More foreign students than ever in Finnish higher education institutions

The number of foreign students in Finnish higher education institutions is increasing steadily. In 2009, there were over 14,000 foreign degree students in Finland: 7,113 in the universities of applied sciences (=UAS) and 6,984 in the universities. The universities of applied sciences have been especially active in recruiting international degree students, for 5.2 per cent of all UAS students come from abroad. The corresponding number in the university sector is 4.1 per cent.

The most common countries of origin of foreign degree students in 2009 and 2000

The biggest student flows to Finland come from China and Russia. However, the biggest growth rate during the 2000s has been in the numbers of students from Nepal, Vietnam, Ethiopia and India.

The most popular fields of education for foreign degree students are engineering/technology and business. Also popular in the university sector are natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities.

International mobility makes a difference

Student exchanges and international traineeships have become more and more popular. In 2009, almost 9,400 Finnish students headed abroad on an exchange or traineeship for at least 3 months. At the same time, almost 8,800 international exchange students or trainees came to Finland.

Almost half (48%) of all outgoing exchanges and traineeships take place through the European Union’s Erasmus programme. The corresponding figure is 74% in incoming mobility.

The biggest host countries for outgoing Finnish students are Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden, while the biggest countries of origin of incoming students are Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

Asian countries are becoming increasingly important partners of student exchanges and internships. China, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan are already big target countries for Finnish students, and China and South Korea are major countries of origin for incoming students.