Qualification/Degree

In the statistics on comprehensive school education, a school-leaving certificate from comprehensive school can be regarded as a qualification from comprehensive school. A school-leaving certificate from comprehensive school can be obtained from comprehensive schools, upper secondary general schools or folk high schools.

In the statistics on university education data on degrees describe the full calendar year (1 January - 31 December). Degrees attained in universities comprise lower and upper university degrees, licentiate degree, doctorate degree, and specialist's degrees in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine. Completions of separate studies for special education teacher and study counsellor are also regarded as lower university degrees.

In statistics on the educational structure of the population, transition form school to further education and work and progress of studies attainers of qualifications or degrees refer to completers of matriculation examination, international matriculation examinations (IB, Reifeprüfung or Gymnasieexamen examination), and attainers of vocational qualifications, university of applied sciences degrees, higher university of applied sciences degrees or university degrees by the end of the statistical reference year. Attainers of qualifications or degrees also include attainers of qualifications or degrees in the armed services, frontier guard service or abroad. One qualification or degree per person is included in statistics: vocational qualification attained at the highest level of education/most recently attained.

The data are obtained from Statistics Finland's Register of Completed Education and Degrees. Data can only be entered into the Register for persons who have a Finnish personal ID number. For this reason data on the qualifications or degrees of persons without a personal ID number, e.g. many foreign persons, are missing from the Register.

In the statistics on students and qualifications of educational institutions attainers of qualifications or degrees refer to completers of matriculation examination, international matriculation examinations (IB and Reifeprüfung examination), Gymnasieexamen examination, attainers of vocational qualifications, polytechnic degrees, higher polytechnic degrees or university degrees between 1 January and 31 December of the statistical reference year. In comprehensive school education, attainers of qualifications refer to recipients of school-leaving certificates from comprehensive school. Qualifications and degrees completed and attained in the military field and abroad are not included.

In the statistics on upper secondary general school education qualifications comprise matriculation examination, international matriculation examinations (IB, EB and Reifeprüfung) and Gymnasieexamen examination.

Matriculation examination is a school-leaving examination from upper secondary general school which measures the knowledge, skills and maturity attained in upper secondary general school.

IB (International Baccalaureate) examination is an international matriculation examination that can be taken in some upper secondary general schools in the country.

The EB examination is the European Schools' European Baccalaureate, which can be taken at the European Schooling Helsinki.

Reifeprüfung examination is a type of matriculation examination that can be taken in the Deutsche Schule, Helsinki.

Gymnasieexamen is an upper secondary general school examination that can be taken in Ålands lyceum.

In the statistics on vocational education, a qualification refers to vocational secondary, post-secondary or tertiary level qualifications, and further and specialist vocational qualifications. The data on qualifications describe the full calendar year.