Universities remain the top choice for high school students

This post is currently available in Finnish. Please see the original post here.Interest in universities among high school students has grown over the past five years. At the same time, interest in studying at universities of applied sciences has been on the decline. The findings are revealed in the recent report When School Ends – The Future of Young People.

Universities remain a highly popular choice for further education. Currently, 79 percent of high school students are interested in university studies, while 39 percent are interested in universities of applied sciences. As recently as 2012, 53 percent of high school students were interested in universities of applied sciences and 75 percent in universities.

Interest in studying at universities of applied sciences varies significantly from region to region. Interest is highest in Häme, while interest in universities of applied sciences is lowest in Uusimaa, South Karelia, and Kymenlaakso.

– Challenges in education policy and tightening budgets appear to have worked in the universities’ favor. Application numbers for universities of applied sciences have remained at a good level, but many have been concerned about how the decline in interest will affect the motivation of incoming students, says Vesa Vilenius, executive producer and education communications expert at T-Media.

Interest in universities is higher than in universities of applied sciences even among middle school students, although the differences are not as pronounced as they are among high school students. Sixty percent of middle school students are interested in attending university in the future, while 52 percent of young people would like to study at a university of applied sciences.

– The reason for the decline in interest in universities of applied sciences seems to be that people are not sufficiently aware of the opportunities they offer. “It is surprising that the fields of study at universities of applied sciences are not considered interesting, even though they cover nearly the entire spectrum of disciplines,” reflects Reeta Sutinen, Research Manager at T-Media.

The "When School Ends" study also examined the awareness of and interest in universities and universities of applied sciences among high school students. Among universities, the University of Helsinki, the University of Turku, and Aalto University generate the most interest, with Aalto University also being the best-known of the universities.

Among universities of applied sciences, high school students are most familiar with Haaga-Helia. The most interesting universities of applied sciences are Tampere University of Applied Sciences, the Police University of Applied Sciences, and Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences.

Data for the “When School Ends” study was collected in late February and early March 2017. A total of over 7,700 young people responded to the survey, of whom 3,765 were middle school students and 3,946 were high school students. The survey was conducted by the research and communications company T-Media Oy on behalf of TAT.

CONTACT US

Executive Producer Vesa Vilenius
T-Media Oy
Tel. 050 560 8488
vesa.vilenius(a)t-media.fi

Communications Manager Mari Lehtonen
Economic Information Office TAT
Tel. 040 450 8307
mari.lehtonen(a)tat.fi

The Economic Information Agency (TAT) is a communications agency that serves as a bridge between businesses and the next generation of professionals. TAT also oversees Yrityskylä and the "Young Generations in Business" project.