University of Helsinki for international applicants: English-taught Bachelor's entry in autumn 2027

The University of Helsinki takes applications for its English-taught Bachelor's programmes starting in autumn 2027 in two rounds, 5 to 19 January 2027 (Admission group 1) or 9 to 23 March 2027 (Admission group 2), and your school diploma decides which round you use: if you have not completed one of the listed diplomas, you are in Admission Group 1, which is ranked on SAT or ACT scores.

The two programmes are Liberal Arts and Sciences and Science. The tuition fee for non-EU/EEA citizens is 13 000 EUR per year on the programme page, and the university states that the application instructions and admission criteria will be updated by the end of October 2026, so check them again after that date.

• Group 1 (no Finnish matriculation, IB, EB, RP or DIA diploma): admission is based on the scores of your SAT or ACT tests.
• Group 2 (those diplomas): admission is based on your matriculation examination or equivalent.
• English proof: you must prove your language skills in English.
• Application fee for non-EU/EEA citizens: a one-time national fee of 100 euros.

Everything below is for entry in autumn 2027. Figures from the spring 2026 round are labelled as such.

Helsinki teaches two Bachelor's programmes in English: Liberal Arts and Sciences (180 ECTS credits, 3 years) and Science (180 ECTS credits, 3 years), and the Science programme is set up as a Bachelor and Master of Science (3 yrs + 2 yrs).

Liberal Arts and Sciences

The programme pairs natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. The specialisation options include Data Science, Digital Humanities, Ecology and Adaptation, Economics of Natural Resources, Resource Management of Global Forests and Social Data Science. All graduates have the right, without a separate application, to continue into one or more of the university's Master's programmes.

Science

The core disciplines are math and statistics, physics, chemistry, and computer and data science. The programme page says it is taught fully in English and open for applications for anybody with a high school diploma, preferably including advanced math and physics or chemistry studies. Graduates have the right, without a separate application, to continue in one of the nine MSc programmes of the Faculty of Science. The degree includes 10 credits of language studies, comprising 4 credits of academic English and 6 credits of basic courses in Finnish or Swedish, and teaching takes place on the Kumpula campus.

In the spring 2026 round the two English-taught Bachelor's programmes had 661 applicants, 333 accepted applicants and 129 who accepted the place, for a student intake of 175.

The university counts overbooking when accepting students, which is why accepted applicants outnumber the intake. These are 2026 figures, not a forecast for 2027.

Group 1 is the SAT or ACT route. Among non-EU/EEA applications the totals were 258 applications, 127 accepted and 43 who accepted the place. In group 1 the Science programme alone had 153 non-EU/EEA applications, 64 accepted and 16 who accepted the place, and Liberal Arts and Sciences had 62, 41 and 14.

Helsinki puts every applicant in one of two admission groups by diploma, and the choice is not yours: you cannot select a preferred application period, nor can you apply during both application periods.

The listed diplomas are the Finnish matriculation examination, the International Baccalaureate diploma, the European Baccalaureate diploma, and the Reifeprüfung or Deutsches Internationales Abitur examination in Finland, completed or to be completed by summer 2027. Applicants who rely on Open University studies also use group 2: you must apply in admission group 2.

Applying in the wrong group

The enclosures page is blunt: you are not eligible in the wrong admission group and thus cannot be admitted in that group. It repeats the group 1 rule as not having completed a Finnish matriculation examination, an IB or EB diploma, or an RP or DIA examination administered in Finland.

Both rounds close at the same hour: the application period always ends at 15.00 Finnish time. Both processes are separate from the Finnish national joint application, but you can only accept one study place leading to a higher education degree starting the same term.

Group 1 applicants are ranked on test scores and group 2 applicants on diploma points, and the 2027 criteria are not final yet: the application instructions and admission criteria will be updated by the end of October 2026.

The criteria themselves sit on Studyinfo: the admission criteria is published at the Finnish national education portal Studyinfo.fi. The numbers below are the spring 2026 round and show the shape of the contest.

A published minimum is a gate, not the level of admitted students. In Science group 1 the minimum was 1200 while the lowest accepted score was 1440; in Science group 2 the minimum was 95.0 and the lowest accepted score 125.4.

One more rule: your application cannot be accepted if the degree is substantially identical to the degree for which you already hold a study right.

The pages describe the rules by diploma type and admission group rather than country by country, and for education completed outside Finland you must submit a copy of your diploma.

Most national school-leaving diplomas, for example the Italian maturità, the French baccalauréat or the Polish matura, are not among the four listed ones, so their holders fall under Admission Group 1 and the SAT or ACT route. The enclosures page lists what to upload: a certificate of eligibility for higher education, a certificate of language skills, authorised translations if required, a copy of your passport, ID card or residence permit card, and SAT or ACT results for group 1 only.

