International students cite costs and jobs as Finland loses appeal

International students told Yle that application fees, high tuition costs, difficult visa procedures and weak job prospects may be contributing to the sharp decline in applications to Finnish higher education institutions.

Yle reported on Tuesday that the number of international applicants to universities of applied sciences has fallen dramatically from a few years ago. Students interviewed in Lappeenranta said they believed at least three factors were behind the change.

Rahaleh Sharifi, an Iranian doctoral student in energy technology at LUT University, pointed to Finland’s application fee.

“Applying is not very difficult, but it has become chargeable. Perhaps the application fee makes some people consider whether it is worth applying,” Sharifi said.

Finland introduced a 100-euro application fee in 2025 for applicants from outside the European Union and European Economic Area.

Sharifi also said tuition fees and the employment situation in Finland could affect interest among applicants.

“I have often heard that it is not easy to find work here. Perhaps some people would rather apply elsewhere,” Sharifi said.

Tanim Mahtab, a Bangladeshi student studying emergency care at LAB University of Applied Sciences, said the cost of studying and the difficulty of the visa process could be discouraging applicants from Bangladesh.

“I cannot say what the process is like in other countries, but in my country it has become more difficult. You have to go to India,” Mahtab said.

Universities focus on students who begin their studies

Mari-Anna Suurmunne, vice-rector of LAB University of Applied Sciences, cited the same factors as the students. She said the number of international applicants has fallen at both LAB and LUT University.

Most international students come to Finland from Asian countries, Suurmunne said, and the decline is particularly due to fewer applications from those countries. At the same time, the number of European applicants has increased at both institutions.

For the universities, the key question is whether study places are filled by capable students.

“Applicant numbers are reflected in that, but the effects would need to be analysed more closely by programme. We are not quite able to do that yet,” Suurmunne said.

The figures show that the number of international applicants to LAB peaked in 2023, while first-choice applicants peaked in 2024. At LUT, 2024 was a clear peak year.

More precise information on how many students who accepted a study place will begin their studies will be available at the end of September. The proportion of applicants selected has risen to just over 40 per cent at LAB and to 60 per cent at LUT.