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Published: 29 November 2018

Students in education leading to a qualification or degree number 1.29 million

The total number of students in education leading to a qualification or degree was 1.29 million in 2017. The number is 0.5 per cent higher than in 2016. The number of students grew in comprehensive school education, upper secondary school education and university of applied sciences education. The number of students in vocational education and university education decreased. These data derive from education statistics compiled by Statistics Finland.

Students in education leading to a qualification or degree 2004–2017 1)

1) The data describe the situation on 20 September, except for data on vocational education, which are from the calendar year starting from 2013 and those on preparatory education for a skills examination and apprenticeship training from 2004 onwards.

In 2017, the number of new students totalled 287,600 and that of attainers of qualifications or degrees 223,200. A total of 53 per cent of new students and 55 per cent of attainers of qualifications or degrees were women. Fifty-one per cent of all students were women.

Women were the majority in both students and in attainers of qualifications in all post-comprehensive level educational sectors. The share of women among attainers of qualifications remained unchanged or grew slightly in all educational sectors from the year before. There were particularly many women among those with qualifications attained in university of applied sciences education; 62 per cent of those having attained a university of applied sciences degree and 70 per cent of those with a higher university of applied sciences degree.

Women made up 46 per cent of curriculum-based basic vocational education qualifications, 60 per cent of those with examinations in preparatory initial vocational education for a skills examination, and 60 per cent of those with qualifications in further vocational education. In all, women accounted for 54 per cent of attainers of vocational qualifications.

Women made up 58 per cent of completers of the matriculation examination and a university degree in 2017.

Women's shares of completers of qualifications in 2004 to 2017, %

The statistics on students and qualifications of educational institutions apply harmonised concepts and classifications to draw an overall picture of education leading to a qualification or degree. The statistics contain data on all the sectors of education. Data on the subject matter are also published in the database tables of these statistics, and on the web pages of the statistics on pre-primary and comprehensive school education, upper secondary general education, vocational education, university of applied sciences education, university education, and adult education of educational institutions. In addition to these, the statistics on the educational structure of population contain information on attainers of qualifications by gender, age group and area, for example.

Source: Education, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Heli Hiltunen 029 551 3314, koulutustilastot@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Students in education leading to a qualification or degree by sector of education in 2016 and 2017 (29.11.2018)
• Appendix table 2. Students and completed qualifications and degrees in education leading to a qualification or degree by sector of education in 2017 (29.11.2018)

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Updated 29.11.2018