Universities promote research and scientific learning

The mission of universities is to promote free research, promote scientific and artistic education, provide higher education based on research, and educate students to serve their country and humanity in general.

Finnish universities traditionally enjoy significant autonomy. Thanks to the reformed Finnish Universities Act universities gained an independent legal status as corporations subject to public law or foundations subject to private law. This increased the autonomy of the universities further and gave them more latitude in the management of their finances.

Universities confer Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, and post-graduate Licentiate and Doctoral degrees. For those who wish to study in English, Finnish universities provide close to 200 Master’s degree programmes, and 23 special Doctoral programmes.

There are 16 universities operating under the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture:

• Aalto University
• Åbo Akademi University
• Academy of Fine Arts
• Hanken School of Economics
• Lappeenranta University of Technology
• Sibelius Academy
• Tampere University of Technology
• Theatre Academy Helsinki
  
• University of Helsinki
• University of Eastern Finland
• University of Jyväskylä
• University of Lapland
• University of Oulu
• University of Tampere
• University of Turku
• University of Vaasa