11 Best PhD Universities in Finland

Aalto University leads the 11 PhD universities in Finland at #114 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Next come University of Helsinki (QS World #116) and University of Oulu (QS World #342). The universities on this list offer 96 matching courses between them.

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Universities 11 Programs 96 Scholarships 29

11 universities · ranked best first

how we rank

1Best overall

QS World #114 #1 in Finland Helsinki, Finland

Aalto University

Public University · 7 courses in PhD

All 7 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

18,000Students

—International

Admissions open

#114 QS World University Rankings 2026

#1 in Finland

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2Top pick

QS World #116 #2 in Finland Helsinki, Finland

University of Helsinki

Public University · 14 courses in PhD

All 14 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

1640Founded

30,740Students

—International

Admissions open

#116 QS World University Rankings 2026

#2 in Finland

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3Top pick

QS World #342 #3 in Finland Oulu, Finland

University of Oulu

Public University · 7 courses in PhD

All 7 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

13,500Students

—International

Admissions open

#342 QS World University Rankings 2026

#3 in Finland

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4Ranked

QS World #366 #4 in Finland Turku, Finland

University of Turku

Public University · 17 courses in PhD

All 17 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

20,000Students

—International

Admissions open

#366 QS World University Rankings 2026

#4 in Finland

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5Ranked

QS World #397 #5 in Finland Lappeenranta, Finland

Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT

Public University · 3 courses in PhD

—Tuition (indicative)

1969Founded

7,700Students

—International

Admissions open

#397 QS World University Rankings 2026

#5 in Finland

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6Ranked

QS World #498 #6 in Finland Jyväskylä, Finland

University of Jyväskylä

Public University · 6 courses in PhD

All 6 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

1863Founded

14,900Students

—International

Admissions open

#498 QS World University Rankings 2026

#6 in Finland

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7Ranked

#7 in Finland Turku, Finland

Åbo Akademi University

Public University · 9 courses in PhD

All 9 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

5,500Students

—International

Admissions open

#7 in Finland · by research impact

1,634,103 citations · h-index 359

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8Ranked

#10 in Finland Helsinki, Finland

Hanken School of Economics

Public University · 1 course in PhD

PhD, Hanken School of EconomicsPhD / Doctorate

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

2,500Students

—International

Admissions open

#10 in Finland · by research impact

214,420 citations · h-index 222

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9Ranked

#11 in Finland Rovaniemi, Finland

University of Lapland

Public University · 5 courses in PhD

All 5 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

4,800Students

—International

Admissions open

#11 in Finland · by research impact

136,472 citations · h-index 128

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10Ranked

Tampere, Finland

Tampere University

Public University · 18 courses in PhD

All 18 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

2019Founded

23,000Students

—International

Not yet ranked No QS position or research record found

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11Ranked

Joensuu, Finland

University of Eastern Finland

Public University · 9 courses in PhD

All 9 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

17,000Students

—International

Not yet ranked No QS position or research record found

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How these universities are ranked

6 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #114 (Aalto University) to #498 (University of Jyväskylä); they are listed first, in that order. Below them, universities follow their research output: University of Helsinki is cited most (22,207,402 citations).

Public, private and where they are

11 are public and 0 private (100% public). The biggest concentrations are in Helsinki (3), Turku (2) and Oulu (1). The oldest is University of Helsinki, founded in 1640. University of Helsinki is the largest, with 30,740 students.

What the courses look like

The most common subjects are Medicine & Health Sciences (15), Education (8), Engineering (8) and Social Sciences & Psychology (5). The usual length is 4 years and 3 years. 100% are full-time. Start dates lean to Fall (74% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (30% of courses with a stated intake). Tampere University offers the widest choice, with 18 of these courses.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best university in Finland for PhD?

Aalto University (QS World #114), University of Helsinki (QS World #116) and University of Oulu (QS World #342) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

How many public universities offer PhD in Finland?

11 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a PhD course take in Finland?

Most listed courses run 4 years, with 3 years the next most common.

When do PhD courses start in Finland?

Fall is the main intake — 74% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Which university has the most PhD courses in Finland?

Tampere University, with 18, ahead of University of Turku (17).

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