University education: documentation of statistics

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

An accomplishment in accordance with the requirements laid down by the education authority subject to an administrative decision.

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.

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.

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.

Tilastokeskus

Tilastojen laadintaa ohjaa valtion tilastotoimen yleislaki, tilastolaki (280/2004, muut 361/2013). Tiedonantajilta kerätään vain ne välttämättömät tiedot, joita ei saada hallinnollisista aineistoista. Indeksisarjat julkaistaan niin, että niistä ei voida päätellä yksittäisen yrityksen tietoja tai kehitystä.

Tilastotarkoituksiin kerätyn tiedon tietosuoja taataan ehdottomasti tilastolain (280/2004), henkilötietolain (532/1999) ja lain viranomaisten toiminnan julkisuudesta (621/1999) sekä EU:n tietosuoja-asetuksen (2016/679) vaatimusten mukaisesti. Tietoaineistot on suojattu käsittelyn kaikissa vaiheissa tarvittavin fyysisin ja teknisin ratkaisuin. Tilastokeskus on laatinut yksityiskohtaiset määräykset ja ohjeet tietojen luottamukselliseen käsittelyyn. Henkilökunnalla on pääsy vain työtehtävien kannalta välttämättömiin tietoihin. Tiloihin, joissa yksikkötason aineistoa käsitellään, ei ulkopuolisilla ole pääsyä. Henkilökunnan jäsenet ovat allekirjoittaneet salassapitositoumuksen palvelukseen tullessaan. Tietosuojan tahallisesta rikkomisesta seuraa rangaistus.

Tilastokeskuksen julkistamiskalenterissa kerrotaan etukäteen kaikki vuoden aikana julkaistavat tilastotiedot ja julkaisut. Tilastojulkistukset löytyvät kohdasta tilastokohtaiset julkaisut. Tilastotiedot julkistetaan internetissä klo 8, ellei toisin mainita. Kalenteria päivitetään arkipäivisin. Tilastokeskuksen seuraavan vuoden julkistamiskalenteri julkaistaan vuosittain joulukuussa.

Tilastokeskus noudattaa tilastoja laatiessaan Euroopan tilastojen käytännesääntöjä (Code of Practice, CoP) ja niihin pohjautuvaa laadunvarmistuskehikkoa (Quality Assurance Framework, QAF). Käytännesäännöt koskevat tilastoviranomaisten riippumattomuutta ja vastuuvelvollisuutta sekä prosessien ja julkaistavan tiedonlaatua. Periaatteet ovat yhteensopivat YK:n tilastokomission hyväksymien virallisen tilaston periaatteiden kanssa ja täydentävät niitä. Myös Suomen virallisen tilaston laatukriteerit ovat yhteensopivat Euroopan tilastojen käytännesääntöjen kanssa. Periaatteet ovat myös yhteensopivat Euroopan laatupalkintoperiaatteiden (EFQM) kanssa.

Asiasta kerrotaan enemmän Tilastokeskuksen laadunhallinnan sivulla.

Tilastokeskuksessa tehdään vuosittain tilastojen läpivalaisuja, joilla osaltaan varmistetaan tilastojen laatua.