University of Eastern Finland
Itä-Suomen yliopisto
A two-campus Finnish university in Joensuu and Kuopio, strongest in health, forestry and environmental science.
- Students
- 17,600
- Tuition
- €10,000
- 2027-28
- Founded
- 2010
- QS World Ranking
- #626
- 2027 edition
About UEF
The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) began operating in January 2010, when the University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio merged. It has about 17,600 degree students and 3,500 staff on two campuses about two hours apart: Joensuu, close to the city centre in North Karelia, and Kuopio, on Lake Kallavesi in Savilahti bay. Its four faculties are the Philosophical Faculty; Science, Forestry and Technology; Health Sciences; and Social Sciences and Business Studies.
Most UEF degrees are taught in Finnish, but it offers a small set of English-taught bachelor's programmes for international students: Social Sciences, Sustainable Forest Bioeconomy, Human and Planetary Health, Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development, East Slavic Societies and Religion, Urban Sustainability Studies, and five-year bachelor's-plus-master's tracks in Information Technology and Data Engineering. Cohorts are small, typically 20 to 50 places per programme or campus.
All bachelor's applications go through Finland's national Studyinfo.fi portal in a two-week joint application window in January, and many programmes then use an entrance exam, video interview or SAT scores. UEF suits students who want a Nordic degree free of tuition (for EU/EEA citizens), small classes and a calm lakeland setting, and who are comfortable with long, cold winters.
Why students choose UEF
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens pay no tuition, and non-EU students pay 10,000 euros a year with a 30% Early Bird discount on the first year.
Information Technology and Data Engineering are five-year programmes that lead straight from the bachelor's into a master's without a second application.
Some programmes, such as Human and Planetary Health and Data Engineering, select applicants on SAT scores, so you can be admitted without travelling to an exam.
The Human and Planetary Health programme in Kuopio integrates Finnish language study into the English-taught curriculum to help graduates enter Finnish working life.
Admissions
Entry September 2027
Selectivity
UEF does not publish an overall acceptance rate. English-taught bachelor's programmes have small, fixed intakes (for example 30 places in Social Sciences, 20 plus 10 in Human and Planetary Health, 50 per campus in Information Technology) and admit the top-ranked applicants with no waiting list.
Typical entry requirements
| Upper secondary school certificate | A completed upper secondary qualification (or higher education degree) that makes you eligible for higher education in your home country; final-year students may apply and are selected in a second stage once they graduate. |
|---|---|
| IB, EB, DIA/Reifeprüfung or Finnish matriculation | Separate certificate-based admission groups in several programmes rank applicants by their diploma grades (e.g. 10 places in Human and Planetary Health and Data Engineering, up to 5 in Social Sciences). |
| SAT | Used as the main ranking tool for Human and Planetary Health (20 places) and, with a video, for Data Engineering (30 places); SAT scores and the video must reach UEF by 28 January 2027 for Data Engineering. No published minimum score. |
| English language | IELTS 6 IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each part. TOEFL iBT on the new scale: 4 overall and at least 3.5 in each part for tests on or after 21 January 2026 (78 overall on the old scale). Test results must be verifiable online and are valid for two years. A language test is not required if you are admitted on SAT scores in Human and Planetary Health. |
Deadlines
- Joint application, English-taught bachelor's (September 2027 intake) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~4 months21 January 2027, 3:00 pm Finnish time (UTC+2)
Application period 7 to 21 January 2027 on Studyinfo.fi (first joint national application round).
- Data Engineering: SAT scores and application video Non-binding In ~4 months28 January 2027
SAT results must reach UEF and the video must be submitted by this date; SAT-based results are announced by 31 May 2027.
UEF has published the 7 to 21 January 2027 application period for its English-taught bachelor's programmes. Economics and Business Administration programmes have an early application period in October, and joint programmes may have their own timelines.
How to apply
Apply through the national Studyinfo.fi portal during the joint application period: one form lets you apply to up to six programmes. Upload your school certificate (with official translations if not in English, Finnish or Swedish), proof of English and any programme-specific documents; you can add documents for up to seven days after the window closes. Non-EU/EEA applicants pay a national application fee of 100 euros. Shortlisted applicants are then invited to entrance exams or interviews, and results are announced in spring.
What admissions looks for
- Eligibility for higher education in your home country, shown by a completed upper secondary certificate.
- English at the required level (IELTS 6.0 or equivalent), since programmes are taught in English.
- Performance in the programme's own selection step: an entrance exam, an entrance exam course, a video or online interview, or SAT scores.
- For certificate-based routes, strong grades in the IB, EB, DIA/Reifeprüfung or Finnish matriculation examination.
Tips for applying to UEF
- 1 Put the dates in your calendar now: the application window is only two weeks, 7 to 21 January 2027, and closes at 3 pm Finnish time.
- 2 Take IELTS or TOEFL in time for the results to be verifiable online during the application period; UEF rejects applications below the minimum score.
- 3 If you are applying to Data Engineering or Human and Planetary Health, sit the SAT early and send scores directly so they arrive by the January deadline.
- 4 Non-EU students: accept your place and pay within the deadline in the admission letter (usually about 21 days) to get the 30% Early Bird discount on the first year.
- 5 Choose your campus city carefully: Joensuu and Kuopio are about two hours apart and commuting between them is not practical.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in EUR
UEF does not offer full tuition waivers or first-year scholarships. Non-EU students admitted in 2027 get a 30% Early Bird discount (3,000 euros on a 10,000 euro fee) if they accept and pay by the deadline in the admission letter. From the second year, students can earn a 30% tuition waiver for academic progress and Finnish Proficiency Tuition Waivers for Finnish language study.
