Top Universities in Helsinki for International Students

Helsinki is the largest city in Finland and the metropolitan area is home to 1.4 million people. When you look at a map, Helsinki is in the northernmost corner of Europe, but it is an easy hub to reach with fast flight connections from East to West. No flight? No problem. Helsinki can be reached from St. Petersburg, Estonia, and Sweden via the Baltic Sea. In fact, the sea is one of the most defining elements of the city. 

The Helsinki Archipelago consists of over 300 mesmerizing islands. The rhythm of Helsinki is laid-back and the city is easily approachable, literally. The public transportation system is one of the best in the world – with that one beautiful metro line – and it is also easy to walk and bike everywhere. 

In addition to Helsinki, the capital region is made up of a hub of other interesting cities and sights to visit. These include the neighboring cities of Espoo and Vantaa, the historical town of Porvoo, the Järvenpää-Tuusula area (famous for its artistic heritage), as well as the ironwork villages west of Helsinki. There are six national parks less than two hours away from Helsinki and countless other natural sites to visit. 

Venture out to the forest, enjoy a concert, go to a festival, enjoy a Nordic dinner or try one of those iconic public saunas – it’s all here.

The students I met with reported feeling very safe in Helsinki.  I experienced the same.  It was dark much of the time I was there, and I never felt uncomfortable walking around by myself.  The students joked that a drunk person on the street is more likely to sing to you than harass you.  The drinking/singing combination is evidenced by the popularity of karaoke as well as sitz parties. Sitz parties sometimes include a seated meal but always include singing—and often even songbooks!  Then there are the coveralls...Each school in Finland is assigned a color for coveralls. Students wear them to parties and decorate their coveralls with the patches they get from different events (a bit like a girl scout sash).  I have to admit, I don't think it's the best look, but the students are super enthusiastic about this tradition.