University entrance reform boosts Finnish student numbers

Report shows evidence that revamped intake system lures younger people into higher education

Finland’s revised higher education system is succeeding at helping more and younger students to find tertiary education places, according to an interim report published last week.

The report was drawn up by the Finnish Wage Earners’ Research Institute and the State Economic Research Center. The reform, which was introduced in 2018, allows entry to some fields of study solely on the basis of their school-leaving qualification, without having to sit an entrance exam.