Records in bachelor’s applicant numbers

Aalto University bachelor’s programmes received a total of 22 681 applications in the second joint application procedure of the spring for higher education institutions, which ended on 25 March. Among the 14 747 applicants, 9 416 had selected an Aalto study option as their top choice. 

Altogether, the Aalto University English-medium bachelor’s programmes attracted applications from 3 121 applicants. Out of the total 5 940 applications, 3 251 were submitted to degree programmes in technology, 454 to those in arts and 2 235 to degree programmes in business. This was the first time that the Aalto University English-language bachelor's programmes were not included in the first national joint application procedure of the spring. Instead, a separate application procedure was organised for them with the application period running from 8 to 23 January 2025. 

‘It is wonderful to see our programmes attracting a wide spectrum of applicants from both Finland and abroad. Education is an excellent investment for the future, and students beginning their studies now will be in a strong position when they graduate. A warm thank you to everyone who applied to Aalto University and the best of luck to each of you with the final stages of the admissions process and entrance examinations’, says Petri Suomala, Aalto University Vice President for Education. 

High numbers of applicants to Finnish and Swedish bachelor's programmes in all three fields 

The number of applicants increased by 9% in this spring’s joint application procedure, compared to 2024.

The programmes in the field of arts attracted a total of 1 690 applicants, of whom 1 334 had marked their option as their first choice. Architecture and landscape architecture received 956 applications from altogether 762 applicants, of whom 488 had marked an Aalto study option as their first choice. In the field of arts, the most significant increase in popularity was achieved by film editing (elokuvaleikkaus), where the number of applications grew by 48% compared to last year.

Altogether 7 704 applications were submitted to the Finnish-medium programme in business (kauppatieteiden kandidaattiohjelma). A total of 4 257 applicants had selected the programme as their first-choice programme.

Altogether, the 15 study options in the field of technology (excluding those for architecture) received a total of 12 331 applications. Out of the 6 126 applicants, 3 337 ranked Aalto University as their first-choice university. The most popular study option was energy and mechanical engineering (energia- ja konetekniikka), which received a total of 1 400 applications. Applications to engineering physics and mathematics (teknillinen fysiikka ja matematiikka) increased by 33% from the previous year, marking the highest growth among the study options in technology.

New study option in the field of technology gains popularity

58% of the applicants who applied to the Aalto University English-medium bachelor’s programmes were non-Finnish citizens, with the overall number of nationalities represented being more than a 100.

In the field of arts, the Bachelor’s Programme in Design and Media received a total of 454 applications, while in the field of business, the Bachelor’s Programme in Economics received 1 184 applications, and the Bachelor’s Programme in International Business, taught in the School of Business’ Mikkeli campus, received 1 051 applications. In the field of technology, Aalto has a total of six bachelor's-level study options taught in English. Of these, Chemical Engineering received 393 applications, Computational Engineering 591 applications, Computer Engineering 715 applications Data Science 669 applications, Digital Systems and Design 447 applications and Quantum Technology 436 applications. The Computer Engineering study option, which was offered for the first time, made an impressive showing in drawing the highest number of applicants in the field of technology.

This spring was also the first time when a national application fee was charged of those applicants to English-medium bachelor’s programmes who come from outside the EU/EEA countries or Switzerland, i.e. of the same applicants who also pay tuition fees when studying at Finnish higher education institutions.

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