Study places
Where do I go after basic education? Here you can find the most popular places to continue your studies and further information.
Obligation to apply for secondary education after comprehensive school
Compulsory education age was extended in 2021, so that all ninth-graders graduating from comprehensive school have an obligation to apply for and continue in upper secondary education.
The age of compulsory education will be raised to 18 years. The goal in extending compulsory education is for every young person to complete upper secondary education, either as the matriculation examination or as a vocational qualification.
General upper secondary school or vocational education
After finishing your basic education, you are obligated to apply for upper secondary education. This obligation to apply continues if you are left without a place to study or drop out of studies you have started.
Compulsory education ends when you turn 18 or if you complete upper secondary education in Finland or corresponding foreign education before that. The compulsory education after basic education will primarily take place in general upper secondary education or in vocational education, including apprenticeship training. It can also take place in transition-phase education between basic and upper secondary education.
Further information on the extension of compulsory education:
- From your own guidance counsellor
- On the Ministry of Education website
- On the Education Division website