Åbo Akademi University
Åbo Akademi
Finland's Swedish-language university in Turku and Vaasa, with tuition-free bachelor's degrees taught in Swedish.
- Students
- 5,564
- Tuition
- Free
- 2027-28
- Founded
- 1918
- QS World Ranking
- #670
- 2027 edition
About ÅAU
Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) was founded by private donations in 1918 as Finland's third university, both to make Turku a university town again and to secure university education in Swedish. It became a public institution in 1981 and is Finland's only exclusively Swedish-language multi-faculty university. It has 5,564 students and campuses in Turku and Vaasa, and describes itself as the Nordic countries' gateway to Finland.
Since a 2025 reorganisation it has two faculties: Human and Social Sciences (business and economics, law, humanities, education in Vaasa, social sciences) and Science and Engineering (natural and health sciences, engineering and IT). All bachelor's programmes are taught in Swedish, and good Swedish is required before admission; the English-taught offer is at master's level, with programmes such as International Law and Human Rights, Information Technology and Sustainable Chemical and Process Engineering.
Bachelor's places are filled through Finland's national joint application on Studyinfo.fi, based on Finnish matriculation or international school-leaving grades (IB, EB, Reifeprüfung, DIA, Cambridge AICE) or an entrance exam. Applicants from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and the Faroes have their own admission route. ÅAU suits Swedish speakers who want a small, research-based university in a bilingual Finnish city.
Why students choose ÅAU
Swedish-taught bachelor's degrees carry no tuition fee for any nationality; Finnish tuition fees apply only to English-taught master's programmes for non-EU/EEA students.
A Nordic applicant route converts Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic and Faroese upper-secondary grades into Swedish merit values (up to 22.5 points).
Professional programmes taught in Swedish, including law, pharmacy, psychology, speech therapy (logopedi) and class-teacher education in Vaasa.
Joint research centres in Turku, such as the Turku PET Centre run with the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital.
Admissions
Autumn 2027 entry (spring 2027 joint application); selectivity figures from 2024-2025
Selectivity
ÅAU does not publish a bachelor's-only admit rate. Across all its bachelor's and master's admissions in 2024 (Vipunen data published by ÅAU), 8,654 applicants made 12,408 applications, 1,726 were offered a place (about 20%) and 1,338 accepted. In the spring 2025 joint application, ÅAU's Swedish-taught bachelor's-level programmes made about 990 offers against about 5,400 programme applications (one applicant can apply to several programmes). Selectivity varies widely by programme.
Typical entry requirements
| Finnish matriculation, IB, EB, Reifeprüfung, DIA, Cambridge AICE or equivalent foreign diploma | General university eligibility (about 12 years of schooling); programme-specific requirements vary |
|---|---|
| Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic or Faroese upper-secondary diploma | Separate Nordic admission: grades converted to Swedish merit value (max 22.5) and compared with each programme's cut-off |
| Swedish language | Formal proof of Swedish required for all bachelor's programmes, e.g. via the Finnish matriculation Swedish exams (grade depends on programme), Swedish-model eligibility for Nordic applicants, or ÅAU's language test |
| English language | Not applicable at bachelor's level: all bachelor's programmes are taught in Swedish, and applicants must prove Swedish proficiency. English requirements apply only to the English-taught master's programmes. |
Deadlines
- Separate admission for Nordic applicants (2026 dates, past) Non-binding Passed24 March 2026, 15:00 Finnish time
Ran from 10 to 24 March 2026; the 2027 window is expected to mirror the joint application. Law and Psychology are not included.
- Spring joint application (bachelor's level) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~6 months23 March 2027, 15:00 Finnish time
Opens 9 March 2027 at 08:00. Covers admission by matriculation grades and by entrance exam.
ÅAU has published the 2027 joint application dates (9–23 March 2027). The separate Nordic admission dates for 2027 were not yet shown; in 2026 it ran alongside the joint application.
How to apply
Apply through Finland's national joint application form on Studyinfo.fi (Studieinfo), ranking your programme choices, then upload enclosures. Nordic applicants use ÅAU's separate Nordic admission form (up to six choices). Applicants from outside the EU/EEA pay an application fee, introduced on 1 January 2025.
What admissions looks for
- General university eligibility plus any programme-specific subject requirements.
- Formal proof of good Swedish, with higher grade thresholds for programmes such as law, pharmacy, psychology and teacher education.
- Strong school-leaving grades, or a strong entrance exam result.
- For Nordic applicants, a merit value above each programme's threshold.
Tips for applying to ÅAU
- 1 Check the Swedish language requirement for your programme first: without formal proof you cannot be admitted.
- 2 Use the Nordic admission route if you have a Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic or Faroese diploma; it gives points for grades other routes may not.
