IB Diploma and University Admission in Finland: Certificate Points and Deadlines
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Finland treats the IB Diploma almost like its own school-leaving exam. Finnish universities run a selection route called certificate-based admission, in which applicants are ranked on their school-leaving results, and IB holders take part in it on the same terms as students with the Finnish matriculation examination. For an IB student this can mean admission without an entrance exam.
Is the IB Diploma accepted?
Yes. The IB Diploma gives general eligibility for bachelor's studies at Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences. There is no separate recognition step before you apply: the institution checks your eligibility during admission. The universities' joint admissions site names the IB Diploma, together with the European Baccalaureate and the Reifeprüfung or DIA completed in Finland, among the qualifications considered in certificate-based admission.
How certificate points work
For universities, the scoring is set jointly and published on yliopistovalinnat.fi. Every field has its own scoring table, and the tables in force from 2026 also apply in 2027: the universities announce changes about three years in advance.
- Five subjects count: usually mathematics, one subject from studies in language and literature (Language A), and your three best other subjects. Some fields count a different required subject; health sciences, for example, does not require mathematics.
- Points follow your IB grade, from 7 down to 2. In the table for economics, liberal arts and natural sciences, a 7 in advanced mathematics gives 37.9 points, a 7 in Language A gives 36.1, a 7 in a Language B gives 28.3, and a 7 in most other subjects gives 24.5. The maximum there is 158.9.
- HL and SL count the same, except in mathematics.
- Threshold criteria can rule you out of certificate-based admission whatever your total. For the Bachelor's Programme in Science, for example, you need advanced mathematics at grade 4 or basic mathematics at grade 5.
Which IB maths counts as advanced matters most:
| Finnish category | IB courses |
|---|---|
| Advanced mathematics | Analysis and approaches HL or SL, Applications and interpretation HL, Further Mathematics |
| Basic mathematics | Applications and interpretation SL |
Your points are compared with those of other applicants, and the highest scores are admitted. Some programmes also set a minimum score, published in their admission criteria on Studyinfo.
An example: Aalto University
Aalto's English-taught bachelor's programmes in business and in science and technology admit IB applicants on certificate points, using the national tables. Its rules for 2027:
- Application: admission round B, 7 to 22 January 2027.
- Thresholds: Economics and Finance needs advanced maths at grade 2 or basic maths at grade 4. Science and Technology needs advanced maths at grade 6, and counts chemistry or physics among the five subjects.
- Predicted grades: students finishing in May 2027 send a predicted grades report by 1 April 2027. Admission is then conditional until final grades arrive through the IB, by 13 July 2027. If your final points are lower, the offer can be withdrawn.
- English: no separate English test is required from IB applicants.
- Results: published by 28 May 2027.
Universities of applied sciences
Most English-taught bachelor's programmes are at universities of applied sciences, where the main route is the International UAS Exam. Some of their programmes also use certificate-based selection, in which IB grades can count; the list is published on UASinfo and on each programme's page on Studyinfo. Applications go through the first joint application, 7 to 21 January 2027.
November or May diploma
- November 2026 diploma or earlier: you apply with your final results, and the selection is straightforward.
- May 2027 diploma: you apply in January with predicted grades where the programme accepts them, and your final results must reach the institution in July. The University of Jyväskylä, for example, also admits IB candidates on predicted grades.
Ask your IB coordinator early to release your results to each institution through the IB's results service.
Medicine and other programmes in Finnish
Medicine, dentistry and law are taught only in Finnish or Swedish. IB holders can use certificate-based admission for programmes in Finnish or Swedish as well, but every applicant must prove proficiency in the language of the programme. For most IB students from abroad this rules out medicine in Finland unless they already speak Finnish or Swedish well.
Where to look next
- How to get into a university in Finland
- Bachelor's degrees in English in Finland
- Document recognition for Finland
- IB Diploma: universities in continental Europe
Official sources
- Yliopistovalinnat.fi: scoring in certificate-based admissions
- Yliopistovalinnat.fi: economics, liberal arts and natural sciences table
- Aalto University: applying with an IB Diploma
- Studyinfo: admission criteria for each programme
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.