Diplomas from outside Finland, as the admissions page says: submit a copy with an authorised translation into Finnish, Swedish or English if the original is in another language; any diploma other than the Finnish ones listed has to be submitted, and if eligibility is not shown by the deadline, the application will be rejected.

• Stamp and signature: the copy must carry the official stamp of the school and the name, signature and job title of its representative.
• Translation: documents must be sent together with an authorised translation into Finnish, Swedish or English if the original is in another language, and an authorised translation can be obtained from the educational institution or an authorised translator.
• Identity: if you are not a Finnish citizen, you need to submit a copy of your passport, ID card or residence permit card.
• File format: save your attachments in PDF format in the correct places provided on the application form.

Eligibility is checked strictly: if you fail to demonstrate your eligibility for higher education by the deadline, or it cannot be electronically verified, your application will be rejected. In group 1, officially certified copies are not needed unless otherwise specified, but admission is conditional if your eligibility is based on an unfinished degree. In group 2, the admission decision will be conditional and you must submit officially certified copies at a later date if you uploaded unofficial copies.

Group 1 applicants must take the SAT or ACT, and must complete SAT sections Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math or ACT sections Reading, Writing, and Math.

Helsinki wants the results sent by the test organiser: the university must receive the results directly from the test organiser (College Board and ACT), with code 0483 for SAT and 8225 for ACT as the recipient code. You need to register for the tests before the application period starts.

Group 1 in short: anyone without a Finnish matriculation, IB, EB or RP/DIA diploma applies in Admission Group 1, sits SAT (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math) or ACT (Reading, Writing, and Math), is ranked on the total score for two SAT or ACT tests, and the results must be no more than two years old at the application deadline.

• Deadline: the results must be at the University of Helsinki by 26 January 2027, 23.59 (UTC+2).
• Age of the scores: the tests cannot have been completed more than two years prior to the application deadline.
• Spring 2026 reference: the criteria set a minimum of 1200 for group 1, and lowest accepted scores were higher (see the selection chapter).

SAT or ACT results can also serve as English proof: a minimum score of 550 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (SAT) or a minimum total score of 43 in English and Reading (ACT).

IB and EB holders apply in group 2 (9 to 23 March 2027), and the IB school's predicted grades are due by 1 April 2027 at 23.59 (UTC + 3).

For the IB, you must submit a copy of your actual certificate, and the certificate need not be translated. You can ask the IBO to release your grades, but it might take up to 14 working days for IBO to send the results to the University, so order the transcript early. The predictions must bear the school’s official stamp.

Group 2 in short: holders of a Finnish matriculation, IB, EB or RP/DIA diploma apply in Admission Group 2. For studies starting in autumn 2027 the periods are 5-19 Jan 2027 for group 1 and 9-23 March 2027 for group 2, and you are not eligible in the wrong admission group. IB: predicted grades are due on 1 April 2027 and the certificate need not be translated. EB: preliminary points are due on 1 April 2027. RP/DIA: the Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife.

Admission on predicted grades is conditional, and if your final grades are lower than your predicted grades, you might lose the offered study place.

European Baccalaureate and Abitur

EB holders follow the same dates: the preliminary certificate is due by 1 April 2027 at 23.59 (UTC+3) and the final diploma by 31 August 2027 at 23.59 (UTC+3). For the German route, applicants who completed an RP or DIA examination must submit a copy of the four-page German-language certificate, but for a DIA examination completed in Finland in or after 2019 the results are verified from an electronic database. The group 2 enclosure deadline is no later than 1 April 2027 at 23:59 (UTC+3).

The Bachelor's pages do not name A-levels, AP or any other national diploma outside the four listed ones, so these applicants are in group 1: you are in Admission Group 1 if you have not completed one of the listed diplomas, and admission is based on the scores of your SAT or ACT tests.

The pages mention no AP scores as a criterion, so the SAT or ACT is the published route. A-level and US high school holders still upload the diploma: a copy of your diploma for education completed outside Finland.

Helsinki does not publish a grade table for A-levels, AP or other national diplomas: these applicants apply in Admission Group 1 and are ranked on the total score for two SAT or ACT tests.

If you are still in school when you apply in January, the dates are: enclosures no later than 26 January 2027 at 23:59 (UTC+2), a transcript of studies from the current school year or another certificate provided by the school indicating the qualification you are pursuing, the school's prediction by 26 January 2027, 23.59 (UTC+2), and a copy of your certificate by 31 August 2027, 23.59 (UTC+3). Your examination must be completed by 31 August 2027 for you to be eligible.