- 3 If you are a Nordic applicant aiming for law or psychology, prepare for the entrance exam: those programmes are not in the separate Nordic admission.
- 4 Some places are reserved for first-time applicants, so applying for your first Finnish study place can help.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in EUR
Bachelor's studies in Swedish are tuition-free. For fee-paying English-taught master's programmes, ÅAU runs a tuition-fee scholarship programme with two scholarship categories for the 2027 intake, and exemptions apply to EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and holders of certain Finnish residence permits.
- 12,000 euros per year
- Tuition fee, English-taught master's (non-EU/EEA, 2027)
- 1,726 of 8,654
- Applicants offered a place (2024, all bachelor's and master's admissions)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (autumn and spring)
Law (Utbildningsprogrammet i juridik)
A Swedish-language law degree in Turku, filled through the national joint application.
Pharmacy (Kandidatprogrammet i farmaci)
A Swedish-taught pharmacy bachelor's with a higher Swedish grade requirement for Finnish matriculation applicants.
Psychology (Utbildningsprogrammet i psykologi)
Swedish-taught psychology; Nordic applicants can only enter via the joint application and entrance exam.
Class-teacher education (Vasa)
Taught at the Vaasa campus, whose Vasa övningsskola serves as the teacher-training school.
Economics (Utbildningsprogrammet i ekonomi, Åbo)
Business and economics degree in Turku within the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences.
Research
- Joint operator, with the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, of the Turku PET Centre.
- Home to the Donner Institute for Research in Religious and Cultural History and the Institute for Human Rights.
- Turnover of 118 million euros in 2024, including 54 million in external funding, and about 1,379 publications a year.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Human and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
Student life
ÅAU's main campus sits around the cathedral square in central Turku, where the university says one in four residents is linked to a university as a student or staff member; in Vaasa, one in five residents is a university student. Although Turku is bilingual, ÅAU gives students a strongly Swedish-speaking environment, and most graduates leave functionally bilingual in Swedish and Finnish. Small programme sizes mean professors are easy to reach.
- Main building on Tuomiokirkontori (Cathedral Square) in Turku.
- Second campus in Vaasa, focused on education and teacher training.
- A strongly Swedish-speaking environment inside a bilingual city.
- Options to combine elite sport with flexible studies.
Location
Turku (Åbo in Swedish) is a bilingual Finnish-Swedish university town on Finland's south-west coast, where the university says one in four people is a student or university employee. ÅAU's main building stands on the cathedral square (Tuomiokirkontori) in the centre. Vaasa, home of the second campus, is a university city where one in five residents is a student.
Nearest airport: Turku Airport (TKU)
Notable alumni
- UL Ulla-Lena LundbergFinland-Swedish novelist; master's degree from ÅAU (1985)
- SW Stefan WallinFormer Finnish Minister of Defence and Minister of Culture; master's in social sciences
- JV John VikströmArchbishop of Turku and Finland (1982–1998); licentiate and doctorate in theology from ÅAU
- RT Ralf TörngrenLeader of the Swedish People's Party (1945–1955) and member of the Finnish parliament; BA and MA from ÅAU
- LT Leo TörnqvistOne of Finland's first professors of statistics; studied mathematics, physics and chemistry at ÅAU
- US Ulf SöderblomPrincipal conductor of the Finnish National Opera (1973–1993); studied at ÅAU 1950–1952
- BB Baiba BražeLatvian diplomat and Minister of Foreign Affairs (appointed 2024); studied international protection of human rights at ÅAU in 1995 (non-degree)
Frequently asked questions
Can I study a bachelor's at Åbo Akademi in English?
No. All bachelor's programmes at Åbo Akademi are taught in Swedish, and you must prove good Swedish before admission. English-taught programmes are offered at master's level.
Does Åbo Akademi charge tuition fees for non-EU students?
Not for Swedish-taught bachelor's programmes. Tuition fees apply only to English-taught programmes; for 2027 ÅAU's English-taught master's cost 12,000 euros a year for non-EU/EEA students. Non-EU/EEA applicants do pay an application fee.
When is the Åbo Akademi application deadline for 2027?
The spring 2027 joint application runs from 9 March 2027 at 08:00 to 23 March 2027 at 15:00 Finnish time, via Studyinfo.fi.
How hard is it to get into Åbo Akademi?
ÅAU does not publish a bachelor's-only admission rate. Across all its bachelor's and master's admissions in 2024, 1,726 of 8,654 applicants (about 20%) were offered a place, and selectivity varies a lot by programme.
Can Swedish students apply to Åbo Akademi?
Yes. Applicants with an upper-secondary diploma from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland or the Faroes can use ÅAU's separate Nordic admission, where grades are converted to Swedish merit values (max 22.5).
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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