The National Defense University's reputation reached record heights

The National Defence University, which ranked first in Reputation and Trust Analytics’ “Universities’ Reputation&Trust survey, achieved a record-breaking result. Hanken, meanwhile, was the biggest climber in this year’s rankings.

As was the case last year, the National Defence University, which was rated as Finland’s most reputable institution, received a reputation score of 3.82 in the Universities Reputation&Trust survey. Reputation&Trust five-point Reputation&Trust, an organization’s reputation is considered good if its reputation score falls between 3.50 and 3.99.

“The National Defence University is by far the most reputable university this year, with the highest score in its history,” saysNina Laakso, Senior Advisor at Reputation and Trust Analytics.

“The current state of the world is reflected in the results. Among the National Defence University’s reputation categories, the greatest improvement was in innovation, by 0.12 points; this year’s score is 3.72. This partly reflects the fact that, in the eyes of Finns, the National Defence University has been able to meet people’s expectations by being adaptable and agile. The rating for leadership is also very strong, at 4.08, which reflects the public’s confidence in the leadership of the National Defence University and the state of military leadership training. “This is of paramount importance at this moment,” Laakso continues.

The University of Jyväskylä and Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) share second place in the rankings. Both the University of Jyväskylä and Aalto University, which rose to fourth place, have managed to improve their standing by 0.08 points.

Of all 14 universities surveyed, Hanken saw the largest increase in reputation this year, with its reputation score rising by 0.11 points. Hanken also saw the largest improvements in the study in the areas of responsibility (+0.22 points), administration (+0.20 points), innovation (+0.17 points), and leadership (+0.15 points).

The reputation of all Finnish universities remains strong – slight decline in the sector’s overall reputation

All of the Finnish universities surveyed have a good reputation, and changes in their reputation are relatively minor.

The industry’s overall reputation has declined slightly since last year, when it reached its highest level in the history of the survey. The most significant declines in specific areas of reputation were seen in products and services, management, and corporate responsibility (0.08–0.06 points).

“The changes aren’t major, but they do give pause for thought, as these areas have the greatest overall impact on the stakeholder support universities receive,” saysPetteri Puska, lead researcher at Reputation and Trust Analytics.

Support for stakeholders in the sector has shown a downward trend this year. The willingness to support the sector during the crisis has seen the sharpest decline, falling by 0.19 points. Meanwhile, trust in universities has fallen below 4.00 for the first time in the history of the survey, dropping from an “excellent” level to a “good” level.

“These changes may be unfortunate reflections of a broader polarization, in which research findings and experts are increasingly being questioned if their message does not align with one’s own worldview. However, it is reassuring that Finns’ trust in the university system remains strong, at 3.96,” Puska notes.

This is how we conducted the study

The aim of Reputation&Trust survey of universities was to assess the reputation of Finnish universities among the general public. Data for the survey was collected via an online questionnaire between February 11 and February 25, 2026.

Organizations were evaluated using Reputation and Trust Analytics’ Reputation&Trust, in which an organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different sub-areas. These areas are corporate governance, finance, leadership, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale
(1–5).

A total of 2,314 Finns participated in the study. The study’s target group consisted of Finns aged 15–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands). The sample was weighted to be representative of the population by gender, age, and region of residence.

The margin of error for the entire dataset is at most approximately 2.04 percentage points in either direction.

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For more information:

Nina Laakso, Reputation and Trust Analytics, Senior Advisor, +358 400 808 940, nina.laakso@reptrust.com

Petteri Puska, Reputation and Trust Analytics, Senior Researcher, +358 41 435 8521, petteri.puska@reptrust.com