Education in English can double as language proof: upper-secondary education conducted in English in the Nordic countries, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America is accepted, so UK and US schooling covers the English requirement as well.

Every applicant to the English-taught programmes must prove English: you must prove your language skills in English, and the university requires evidence of academic-level language skills from all applicants.

• Statements issued by individual language teachers or universities' own language test scores are not accepted.
• You cannot combine different test score reports or certificates, and you must meet the minimum requirements for all elements with the same score report or certificate.
• The deadline for language documents is the same as for the other enclosures, and enclosures arriving after the relevant deadline will not be considered.

English proof by school credential: Finnish matriculation, magna cum laude approbatur in the advanced English test or eximia cum laude approbatur in the basic one; an IB programme completed in English or, if completed in another language, English A1 with grade 2 or English A2 with grade 5; European Baccalaureate English L1 grade 4 (before 2021) or 5 (2021 or after), L2 grade 7; Reifeprüfung or Deutsches Internationales Abitur, grade 8 (advanced) or 10 (basic); upper-secondary education in English in the Nordic countries, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States.

Accepted methods fall into two groups: tests (IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency, PTE Academic, YKI, SAT or ACT scores) and education (IB, EB, Abitur, upper-secondary or university study in English). The next two chapters give the minimums.

The enclosure deadline is 26 January 2027 at 23:59 (UTC+2) in group 1 and 1 April 2027 at 23:59 (UTC+3) in group 2.

Helsinki asks for IELTS Academic overall 6.5 with at least 6.0 in all sections or the equivalent on another accepted test.

Test minimums in one line: IELTS Academic overall 6.5, at least 6.0 in every section; TOEFL iBT 92 with 22 in writing for tests taken before 21.1.2026, 4.5 with at least 4 in every section from 21.1.2026; C1 Advanced pass levels A, B or C, or C2 Proficiency pass levels A, B, C or level C1; PTE Academic overall 68 with 61 in writing; YKI level 5 in all sub-tests; SAT 550 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing or ACT 43 in English and Reading.

Details that trip applicants up: tests taken at the general IELTS level will not be accepted, although IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Online tests at Academic level are also accepted. For TOEFL, the Home Edition of TOEFL iBT is also accepted and the score goes to institution code 9872. Cambridge: only tests taken after 2005 are accepted. IELTS, TOEFL and PTE scores each stay valid for two years (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE) and must be valid throughout processing.

If your IB was taught in English, it proves your English if your programme has been completed in English, and several other routes need no separate test.

• IB not completed in English: English as the A1 language with a minimum grade of 2 or English as the A2 language with a minimum grade of 5.
• European Baccalaureate: English L1 with a minimum grade of 5 if the examination was taken in 2021 or after (a minimum grade of 4 if taken before 2021), or English L2 with a minimum grade of 7.
• Reifeprüfung or Abitur: a minimum grade of 8 in the advanced-syllabus English test or 10 in the basic-syllabus test.
• Finnish matriculation examination: magna cum laude approbatur in the advanced English test or eximia cum laude approbatur in the basic test.

Schooling in English also counts: upper-secondary education conducted in English in the Nordic countries, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America. If you studied in the Nordic countries, the language of instruction must be stated on the diploma.

A university degree works too: a degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country or one of the other countries the page lists. The degree or programme must be taught and assessed entirely in English, and the language of instruction must be indicated clearly on the educational documents.

You apply online on Studyinfo during your group's window: the application is submitted online at the Finnish national application portal Studyinfo, and the online form is open and can be submitted only during the application periods.

After you submit, make sure you have received the confirmation message within 24 hours of sending the application. Upload scans to the form, because the primary method is to attach the enclosures directly to your application form in Studyinfo, and remember that if a compulsory attachment is missing after the deadline, the application will be rejected as incomplete. A postmark dated before the deadline is not sufficient for posted documents.

The application fee

As of 1 Jan 2025, non-EU/EEA citizens must pay an application fee: a one-time national fee of 100 euros that covers all applications to studies beginning in the same academic term. It is not collected from applicants with a Finnish or EU citizenship, a residence card for a family member of an EU citizen in Finland or a European Union Blue Card, among other groups. If the fee is unpaid and no exemption document is uploaded, the application will not be processed, and there are no application fee waivers.

Group 1 hears by 14 April 2027 and group 2 by 28 May 2027, and an offer must be accepted by 13 July 2027 at 23.59 (UTC+3).

Results arrive by e-mail, and the University of Helsinki does not publish the names of the admitted students. Many places are conditional on documents: you prove your eligibility by 31 August 2027 at 23.59 (UTC+3), and the required documents are due by 31 August 2027, 23:59 (UTC + 3). If you fail to submit officially certified copies of the required documents by the deadline, you will lose your place.

