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Studying in Kuopio

The Kuopio region provides versatile educational and study options for young people and adults. There are about 20 000 students studying in the region, which has almost 20 general upper secondary schools, vocational colleges, a university of applied sciences, a university, a summer university, the Emergency Services Academy Finland and the Conservatory. In addition, the Kuopio Region Sports Academy provides a chance to combine a professional career in sports and studying. The electric-assist Vilkku city bikes make it quick and inexpensive to travel from home to the campus and hobbies. Built over the next few years, the Savilahti campus with its three levels of education will be a unique learning environment, the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else in Finland. According to a study commissioned by Studentum in 2020, Kuopio is the 6th most popular student city in Finland.

BROWSE THE STUDY OPPORTUNITIES

University

The University of Eastern Finland is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland with its 13 fields of study and 100 major subjects. The university has 15 000 degree students, 17 700 adult education students and 2 700 employees. There are four faculties: the Philosophical Faculty, the Faculty of Science and Forestry, the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. Kuopio is also home to Snellman Summer University. Standing on the shores of the clear-watered Lake Kallavesi, Kuopio University Hospital, the University of Eastern Finland and the developing hub of competence in Savilahti come together to form an entity that provides a powerful platform for multidisciplinary cooperation and research, development and innovation activities.

University of Eastern Finland (UEF)
SnellmanEDU

UAS Education

One of the biggest and more versatile universities of applied sciences in Finland, Savonia serves almost 6 000 students in Iisalmi, Kuopio and Varkaus. It provides 40 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in six disciplines, the newest of which is the Degree Programme in Business Administration focusing on the wellness business. The profile of the educational institution is based on focus areas, namely, applied wellbeing technology, responsible food production, water safety and renewable engineering and energy industries. As an international institution, Savonia has foreign partner universities in more than 30 countries. In addition, Humak University of Applied Sciences has a campus in Kuopio where you can study to become, for instance, a community educator or a sign language interpreter.

Savonia UAS
Humak

Vocational Education and Training

With campuses in Kuopio, Iisalmi, Siilinjärvi and Varkaus, Savo Vocational College provides a place to study for roughly 18 000 students each year. The College is a pioneer in the environmentally friendly construction of educational institutions, as demonstrated by the fact that the campus in Iisalmi was the first educational institution in Finland to be awarded the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. The range of vocational study options is supplemented by the Portaanpää Christian Institute, which is also one of the biggest folk high schools in Finland. Palvelualan Opisto Kuopio (PAOK) provides education in household services with more than one hundred years of experience. In addition, basic studies in sign language at Pohjois-Savon opisto provide a good basis for interpreter studies at Humak. Kuopio is also home to Emergency Services Academy Finland, a unique educational establishment in Finland.

Savo Vocational College
Ylä-Savo Vocational College (YSAO)
Palvelualan Opisto Kuopio (PAOK) (in Finnish)
Pohjois-Savon opisto (PSKO)
Emergency Services Academy Finland

General Upper Secondary Schools

here are almost 20 general upper secondary schools (lukio) in the Kuopio region, including an upper secondary school for adults. In addition to traditional education, the general upper secondary schools also provide versatile specialized upper secondary school education. Lumit, Kuopio Senior High School of Arts specializes in music and dance, Kuopion klassillinen lukio has a sports programme and Kuopion Lyseon lukio also offers the option of the international IB Diploma Programme in addition to the traditional curriculum. All the general upper secondary schools in Kuopio provide the same upper secondary school syllabus and studies leading to a matriculation examination. In addition, there are many school-specific applied courses that can be chosen by students in any upper secondary school. Studies in general upper secondary school can also be combined with university or vocational studies, and it is also possible to pursue a double degree.

Kuopion klassillinen lukio
Lumit, Kuopio Senior High School of Arts
Kuopion Lyseo (in Finnish)
Kuopion aikuislukio (upper secondary school for adults)

Combining Sports and Studying

In Kuopio, athletes can build a double career from the upper level of comprehensive school all the way to when they enter working life. The Kuopio Region Academy of Sports involves two upper-level comprehensive schools, six upper secondary schools and two higher education institutions. It operates as part of the national Sports Academy programme and provides coaching in 11 different sports. Remote and online courses provided by each school make it easier to study during training camps and competition trips and, during, e.g., the competition season, the guidance counsellor of the school or the Executive Manager of the Academy of Sports help students plan their studies. The expert services provided in cooperation with coaching include health and medical services and sponsorship mentoring.

Kuopio Region Academy of Sports (in Finnish)

Education in Arts, Music and Culture

The options in the Kuopio region in terms of cultural education are extensive, covering all ages from early childhood to old age. Music education can begin already before school age in the music playschool of the Kuopio Conservatory, the biggest and most wide-ranging music and dance school in Finland. Among others, blues queen Erja Lyytinen studied at the school in the early years of her career. More education in the arts is provided by the Kuopio Unit of Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy, with facilities in the Kuopio Music Centre. The Unit educates professionals in music to work in churches in Finland. In addition to the above, education in culture is also provided by the vocational college IngmanEDU; Lumit, Kuopio Senior High School of Arts; and the multidisciplinary Savonia University of Applied Sciences.

IngmanEDU (in Finnish)
Lumit, Kuopio Senior High School of Arts
Savonia UAS
Kuopio Conservatory
Kuopio Unit of Uniarts Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy

Links and Tips

Student’s Kuopio
Student’s Iisalmi
Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY)
Student Union of the Savonia University of Applied Sciences (SAVOTTA)​
Student Union of Savo Vocational College (Salkku)
Kuopio Student Housing Company (Kuopas)
Student health care
Student recruitment
Studyinfo.fi
Studentum
SYKETTÄ
Po1nt.fi youth portal
Events