively small, but it offers career-oriented programs for both Finnish and international students.
Kajaani University of Applied Sciences offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Finnish and English. Its English-taught options currently include seven bachelor’s degree programs and four master’s degree programs in fields such as business, tourism, sports, health care, technology, game business, and esports business.
3. Novia University of Applied Sciences
The Novia University of Applied Sciences has locations in Vaasa, Turku, Raasepori, and Pietarsaari along the Finnish coast. This affordable university of applied sciences in Finland was formed in 2008 after a merger. It is the largest Swedish-speaking university of applied sciences in Finland and offers bachelor’s and master’s programs in Swedish and English.
Novia emphasizes work-oriented education, research, development, and innovation. The university maintains close connections with the business community and an active alumni network, helping students connect their studies with practical professional experience.
4. Centria University of Applied Sciences
Centria University of Applied Sciences is a higher education institution in western Finland with English-taught programs offered in Kokkola, Pietarsaari, and blended or online formats. For the joint application, the university offers seven English-taught bachelor’s degree programs and two English-taught master’s degree programs. Its programs include fields such as business administration, engineering, nursing, and international business management.
5. Seinajoki University of Applied Sciences
The Seinajoki University of Applied Sciences, also known as SEAMK, is mainly located on the SEAMK Campus in the Frami area of Seinäjoki in South Ostrobothnia, Finland. Its fields of education include business, culture, food and hospitality, health care and social work, natural resources, and technology. SEAMK currently lists seven English-taught degree programs: five bachelor’s programs and two master’s programs. These include bachelor’s programs in International Business, Automation Engineering, Sustainable Food Processing, Nursing, and Hospitality Management, as well as master’s programs in International Business Management and Development and Management in Social Services and Health Care.
6. JAMK University of Applied Sciences
Next on our list of affordable universities in Finland for international students is JAMK University, a university of applied sciences located in Jyväskylä in Central Finland. For the 2026 joint application, Jamk offers seven bachelor’s degree programs and six master’s degree programs in English. These include fields such as automation and robotics, IT, international business, nursing, logistics engineering, tourism management, AI and data analytics, cybersecurity, software development, and project management.
Jamk’s English-taught programs attract students who want career-oriented education in a modern, international environment.
7. University of Eastern Finland
The University of Eastern Finland was formed in 2010 after a merger of two universities. It has campuses in Joensuu and Kuopio. This affordable university in Finland offers English-taught bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral study options, and consists of four faculties: the Philosophical Faculty, the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, the Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies.
The university is a multidisciplinary institution with approximately 17,600 degree students and an active international community.
8. Arcada University of Applied Sciences
The Arcada University of Applied Sciences is based in Helsinki and is owned by the Arcada Foundation. Arcada offers English-language bachelor’s programs in Information Technology, International Business, Mechanical and Sustainable Engineering, and Nursing TopUp. It also offers English-language master’s programs such as Business Management and Transformation, Emergency Care Systems Development and Leadership, Healthcare Leadership, and Machine Intelligence and Data Science. Arcada offers programs in fields including business, health care, engineering, and information technology.
9. Tampere University
Tampere University is a young university, established in 2019 through the merger of the University of Tampere and Tampere University of Technology. Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences are separate institutions that together form the Tampere Universities community. Students benefit from a multidisciplinary academic environment in one of Finland’s major student cities.
10. University of Vaasa
We end our list of affordable universities in Finland for international students with the University of Vaasa, a business- and technology-oriented university based in Vaasa on Finland’s west coast. It has four schools: Accounting and Finance, Management, Marketing and Communication, and Technology and Innovations. The university currently has about 5,000 students and 600 employees, and it offers English-taught programs in business, technology, and related fields.
Vaasa is often described as the sunniest city in Finland. It is an educational, cultural, and tourism center in Western Finland and is home to about 70,000 inhabitants and 15,000 students, making it a lively place for international students interested in business, technology, and the energy sector.
FAQs: Studying in Finland
What Are the General Requirements to Study in Finland?
To apply to a Finnish university, bachelor’s applicants generally need a high school diploma that qualifies them for higher education in their home country, while master’s applicants need a bachelor’s degree. Universities may also require entrance exams, SAT or GMAT tests, interviews, and proof of English proficiency through tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or Cambridge English. UAS master’s programs generally require two years of relevant work experience.
Do Universities in Finland Offer English-taught Programs?
Yes. While Finnish and Swedish are official languages and remain important languages of instruction, Finland offers many English-taught degree programs. In the January 2026 joint application alone, there were almost 300 English-taught bachelor’s and master’s study options. For example, Arcada University of Applied Sciences offers English-language bachelor’s programs in Information Technology, International Business, Mechanical and Sustainable Engineering, and Nursing TopUp, while Centria University of Applied Sciences offers English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs in areas such as business, engineering, nursing, and international business management.
Do Universities in Finland Offer Scholarships to International Students?
Yes. Many universities in Finland offer scholarships or tuition fee waivers for fee-paying international students, but scholarship policies differ by institution. Study in Finland notes that bachelor’s and master’s scholarships are offered by individual universities, not as a general Finnish government scholarship scheme, and they are competitive and usually cover tuition fees partially rather than living costs.
We hope that this article will help you decide which school to pursue in Finland. If you want to know more about courses in Europe, check out our Available Programs for International Students! Take time to read more articles about Finland by visiting the Study in Finland Page!
