Surge in the number of applicants to Aalto University in national joint application

Aalto University received 20 744 applications for bachelor's programmes in the joint application round for spring 2024, which ended on 27 March. 8 752 applicants out of the total of 13 500 chose an Aalto study option as their first choice. The number of applicants increased by 7% compared to spring 2023.

'It's great to see that more and more people are interested in the education offered by Aalto University. I warmly thank all those who applied to Aalto and wish them good luck for the rest of the spring and the entrance exams!' says Petri Suomala, Vice President Education of Aalto University.

The 14 study options in the field of technology available at Aalto University (which excludes the study options in architecture) received a total of 11 457 applications from 5 786 applicants, 3 130 of which were first-choice applicants. The most popular study option was Industrial Engineering (tuotantotalous), which received 1 281 applications. Industrial Engineering attracted 24% more applications compared to last year and was thus the study option with the highest growth in the number of applications in the field of technology.

The Bachelor’s Programme in Business (kauppatieteiden kandidaattiohjelma) received 6 414 applications. There were a total of 6 289 applicants, of which 3 643 chose the programme as their first choice. 

For the 14 study options in the field of arts and design, there were 1 767 applicants in this spring's joint application round, of which 1 396 applied for the options as their first choice. For the study options in architecture and landscape architecture, a total of 1 106 applications were received from 897 applicants, of which 583 were first-choice applicants. The study option with the highest growth in the field of arts was documentary film (dokumentaarinen elokuva), where the number of applications increased by 41% compared to last year.

In addition to the figures reported, 62 applicants applied to the field of technology through the Open University pathway, and 42 applicants applied to the field of business.

High school certificates not the only path to higher education

Many applicants for the fields of technology and business are admitted based on their grades in the high school certificate, so in the spring, attention is often focused on the grades they obtained in their school-leaving (matriculation) exams. However, certificate-based admission is not the only way to get a study place; entrance exams in early summer offer an alternative route to the world of higher education. Entrance exams do not necessarily require extensive preparations from the  applicant, as they are often based on high school studies. For the study options in the field of arts and architecture, obtaining a study place requires participation in entrance exams.

If a study place is not obtained through the certificate-based admission or entrance exams, it is also possible to apply to the fields of technology and business by completing studies at the Open University.

'Open University courses are an excellent alternative to admissions based on the high school certificate and entrance exams, as they can be used to apply for degree studies. Through Open University courses, you can also get acquainted with university studies and the field of interest in advance. The diverse range of courses offered by the Open University is suitable for anyone interested in university studies, even if there are no plans to pursue a degree,' says Suomala.

For the field of business, it is also possible to apply based on special achievements, competitive performance, and SAT or ACT test scores. Competition-based admissions are also available for the field of technology. Entrance exams at Aalto University will be held between May 28 and June 13.

The figures reported in the article are based on the numbers obtained from Studyinfo immediately after the close of the application period, so they may change during the processing of applications. This application period concerns bachelor's degree programmes in Finnish and Swedish. The results of admissions based on the high school certificate will be announced to applicants no later than 27 May 2024, and the results of the entrance exams will be published on 4 July 2024 at the latest. 

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Entrance exams at Aalto University (in Finnish)Open University studies for upper secondary students