We are currently developing the documentation of statistics. At the moment, the content is not necessarily up-to-date in all respects.
University education: documentation of statistics
The documentation of the statistics describes how the statistics were compiled and what methods were used in the compilation. The data help interpret the figures of the statistics and evaluate their reliability and comparability. The quality report is based on the EU's SIMS model. The documentation also contains change releases describing changes in the statistics and possible specifying methodological descriptions.
If you are looking for statistical figures for these statistics, go to the statistics page: University education
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
The statistics have been discontinued. The statistics on university education contain data on new students, students and attained degrees in university education leading to a degree. The data on students concerning 2002 describe the situation on 20 September, whereas those concerning earlier years relate to the situation on 31 December, so the data for 2002 are not fully comparable with those for earlier years. The data on degrees relate to the whole calendar year. In accordance with the Statistics Act, the personal data from which these statistics are compiled are confidential. As a rule, the statistics produced from them are public.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
Base period (SIMS 3.9)
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
Reference period (SIMS 5)
Classifications (SIMS 3.2)
Concepts and definitions (SIMS 3.4)
Education
An organised activity, the aim of which is to produce competence based on teaching. Comment: Education can be divided into education and training leading to a qualification or degree and non-qualification studies.
Educational institution
An educational institution refers to an administrative unit with a principal or other head, which has teachers and other personnel in its service (role of employers), and which is liable to keep books and compile other documentation, in which students are registered, whose activities are regulated by a legal act or decree, which follows a national curriculum, and which is financed and controlled by a public authority. An educational institution does not refer to a school building or facility. A new educational institution is established, an educational institution is abolished or merged with another educational institution at the decision of the organiser of education (maintainer of the educational institution) or a public authority. Statistics Finland has assigned an individualised educational institution ID to each educational institution. Educational institutions are classified according to a classification of types of educational institutions.
Foreign student
In the statistics on students and qualifications of educational institution, university of applied sciences education and university education foreign students refer to persons registered in educational institutions on 20 September of the statistical reference year as students of education leading to a qualification or degree whose nationality is not Finnish. In addition, students without information about nationality are counted as foreign students. Up to 2001, data on foreign students in university education describe the situation on 31 December and include attainers of a degree in autumn.
Full-time and part-time student
In the statistics on university and tertiary education, the statistical definition of full-time and part-time students is based on the number of completed credits. The data on numbers of completed credits derive from data collected by Statistics Finland on credits completed in the previous year. The data on credits are collected from all universities and university of applied sciences. Students having completed 30 or more credits during the academic year are classified s full-time students while students having completed fewer than 30 credits are classified as part-time students. All students having registered as absent are classified as part-time students. First-year students do not yet have data on credits, so they are regarded as full-time students in the academic year concerned. Due to the nature of studies, data on the credits of students completing higher university degrees (licentiate, doctorate, medical specialist, veterinary specialist, dental specialist and students completing further university og applied sciences degrees) are not descriptive of full-timeness of studies. In computerised calculation of numbers of full-time and part-time students, all students studying for higher tertiary degrees are classified as part-time students.
New student
From 2012 onwards, new students in the statistics on university education refer to students having started studies leading to the current university degree at the university concerned and studying on 20 September. Previously, new students referred to students that had enrolled at the university concerned for the first time to study for a lower or upper university degree in any field of education and studying on 20 September. Up to 2001, a new student in university education was one who had started studies at the university concerned during the calendar year.
Part-time student
In the statistics on university and university of applied sciences education, the statistical definition of tertiary full-time and part-time studying is based on the number of completed credits. The data on numbers of completed credits derive from data collected by Statistics Finland on credits completed in the previous year. The data on credits are collected from all universities and university of applied sciences. Students having completed 20 or more credits during the academic year are classified s full-time students while students having completed fewer than 20 credits are classified as part-time students. All students having registered as absent are classified as part-time students. First-year students do not yet have credits, so they are regarded as full-time students in the academic year concerned. Due to the nature of studies, data on the credits of students completing higher university degrees (licentiate, doctorate, medical specialist, veterinary specialist, dental specialist and students completing further university of applied sciences degrees) are not descriptive of full-timeness of studies. In computerised calculation of numbers of full-time and part-time students, all students studying for higher tertiary degrees are classified as part-time students.
Programme leading to a qualification or degree; formal education
Programme leading to a qualification or degree refers to education comprising the comprehensive education syllabus, the general upper secondary education syllabus, the matriculation examination, the international diplomas, the Gymnasieexamen diploma, or education and training leading to an initial vocational qualification, a further vocational qualification, a specialist vocational qualification, a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, a licentiate, a doctoral degree, or a specialist degree in veterinary medicine.
Qualification or degree
An accomplishment in accordance with the requirements laid down by the education authority subject to an administrative decision.
Qualification/Degree
In the statistics on university education data on degrees describe the full calendar year (1 January - 31 December). Degrees attained in universities comprise lower and upper university degrees, licentiate degree, doctorate degree, and specialist's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine. Completions of separate studies for special education teacher and study counsellor are also regarded as lower university degrees.
Student
In the statistics on university education, students refer to the students attending education leading to a degree. Students attending education leading to a degree comprise students studying for lower and upper tertiary degrees, licentiate degrees, doctorate degrees and vocational further degrees. Since statistical reference year 1993, students studying separate educational science subjects for a subject teacher's qualification have been included in statistics on education not leading to a degree. As of 2002, data on students describe the situation of 20 September and include students having enrolled at universities during the autumn term. Up to 2001, the data on students described the situation on 31 December.
University
In the statistics on university education universities refer to educational institutions belonging to type 42 of educational institutions. Lower (bachelor's) and higher (master's) level university degrees can be attained in universities, as well as further academic degrees, e.g. licentiate's or doctor's degrees. Universities also provide continuing education and open university teaching.
Institutional mandate (SIMS 6)
The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.
Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.
Further information: Statistical legislation
Legal acts and other agreements (SIMS 6.1)
Data sharing (SIMS 6.2)
Source data (SIMS 18.1)
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
User needs (SIMS 12.1)
Overall accuracy (SIMS 13.1)
Quality assurance (SIMS 11.1)
Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The European Statistics Code of Practice forms the basis for the common quality system of the European Statistical System.
The Code of Practice is based on 16 principles that concern statistical authorities' independence, accountability and the quality of the processes and data to be published.
The principles are in line with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics approved by the United Nations Statistics Commission and are supplementary to them. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.
Further information:
Quality assessment (SIMS 11.2)
Timeliness (SIMS 14.1)
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
Coherence – cross domain (SIMS 15.3)
Release calendar (SIMS 8.1)
Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data become public after they have been updated in the web service.
Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland
Release calendar access (SIMS 8.2)
User access (SIMS 8.3)
The data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may be processed at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published.
Further information: Publication principles for statistics
Unless otherwise specifically stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer and copyright owner of the data.
Further information: The terms of use for statistical data
Frequency of dissemination (SIMS 9)
News release (SIMS 10.1)
Online database (SIMS 10.3)
Confidentiality - policy (SIMS 7.1)
The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed. The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. Alongside the Statistics Act, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (eur-lex.europa.eu) and the Finnish Data Protection Act (Finlex.fi) are applied to the processing of personal data. Provisions on the confidentiality of data collected for statistical purposes are laid down in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (Finlex.fi).
The data are processed only by persons who need the data in their work. The use of data is restricted by usage rights. All persons employed by Statistics Finland have signed a pledge of secrecy, where they have obliged to keep secret the data prescribed as confidential by virtue of the Statistics Act or the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
Further information: Data protection
Confidentiality - data treatment (SIMS 7.2)