Hanken School of Economics

About Hanken School of Economics

Hanken is an independent Finnish university specializing in economics and business administration. It was founded in 1909 and operates as a corporation under public law, placing it within Finland’s public university system. The institution has two campuses: Helsinki, Finland’s capital and largest business centre, and Vaasa, a smaller west-coast university city. The English-taught bachelor’s programme is offered in Helsinki; master’s and doctoral options may be tied to Helsinki or Vaasa, so applicants must verify the stated location before applying. The institution is deliberately narrower than a comprehensive university. Its teaching and research centre on areas such as accounting, commercial law, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, management, marketing, statistics, and supply-chain responsibility. Hanken holds EQUIS and AACSB institutional accreditations, while its Executive MBA is AMBA-accredited. These are business-school quality credentials rather than substitutes for checking the content and recognition of a particular degree. Official figures for 2025 list 2,776 bachelor’s and master’s students, 132 doctoral researchers, and students representing 75 nationalities in degree programmes. Hanken also reported 172 incoming exchange students and 262 students undertaking an exchange or internship abroad. These figures portray a specialized institution with significant international mobility, but they should not be confused with the much larger student-population value stored in the supplied database record.

Hanken uses degree- and route-specific admissions rather than one universal undergraduate standard. For the English Bachelor in Business, applicants need an upper-secondary qualification that grants higher-education eligibility, proof of English, and an aptitude-test result when required. The 2026 intake offered certificate-based and aptitude-test-based routes. The aptitude route accepted SAT, ACT, or ITB-Business, while certificate admission was limited to specified Finnish and international qualifications. Applicants must consult the rules for their own credential rather than relying on the database’s US-style GPA, SAT, or ACT averages. The 2026 bachelor’s application period ran from 7 to 21 January 2026, with attachments due 28 January. That cycle has concluded as of 20 August 2026 and should not be treated as the deadline for a later intake. Hanken had not yet published complete 2027 bachelor’s dates in the reviewed sources. For the 2026 English master’s main round, applicants needed an eligible bachelor’s or master’s degree, English proficiency, normally 25–30 ECTS of relevant prior study, the applicable GPA or GMAT/GRE evidence, and an English-language CV. Candidates could select at most two Hanken master’s programmes in the main round. Eligible files underwent programme-level academic assessment, and meeting minimum requirements did not guarantee admission because programmes had quotas. English can be demonstrated through several approved educational or testing routes; the reviewed official language page lists IELTS Academic 6.5 among accepted test options. Doctoral applicants follow separate programme requirements and deadlines.

Hanken offers Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Economics and Business Administration, alongside doctoral degrees in the same broad field. The English-taught Bachelor in Business is a full-time, on-campus programme in Helsinki comprising 180 ECTS over three years. Admission gives a study right within an integrated bachelor’s-and-master’s pathway, allowing graduates to proceed to Hanken master’s studies without a new application under the programme’s rules. Bachelor in Business students begin with shared foundations in business, economics, quantitative work, languages, and academic and professional skills. At the end of the first year, they choose from Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management and Entrepreneurship, or Marketing. The programme includes a bachelor’s thesis and an international component. Depending on the applicable rules and the student’s circumstances, this component may involve exchange studies or an internship, with specified alternatives available for some international students. Hanken’s master’s degrees normally comprise 120 ECTS and are designed for completion in two years. Direct applicants select a specific programme and campus; previous studies relevant to the chosen field are part of the admission assessment. At doctoral level, official subject areas include Accounting, Commercial Law, Economics, Finance, Management and Organisation, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management and Social Responsibility, although availability differs between Helsinki and Vaasa. Open University, cross-institutional studies, MOOCs, executive education, and other non-degree options are also available, but these should not be confused with admission to a degree programme.

Key Highlights

• Public specialized university founded in 1909
• Campuses in Helsinki and Vaasa
• Awards bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees
• Official 2025 figures list 2,776 bachelor’s and master’s students plus 132 doctoral researchers
• EQUIS and AACSB accredited; the Executive MBA holds AMBA accreditation

Student Life & Environment

Student life is organized around two urban campuses and a specialized business-school community. The Student Union of Hanken School of Economics represents students and runs its principal activities in Helsinki. In Vaasa, the local student association carries out corresponding functions. Activities include events, tutoring, committees, representation, and opportunities to participate in university decision-making. Membership also connects students with Finnish student benefits, including subsidized meals and eligible public-transport reductions. Hanken’s 2026–2027 exchange information states that the university has no on-campus accommodation. Students therefore apply through local student-housing providers or search the private market, and an admission offer does not itself secure housing. This is particularly important in Helsinki, where Hanken reports higher rents and living expenses than in Vaasa. Early applications to housing providers and a realistic private-market backup are prudent. International engagement is built into the academic experience. The English bachelor’s programme includes an international component, and official 2025 figures record both incoming exchange students and Hanken students completing exchanges or internships abroad. Career Services also supports internship searches and grants in defined circumstances. Everyday support described by Hanken includes student services, study counselling, library and IT services, accessibility guidance, orientation, and international mobility services. Available activities and practical arrangements differ between Helsinki and Vaasa.

Location & Surroundings

Hanken’s Helsinki campus is centred at Arkadiankatu 22 in the Etu-Töölö area, close to central Helsinki. The surrounding capital region offers access to businesses, public institutions, cultural venues, and a broad public-transport network of trams, buses, trains, metro services, and city bikes. Helsinki is the location of the English Bachelor in Business and many of Hanken’s academic departments and research centres. It also has the higher of Hanken’s two published student-living estimates. The Vaasa campus is located at Kirjastonkatu 16. Vaasa is a smaller bilingual city on Finland’s west coast with its own university community and generally lower estimated living costs. Programme and major availability is not identical across the two campuses. Applicants should therefore treat the campus named in the application as a substantive choice: Hanken’s 2026 master’s instructions state that students cannot simply change programme or location internally after accepting an offer. Finland’s climate brings dark, cold winters and long summer daylight, which may require adjustment for students arriving from warmer regions. Neither campus supplies on-campus housing, so commuting distance, local transport, and the timing of a housing application should be included in the enrolment decision.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For study rights beginning on or after 1 August 2024, Hanken lists annual tuition of €12,000 for English-taught bachelor’s study and €15,000 for English-taught master’s study. Fees generally apply to non-EU, non-EEA, and non-Swiss students in English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programmes, subject to statutory residence-permit exemptions. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens, doctoral students, exchange students, and students in Swedish-taught degree programmes do not pay these tuition fees. Applicants should obtain an individual fee determination rather than infer liability from nationality alone. Hanken’s current applicant information offers a 25% early-commitment reduction to eligible fee-paying bachelor’s and main-round master’s students who accept and pay within the stated period. Most admission-stage applicants receive no scholarship; a narrowly eligible GBSN award is the exception. Continuing fee-paying students may apply for a 25% performance-based waiver after completing the required annual credits. Tuition excludes housing, living expenses, Student Union membership, health-care charges, study materials, and immigration costs. Hanken estimates total monthly living expenses at approximately €950–€1,200 in Helsinki and €800–€1,000 in Vaasa. These are planning estimates, not guaranteed budgets. Career Services provides counselling, networking activities, JobTeaser vacancies, internship support, and access to additional international career resources. Bachelor’s students complete an international component that can include qualifying internship activity, while master’s students may include a voluntary credited internship. Hanken’s 2025 survey of 2020 master’s graduates reported that 99% had found employment within five years; this is a cohort-specific historical outcome, not a placement guarantee for current students.