International applications to Finnish universities of applied sciences plunge

Applications from international students to Finnish universities of applied sciences have fallen from more than 60,000 a couple of years ago to just over 12,000 this year, Yle reports. A difficult employment situation in Finland is seen as the main reason, while a new application fee has also reduced interest.

Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences received only about 1,200 international applications this year, compared with around 25,000 in its peak year of 2023.

About 1,000 international students applied to Centria University of Applied Sciences, which is headquartered in Kokkola. During the strongest surge in 2023, Centria received more than 13,000 applications from abroad.

Tapio Huttula, Centria’s rector and chief executive, said work and internship opportunities were particularly important to students arriving from poorer circumstances in South Asia.

“They need jobs to survive,” Huttula said. “The whole family may have invested in this student, and the idea is that they must also be able to earn enough here to support themselves.”

An application fee of 100 euros for higher education studies from outside the European Union and European Economic Area came into force in 2025. The fee was intended to reduce applications from people who lacked the ability to study in Finland, and Huttula said it had had an effect.

Finnish institutions compete globally for students, alongside countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, where education exports are a business. Finnish universities of applied sciences have previously attracted applicants especially from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, India and China.

South Asian countries have now begun discussing whether they should prevent more highly educated people from leaving, according to Huttula.

The fall in applications could create financial difficulties for educational institutions. However, Huttula said it could also mean that the students who arrive are more likely to complete their degrees.

Centria has deliberately reduced the share of international students from 21 percent to about 15 percent of its student body.

At the same time, the need for international expertise is expected to grow in the Ostrobothnian regions, where several industrial investments are being planned. An aluminium plant costing billions is planned for Kokkola under the name Arctialia.

As the industrial investments move forward, companies will quickly ask where they can find skilled workers, Huttula said. With few people from southern Finland likely to move north for work or study, he said Centria must retain the ability to train international professionals.

Students from outside the EU and EEA have paid tuition fees at Finnish higher education institutions for nearly a decade. At Centria, the fee is about 10,000 euros. A full-cost recovery system is due to take effect soon, requiring tuition fees to cover all costs that teaching creates for the institution.

Centria has a long history of international cooperation and last year marked 30 years of collaboration with Shanghai University.