Remember the one-place rule: you can only accept one study place leading to a higher education degree starting the same term. Non-EU/EEA students then have to pay the tuition fee, because without payment you are not able to begin your studies at the University (see the tuition chapter).

Non-EU/EEA students pay 13,000 EUR per academic year for the English-taught Bachelor's programmes, and the programme pages list 13 000 EUR next to the 2027 application windows.

An individual student's fee will remain the same throughout the completion of the programme. Non-EU/non-EEA students studying in English are liable for the fee; citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland are not, and exemptions also cover students with a permanent residence card in Finland (type P) and, in some cases, a continuous residence permit (type A) not granted on the basis of studying.

Payment is upfront: the tuition fee is paid in advance of each academic year, and the second-year payment is due on the 31st of August. For the 2026 intake the page set the first-year payment deadline at 31 August 2026; the 2027 date is not on the page yet. Without payment you are not able to begin your studies at the University.

The university scholarship programme on the fee page is aimed at Master's applicants: scholarships are intended for excellent tuition fee-liable students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland who want to complete a Master’s programme.

For a Bachelor's applicant that means planning on self-funding, because all students at the University of Helsinki must fund their studies and living expenses themselves. The waiver scheme itself is described as tuition fee waivers, waiving the tuition fee for 50 % or 100 %, and only a very limited number can be awarded, most of them covering 50 % of the tuition fee.

Even a waiver does not reach living costs: the university does not offer scholarships to cover living expenses. If you continue to a Master's degree at Helsinki, the scholarship page becomes relevant then.

The university puts a student's monthly budget in Helsinki at 1000-1300 euros or even more.

The residence permit threshold is lower than the real budget: 9600 euros per year is considered sufficient funds for receiving a residence permit (as of 1 Nov 2024), but it will be very tight to live with it in Helsinki.

Non-EU/EEA students need a valid document when the term begins: your passport or ID card must be valid when the term starts on 1 August 2027.

The same applies to a Finnish residence card: your residence permit card must be valid when the term starts on 1 August 2027. For a new permit the tuition page says to make sure you have sufficient funds to cover the tuition fee and living expenses in Finland according to the Finnish Migration Services instructions, and to start the process for obtaining a residence permit as soon as possible.

The Bachelor's pages do not list visa documents; the authority they point to is the Finnish Migration Service. The financial benchmark of 9600 euros per year sits in the cost-of-living chapter.

For autumn 2027, apply on Studyinfo in group 1 from 5 to 19 January 2027 or group 2 from 9 to 23 March 2027, prove English, and budget 13,000 EUR a year in tuition if you are a non-EU/EEA citizen.

• Find your group: no listed diploma means Admission Group 1, ranked on SAT or ACT scores.
• English: IELTS Academic 6.5 with 6.0 in every section or another accepted proof.
• Send SAT or ACT results with code 0483 for SAT and 8225 for ACT before 26 January 2027.
• Accept an offer by 13 July 2027.
• Check Studyinfo after October 2026: the admission criteria will be updated by the end of October 2026.

Competition in the spring 2026 round: 661 applicants for a student intake of 175. No admission is guaranteed.

Official pages of University of Helsinki, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions-and-education/apply-bachelors-and-masters-programmes/apply-bachelors-programme-science · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions-and-education/apply-bachelors-and-masters-programmes/apply-bachelors-programme-science/proving-your-english-language-skills · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions-and-education/apply-bachelors-and-masters-programmes/tuition-fees-and-scholarship-programme · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions-and-education/international-students/student-life-helsinki/cost-living-and-financial-matters · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/degree-programmes/liberal-arts-and-sciences-bachelors-programme · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/degree-programmes/science-bachelors-programme · https://www.helsinki.fi/assets/drupal/2026-09/University%20of%20Helsinki%2C%20number%20of%20applications%20and%20accepted%20students%20to%20Bachelor%27s%20Programmes%20in%20English%2C%20spring%202026%2C%2017.9.2026.pdf · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/degree-programmes/liberal-arts-and-sciences-bachelors-programme/what-programme-offers · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/degree-programmes/science-bachelors-programme/studying · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions/application-enclosures-required-by-the-bachelors-programme-in-science · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions-and-education/apply-bachelors-and-masters-programmes/restrictions-admission · Apply to Bachelor's programmes | University of Helsinki · https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions-and-education/apply-bachelors-and-masters-programmes/apply-bachelors-programmes/guide-accepted-and-rejected-applicants

Photos: University of Helsinki, Main Building (52890870759): photo Marty B, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons