QS Best Student Cities ranking: 56th
Home to two universities ranked among the world’s top 150, Finland’s harbor-based capital city is known for its attractive architecture, high quality of life, and for managing to be both laid-back and forward-looking at the same time.
It’s no surprise to see Helsinki getting a particularly high score in the desirability indicator of the QS Best Student Cities ranking. It’s also one of the world’s cleanest capitals according to Numbeo’s Pollution Index.
Given the Nordic region’s reputation for high living costs, it may be more surprising to find that Helsinki also scores relatively well for affordability. This is largely due to the fact that in Finland higher education is currently free, although non-EU/EEA students must now pay a minimum of 1,500 euros (~US$1,600) a year.
Would Helsinki get your vote? Tell us why.
Internationally ranked universities in Helsinki
More about Helsinki
Number of universities ranked by QS |
2 |
Highest-ranked institution |
University of Helsinki (107th) |
Population |
1,495,000 |
Average international fees (at ranked unis) |
US$0 |
Desirability rank |
20th |
Employer Activity rank |
69th |
Affordability rank |
61st |
Student View rank |
85th |
To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.