I get these questions frequently while consulting students for Finland. The students sometimes look confused when deciding which university they should pick.
I am going to share 3 frequently asked questions In today’s blog.
- List of the universities in Finland
- The differences between research universities and university of applied sciences
- Things you should keep in mind while choosing the university
There are 13 universities and 22 universities of applied sciences in Finland. Many of the names indicate the city where it is located. Some universities have multiple campuses in different areas.
List of universities are given below in alphabetical order.
- Aalto University
- Hanken school of economics
- LUT University
- Tampere University
- University of eastern Finland
- University of Helsinki
- University of jyväskylä
- University of Lapland
- University of Oulu
- University of the arts Helsinki
- University of turku
- University of vaasa
- Åbo akademi university
List of universities of applied sciences (UAS) are given below in alphabetical order.
- Arcada university of applied sciences*
- Centria university of applied sciences*
- Diaconia university of applied sciences
- Haaga-helia university of applied sciences*
- Humak university of applied sciences*
- Häme university of applied sciences (HAMK)*
- Jamk university of applied sciences*
- Kajaani university of applied sciences*
- Karelia university of applied sciences*
- Lab university of applied sciences
- Lapland university of applied sciences
- Laurea university of applied sciences
- Metropolia university of applied sciences
- Novia university of applied sciences
- Oulu university of applied sciences
- Satakunta university of applied sciences (SAMK)
- Savonia university of applied sciences
- Seinäjoki university of applied sciences (SEAMK)
- South-eastern finland university of applied sciences (XAMK)
- Tamk university of applied sciences
- Turku university of applied sciences
- Vaasa university of applied sciences
Universities have really large campus. Picture from Aalto university.
The differences between universities and university of applied sciences
Now the next question is what are the differences between university and university of applied sciences?
The universities are usually focused on research activities. They tend to perform a lot of research projects in different fields. The universities have large research facilities (laboratories, instruments, etc.). Usually, the industries fund the laboratories to conduct research. Their curriculum is developed aiming a student to become an academician or a researcher. Research universities tend to have more scholarship opportunities for the students compared to the university of applied sciences.
University of applied sciences (UAS) are focused mainly to build industry ready individuals. The curriculum is designed considering the actual requirements from the industry. These courses include a lot of project work that helps the student to familiarize with the industry activities. Usually these universities have fewer scope for scholarship and higher tuition fees compared to the research universities. They have more bachelors courses offered compared to research universities.
HOWEVER, this does not mean that you cannot enter the industry with a research university degree and vice versa. I am working in the industry with a research university degree. It is also possible to do your bachelor degree from applied sciences and do a masters in the research universities. There are no hard and fast rules. This is just a general discussion for easier understanding.
Things you should keep in mind while choosing the university
It is very important to choose your university wisely. You will be in the university for at least 1 to 5 years depending on the courses. This is quite a lot of time.
I suggest considering these factors while choosing the university.
- Your purpose: Think about your purpose in the long run? Do you want to stay in academia or do you want to work in the industry? I understand in the 3-4 years timeline your thoughts might change. But at least give some thoughts to pick research universities or applied sciences. I think it is worth mentioning again that there are no strict rules about it.
- Choosing the right course: Try to get admission in the subject you are passionate about. Your favorite course must be there in any of the universities.
- City: Are you comfortable in big cities or quiet small cities? It is important to understand that. if you want to be in big cities but get stuck in small cities for your education, it can hurt your mental health.
- Earning opportunities: Consider going for the bigger cities, such as Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, etc. If earning through part time jobs is your priority,