The University of Helsinki is Finland’s oldest and largest university. It traces its history to the Royal Academy of Turku, founded in 1640, and moved to Helsinki in 1828. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 123rd in the world and the highest-ranked university in Finland. It’s known for the natural sciences, medicine, the life sciences, the humanities and the social sciences.
Helsinki offers two bachelor’s programmes and nearly 40 master’s programmes taught in English, and it admits international students once a year. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on the University of Helsinki’s own guidance and official Finnish government information.
1. Choose between its two English bachelor’s programmes
Helsinki’s English-taught bachelor’s programmes are Liberal Arts and Sciences, which combines the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, and Science, which covers chemistry, computer and data science, mathematics and physics. Science graduates can continue to one of the Faculty of Science’s master’s programmes. Its other bachelor’s programmes are taught in Finnish or Swedish. University of Helsinki: apply to bachelor’s programmes.
2. Find your bachelor’s admission group
Which application period you use depends on your school qualification, and you can’t choose. If you have the IB, the European Baccalaureate, the Finnish matriculation examination or a German Abitur (DIA or Reifeprüfung) completed in Finland, you’re in Admission Group 2 and apply from 9 to 23 March 2027. Everyone else, including students with A-levels or a national high-school diploma, is in Admission Group 1 and applies from 5 to 19 January 2027.
3. Take the SAT or ACT in time
In Admission Group 1, you’re ranked on your SAT or ACT scores, so register for the test well before the January application period and make sure your scores reach Helsinki in time. In Group 2, you’re ranked on your diploma grades instead. Practise with our free SAT practice tests.
4. Apply to a master’s programme by 19 January 2027
Helsinki’s nearly 40 International Master’s Programmes have one intake a year, and the application period for autumn 2027 is 5 to 19 January 2027, closing at 15:00 Finnish time. You need a bachelor’s degree that meets your programme’s requirements, and you upload your documents with your application on Studyinfo.fi. University of Helsinki: apply to international master’s programmes.
5. Prove your English
Most English-taught programmes ask you to prove your English, usually with a recognised test such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or a Cambridge English qualification, although some applicants qualify through their previous studies. Minimum scores vary by university and programme, so check yours on Studyinfo.fi, and book your test early so your results arrive in time. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests.
6. Pay the €100 application fee
If you’re from outside the EU/EEA, you must pay Finland’s one-off €100 application fee when you apply on Studyinfo.fi, or upload proof that you’re exempt; otherwise your application won’t be processed. The fee covers all your applications for studies starting in the same term, and there are no fee waivers.
7. Understand the fees
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don’t pay tuition fees. For others, Helsinki’s fees for students starting in 2026 were €13,000 a year for the English bachelor’s programmes and €13,000, €15,000 or €18,000 for master’s programmes, and each student’s fee stays the same until they finish. The first year’s fee must be paid before you can register. Since August 2026, Finnish law requires universities to charge non-EU students at least the full cost of their education, so check the fee for your programme for 2027. University of Helsinki tuition fees and scholarships.
8. Apply for a tuition fee waiver with your master’s application
For the 2026 intake, Helsinki offered a limited number of tuition fee waivers covering 50% or 100% of the fee to excellent master’s applicants, chosen on their previous studies and motivation. Most were 50% waivers, and you applied on the same form as your programme. The waivers don’t cover living costs, so check whether they’re offered for 2027 when you apply.
9. Pay your fee and apply for a residence permit
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don’t need a residence permit, but they must register their right of residence if they stay in Finland for more than three months. If you’re from outside the EU/EEA, you apply to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) for a student residence permit after the University of Helsinki has admitted you, usually online through the Enter Finland service followed by a visit to a Finnish embassy or consulate. You must show that you have enough money for your living costs, at least €800 a month, or €9,600 for a year of study, and that you can pay your tuition fee if you haven’t paid it yet, as well as valid health insurance. Apply as early as you can, as processing can take weeks. Study in Finland: student residence permit.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
International students can work part time, up to 30 hours a week on average during term and full time in the holidays, but jobs can be hard to find without Finnish or Swedish, so don’t count on them to pay your tuition or living costs. After you graduate, you can apply for a two-year residence permit to look for work or start a business in Finland. Learning some Finnish while you study will help your job search, and the University of Helsinki’s career services can help you find internships and thesis projects with companies. Study in Finland: opportunities after graduation.
Applying for a PhD at the University of Helsinki?
Doctoral education in Finland is free of tuition fees for all nationalities. Helsinki’s doctoral programmes have their own application rounds, and many doctoral researchers are funded through paid positions or grants. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
Apply to more than one programme to give yourself options. Read our guides to Aalto University, the University of Oulu, LUT University and the University of Turku. Our guide to studying in Finland explains how the Finnish system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from the University of Helsinki’s official admissions and fee pages, Finnish government sources and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on the University of Helsinki’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with the University of Helsinki.