Studies at upper secondary school

Studies at Finnish general upper secondary school aim at studies at universities and universities of applied sciences. To apply for upper secondary school you should have a leaving certificate of comprehensive school. At the end of your studies you should pass the matriculation examination in Finnish.

Studies at upper secondary school consist of obligatory courses and optional courses. General upper secondary school syllabus involves 150 credits. In mathematics you choose either advanced or basic syllabus.

Tuition is free of charge. However some study tools e.g. laptop might cost money if you are not student of compulsory education.

Compulsory education and the study costs

The extension of compulsory education applies to those who are in compulsory education and who have participated in the comprehensive school syllabus (basic education syllabus) on or after 1 January 2021. Those whose compulsory education terminated before 1 January 2021, as governed by section 25 of the Basic Education Act prior to the amendment of 1 August 2021, are not within the scope of the extension of compulsory education. 

Under the Act on Compulsory Education, children residing permanently in Finland must attend compulsory education. When applying the Act on Compulsory Education, children with a municipality of residence within the meaning of the Municipality of Residence Act (201/1994) are deemed to be permanently residing in Finland. All those who have a municipality of residence entered in the population information system fall within the scope of compulsory education. Those with no municipality of residence do not belong within the scope of compulsory education. Those who reside temporarily in Finland for the purpose of studying (e.g. exchange students) and do not have a municipality of residence referred to in the Municipality of Residence Act do not belong within the scope of the Act on Compulsory Education and the related education free of charge. 

Additional information