Education in Helsinki – tips for newcomers

Public education is free for all permanent residents.

Image: Jussi Hellsten

On this site

Daycare in Helsinki
Schools for children in Helsinki
Schools for teens in Helsinki
Universities and adult education

Daycare and schools in Helsinki are among the best in the world

Finland believes strongly in high-quality education from a young age. The country has been ranked highly in many international student assessments.

PISA 2022: Finland

School journey timeline

  1. Age 0-5, Early childhood education (varhaiskasvatus)

    • Childcare at a public or private daycare centre, family daycare or group family daycare. See our Daycare in Helsinki section for more information on services for children aged five and under.
    • Also known as a preschool, playschool, preK or nursery in other languages.

  2. Age 6, Pre-primary education (esiopetus)

    • A compulsory year of schooling for children who turn six in that year. The half-day of instruction focuses on preparing the children for primary school. Pre-primary education normally takes place in a daycare centre or primary school.
    • Roughly equivalent to US kindergarten or UK reception.  

  3. Age 7-12, Primary school (alakoulu, ala-aste)

    • Grades 1-6 of basic education. The school days are very short during grades 1 and 2. Many children attend guided after-school activities after school during these first two years.
    • See our Schools for children section for more information on education for children aged seven to fifteen.
    • Roughly equivalent to US elementary school or UK grammar school.    

  4. Age 13-15, Lower secondary school (yläkoulu or yläaste)

    • Grades 7-9 of basic education. In some neighbourhoods, primary and lower secondary schools are in the same building, while in others they are separate.
    • Roughly equivalent to US middle school.    

  5. Age 16-19, Upper secondary education (lukio or amis)

    • In the year they turn 16, students choose to continue their studies in one of Finland’s high school-level study paths: general upper secondary school (lukio) or vocational school (ammattikoulu or, more familiarly, amis).
    • For a better explanation, see our Schools for teens section.  

  6. Age 19- , Higher education (yliopisto or ammattikorkeakoulu)

    • Once young adults finish lukio or amis, they can apply to study in a university (yliopisto) or a university of applied sciences with a vocational emphasis (ammattikorkeakoulu).
    • For a better explanation, see our Universities and adult education section.