Humanities, Education, Medicine, Science, Law, Social Sciences, Turku School of Economics, Technology
The University of Turku, in Finnish Turun yliopisto, was founded on 28 February 1920. It is located in Turku, in southwestern Finland, on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The city is the oldest city of Finland and was the capital of the country in the past, and it hosts two universities. The coordinates of the main campus are 60 degrees 27 minutes north and 22 degrees 17 minutes east.
The university counts 21,900 students: 9,095 undergraduates, 6,481 postgraduates and 2,033 doctoral students. The categories do not sum exactly to the total, which suggests that some groups are not included. The record gives 3,412 administrative staff. It does not state a share of international students, so applicants should look at the official pages for the latest data.
Eight faculties organise the teaching. They are Humanities, Education, Medicine, Science, Law, Social Sciences, the Turku School of Economics, and Technology. This is the full range of a comprehensive university, with a medical faculty linked to the university hospital of the city.
The list of alumni is dominated by Finnish public life. Mauno Koivisto, the ninth President of Finland, and Sauli Niinistö, the twelfth President, studied there. Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister of Finland, and Riikka Purra, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, are also alumni. The mathematician Kaisa Matomäki, winner of the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize, belongs to the list as well.
For an international applicant, Finland offers a distinct student life: student organisations, cheap housing in student foundations, and a strong culture of research. Teaching in the bachelor programmes is often in Finnish, and many master programmes are taught in English. Check the official pages for the language of each programme and the admission rules. Tuition for EU citizens is low or free. Check the current tariff.
The setting of Turku adds to the appeal. The city sits at the mouth of the river Aura, with an archipelago nearby, and the university works with the other higher education institutions of the city. Students can find housing through student foundations, and cultural life revolves around events organised by the student unions. Applicants should read the official pages for the dates of the joint application and the entrance exams.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Life Sciences, Marine Science, Mathematics, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Eight faculties in Turku, southwestern Finland.
Research:
Medicine, science, technology, humanities, social sciences, law and economics.
Famous Alumnis:
Mauno Koivisto, Sauli Niinistö, Petteri Orpo, Riikka Purra, Kaisa Matomäki
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3412
Current students***:
21900
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Eight faculties, 21,900 students, university in the former capital of Finland, wide range of research.
Cons
Winters are dark and cold, teaching mainly in Finnish for many programmes, Turku is smaller than Helsinki.
Best For
Students seeking a comprehensive research university in southwestern Finland.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
The comparison with University of Helsinki is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on chemistry, ecology and sustainability and physics, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
For students who like the chemistry, ecology and sustainability and physics focus of this university but want another option nearby, University of Oulu fits well: it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Also strong in ecology and sustainability and software engineering, Tampere University of Applied Sciences makes a sensible second look at home; it covers industrial design and civil engineering as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 10,000 students against roughly 21,900 here.
The comparison with Turku University of Applied Sciences is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on life sciences and software engineering, and it is also a public institution and also offers mba programmes.
LUT University works in much the same fields, chiefly chemistry, ecology and sustainability and data analytics, and it is far smaller, with about 6,500 students against roughly 21,900 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
If this university is on your list for chemistry, ecology and sustainability and physics, Yunnan University in China deserves a comparison, because it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and is slightly larger, at about 31,141 students against roughly 21,900 here.
In Hungary, University of Szeged teaches much the same core subjects, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Masaryk University, based in the Czech Republic, is built around chemistry, physics and mathematics much like this institution, and it is larger, enrolling about 35,115 students against roughly 21,900 here, and is also a public institution.
If this university is on your list for chemistry, physics and mathematics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany deserves a comparison, because it is slightly larger, at about 32,000 students against roughly 21,900 here, and is also a public institution.
University of Regensburg (Germany) works on the same fields as this institution, chiefly chemistry, physics and mathematics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
*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 the University of Turku?
In Turku, in southwestern Finland.
When was it founded?
On 28 February 1920.
How many students does it have?
21,900.
How many doctoral students does it have?
2,033.
How many faculties does it have?
Eight.
Does it have a school of economics?
Yes, the Turku School of Economics.
Which presidents of Finland studied there?
Mauno Koivisto and Sauli Niinistö.
Which current prime minister is an alumnus?
Petteri Orpo.
How many administrative staff does it have?
3,412.
What does it cost?
Tuition for EU citizens is low or free. Check the current tariff.
Biology, Chemistry, Innovation, Physics, Research and Development
*: 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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