Engineering, Information and Computer Science, Materials Science
Formed in 2010 by merging the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics, and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. Aalto is a public research university with a strong focus on the intersection of technology, science, art, and business, located in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Aalto University was created in 2010 by merging three institutions: the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. The name honours the architect and designer Alvar Aalto, and his main building of 1964 stands on the Otaniemi campus in Espoo, next to a metro station that links it to central Helsinki in about 15 minutes. The university has about 12,000 students and 4,000 staff, and around one in five students comes from abroad.
The mix of engineering, business and design was a deliberate bet on creativity and enterprise. Students from different schools work together on projects, and the university has been strongly involved in start-up activity. The student-run Aalto Entrepreneurship Society started the Slush event in 2008, which has grown into one of the largest start-up conferences in Europe, and the Startup Sauna accelerator, begun in 2010, helped to launch dozens of companies.
Engineering, information and computer science, materials science, architecture and design are the main fields, and the university does well in chemistry, electronics, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. Aalto works with Nokia, Kone and other companies on applied research. The campus has a cleanroom and a micro- and nanofabrication centre used also by industry.
Tuition is free for EU and EEA students. Non-EU students pay fees in most English-taught degree programmes, and Aalto awards scholarships to some of them. Most master’s programmes are in English. Admissions are competitive, and bachelor applicants take part in entrance exams or submit portfolios, depending on the school.
Otaniemi is a green campus area with student housing, saunas and sports facilities, and the surrounding technology park hosts many research units. About 50,000 people have graduated from Aalto and its predecessors, including many founders of Finnish technology and gaming companies.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Materials, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Holds strategic partnerships with major Finnish companies and is a member of several prestigious international networks, including CLUSTER and the Nordic Five Tech (N5T) alliance.
Research:
Research is focused on six key areas: ICT and digitalisation, Materials and sustainable use of natural resources, Global business dynamics, Art and design knowledge building, Advanced energy solutions, and Human-centered living environments.
Famous Alumnis:
Linus Torvalds, Risto Siilasmaa, Jorma Ollila
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4000
Current students***:
12000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
50000
Pros
Highly ranked internationally, interdisciplinary approach, strong ties to industry and a vibrant startup ecosystem, tuition-free for EU/EEA students.
Cons
Highly competitive admission, finding housing in the Helsinki area can be challenging and expensive.
Best For
Students seeking a world-class, interdisciplinary, and entrepreneurial education in technology and science.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of physics, materials and AI and machine learning can consider University of Oulu, and it has almost the same size, at about 13,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Tampere University works in much the same fields, chiefly materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Think of University of Helsinki when physics and AI and machine learning is the priority: it is larger, enrolling about 31,000 students against roughly 12,000 here, and is also a public institution.
On content, LUT University and this institution are close, as both teach electrical and electronics and software engineering; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
University of Turku overlaps with this university on physics and software engineering, so the two are easy to compare, and it covers marine science and chemistry as well, and is larger, enrolling about 21,900 students against roughly 12,000 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Tomsk Polytechnic University offers an international parallel to this university, with nanotechnologies, physics and electrical and electronics as common ground; it covers chemistry as well, and has almost the same size, at about 12,000 students.
Beyond national borders, National Research Nuclear University stands out as a comparable school for nanotechnologies, physics and materials; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Looking internationally, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in India is where nanotechnologies, materials and AI and machine learning get a comparable treatment; it also offers mba programmes and covers bioengineering and robotics as well.
National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan is the nearest foreign match on nanotechnologies, physics and electrical and electronics; it covers chemistry and life sciences as well, and is larger, enrolling about 18,125 students against roughly 12,000 here.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Jadavpur University in India, where physics, electrical and electronics and AI and machine learning also form the core, and it covers chemistry and mechanical engineering as well, and has almost the same size, at about 12,000 students.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Aalto University?
The main campus is Otaniemi in Espoo, at Otakaari 1, about 15 minutes from central Helsinki by metro.
How large is Aalto?
About 12,000 students and 4,000 staff, with around 20 percent of students from abroad.
How was Aalto created?
In 2010, from the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
Why is it called Aalto?
It is named after Alvar Aalto, the Finnish architect and designer, whose main building of 1964 stands on the campus.
What is Aalto known for?
Engineering, computer science, materials science, architecture, design and entrepreneurship.
What is Slush?
It is a start-up conference that began in 2008 as a student event at Aalto and became one of the largest in Europe.
Is tuition free?
Yes for students from the EU and EEA. Non-EU students pay fees in most English-taught degree programmes.
In which language are courses taught?
Most master's programmes are in English. Bachelor programmes are taught in Finnish and Swedish, with some in English.
Is admission competitive?
Yes. Some schools use entrance exams or portfolios in addition to grades.
What facilities does the campus have?
Cleanrooms, a micro- and nanofabrication centre, student housing and sports facilities, plus a technology park around Otaniemi.
Design Thinking, Engineering, Human-Centered Design, Information Technology (IT), Innovation, Materials, Research and Development, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Practices
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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