- 30% (3,000 euros on a 10,000 euro fee)
- Early Bird discount, first year (2027 intake)
- Up to 30% for academic progress, plus Finnish proficiency waivers
- Waiver from year two
- 100 euros
- National application fee (non-EU/EEA)
- About 250 to 400 euros a month in Joensuu, 300 to 420 in Kuopio
- Student housing rent (shared flat)
Academics
Academic calendar: Academic year from late August/September; programmes start once a year
Bachelor's and Master's in Information Technology
Five-year programme on both campuses (50 places each), taught partly with Karelia University of Applied Sciences, aiming for graduates to be employed by Finnish ICT companies.
Bachelor's and Master's in Data Engineering
Five-year programme on both campuses that adds legal, ethical and economic knowledge to technical skills; admission partly on SAT scores.
Human and Planetary Health (BSc)
A three-year Kuopio programme from the health sciences faculty, with Finnish integrated into the curriculum.
Sustainable Forest Bioeconomy
A three-year Joensuu programme on the role of forests in the bioeconomy, from the university's forestry faculty.
Social Sciences
A three-year programme with 30 places, admitted mainly by entrance examination.
Urban Sustainability Studies
A joint bachelor's in social sciences that passed an external European quality review for joint programmes.
Research
- UEF runs the Sino-Finnish Environmental Research Centre with Nanjing University, opened in 2009 as the first unit of a Finnish university in China.
- In 2026 UEF opened negotiations with Kajaani, Karelia and Savonia Universities of Applied Sciences on forming an Eastern Finland University Group.
- The North Karelia Project, a public health programme begun in the 1970s by the University of Kuopio (a UEF predecessor) with Finland's National Public Health Institute and the WHO, made eastern Finland a centre for public health research.
Schools & faculties
- Philosophical Faculty
- Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
Student life
UEF students live in one of two mid-sized Finnish cities: Joensuu, where the campus is close to the city centre, and Kuopio, where the campus sits by Lake Kallavesi. Most students rent from non-profit student housing companies, Joensuun Elli in Joensuu and Kuopas in Kuopio, whose shared flats cost roughly 250 to 420 euros a month; flats are usually unfurnished and spread across the city. Winter cycling is common in both cities, summer brings long light evenings, and January and February often reach minus 20 degrees Celsius. Student union and Erasmus Student Network events, company visits and summer schools fill out the social calendar.
- Two campus cities: Joensuu in North Karelia and Kuopio in the Finnish Lakeland.
- Koli National Park is near Joensuu.
- Student union and Erasmus Student Network events for international students.
- Finnish language study is built into some English-taught programmes and rewarded with tuition waivers.
Housing. Student housing is run by non-profit companies (Joensuun Elli and Kuopas): shared flats cost about 250 to 400 euros a month in Joensuu and 300 to 420 euros in Kuopio, but places are limited.
Location
Joensuu, the regional capital of North Karelia, has about 79,000 people and sits in Finland's eastern interior; Kuopio, the regional capital of North Savo, has about 127,000 people and lies among lakes and forest in the Finnish Lakeland. The two cities are about 136 km apart. Both are small, safe and bike-friendly, with a strong outdoor culture and dark, snowy winters.
Nearest airport: Joensuu Airport (in Liperi) or Kuopio Airport, both with flights to Helsinki
Notable alumni
- KM Krista MikkonenGreen League politician and former Finnish government minister; Master of Philosophy from the University of Joensuu (a UEF predecessor), 2003
- KT Kimmo TiilikainenFinland's Minister of Agriculture and the Environment 2015 to 2019; MSc in Agriculture and Forestry from the University of Joensuu, 1991
- MK Miia KivipeltoNeuroscientist known for dementia-prevention research; studied medicine at the University of Kuopio (a UEF predecessor), MD 1999
- JT Jaakko TuomilehtoEpidemiologist in diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention; PhD in epidemiology from the University of Kuopio, 1975
- CK Chandan K. SenRegenerative medicine and wound care scientist; PhD in physiology from the Kuopio medical school, 1994
- KM Kenneth MatenguVice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia since 2018; PhD from the University of Eastern Finland
- FM Flower MsuyaTanzanian phycologist and seaweed farming specialist; MSc in fisheries and aquaculture from the University of Kuopio
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Eastern Finland offer bachelor's degrees in English?
Yes. UEF offers English-taught bachelor's programmes in Social Sciences, Sustainable Forest Bioeconomy, Human and Planetary Health, Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development, East Slavic Societies and Religion and Urban Sustainability Studies, plus five-year bachelor's-and-master's programmes in Information Technology and Data Engineering.
When is the UEF application deadline for 2027?
The joint application period for September 2027 runs from 7 to 21 January 2027 (closing at 3 pm Finnish time) on Studyinfo.fi. Data Engineering SAT scores and videos are due by 28 January 2027.
How much is tuition at the University of Eastern Finland?
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens pay no tuition. Non-EU students pay 10,000 euros a year for English-taught bachelor's programmes, with a 30% Early Bird discount on the first year for 2027 entrants who accept and pay on time.
Does UEF accept the SAT?
Yes, for some programmes. Human and Planetary Health admits 20 students on SAT scores, and Data Engineering admits 30 on SAT scores plus a video; other programmes use entrance exams or interviews.
What IELTS score do you need for UEF?
IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in every section, or the equivalent TOEFL iBT score. Results must be verifiable online during the application period.
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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