Finland is one of the most popular study destinations among international students, and the magical, mythical Lapland is cherry on the cake. Finnish Lapland is as close as reality gets to those who dream of a winter wonderland. Contrasts are a key factor in the allure of Lapland where 24-hour sunlight in the summer replaces the dark winter days. The hustle and bustle of towns and ski resorts is just minutes away from the peace and quiet of the wild wilderness. Lapland offers huge potential for the future professionals. Here are reasons why you should be here with us!
1. Safety
The world's safest countries according to the WEF
According to the Global Travel and Tourism Report by the World Economic Forum, Finland is the safest country in the world. If you're looking for a peaceful hub with the highest level of "safety and security", the Northern European nation is the place for you. Bordering Sweden, Norway and Russia, Finland is a great spot for study and its northernmost region – Lapland – is home to Father Christmas
2. Quality of life
“Despite the long winter, Finland is a pretty great place to be – the best actually” Newsweek
• Finland is the happiest country in the world.
-World Happiness Report 2024
• Finland is the most stable country in the world.
-The Fund for Peace, Fragile States Index 2017
• Finland has the third least corruption in the world.
-Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2016
• Food in Finland is the cleanest in Europe.
-European Food Safety Authority, the 2015 European Union report on pesticide residues in food
• Finnish adults' English skills are the fifth best in a comparison of 72 countries.
Education First (EF), the world's largest ranking of countries by English skills
How bad could a long winter be?
3. Purity of nature
In Lapland the air is fresh, the water is pure and clean, and the nature astonishing the quality of tap water in Finland has been considered one of the best in the world. Finland’s biggest daily newspaper Helsinki News made a blind contest, the result of which indicated that the taste of tap water was even better than bottled water! The air you breathe is the cleanest in Europe. There are many fells and forests in Lapland. Finland is called the land of a thousand lakes – there is a total of 188 000 of them. There are also plenty of national parks; and Lemmenjoki National Park, located in Lapland, is the largest in Finland as well as one of the largest in Europe. Even by Finnish standards, the country’s northernmost province, Lapland, is sparsely settled. Lapland accounts for about 28% of Finland’s total area, but only 4% of the population. Lapland’s natural features include vast areas of wild forest, open fells, flora and fauna adapted to the harsh arctic conditions, and greater variations in relief than anywhere else in the country. Seasonal variations are also even more pronounced here. The deep snows and darkness of midwinter contrast dramatically with the light, mild summers of the Land of the Midnight Sun.
4. High quality education
The education at Lapland UAS is of very good quality. Education is very practical with close collaboration with the companies of the Lapland area. Lapland UAS educates future professionals directly for the needs of the working life.
Lapland University of Applied Sciences is FINEEC audited and has a valid quality label. Lapland UAS was also awarded the Quality Label of Excellence by the FINEEC in 2024. 
According to the Career Monitoring Survey conducted among individuals who graduated year 2017, 83 % of the graduates of Lapland UAS were satisfied with the education they completed in Lapland UAS. Also the employment rate was very high 83%. 75% of the graduates were working in northern Finland.
Lapland UAS reputation was assessed as second best among Finnish UAS's in 2021. Read more from the Lapland UAS news.
Lapland UAS was third in the performance comparison among Finnish UAS's in 2020. Lapland UAS achieved the best results in the number of both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, in the feedback from students regarding their studies, in employment, and in the volume of externally funded RDI activities. Read more from the Lapland UAS news.
The fairly small studygroups make sure that individuality is emphasized and that the teachers know their students by their names. The teacher-student relationship is also more friendly and relaxed. You will always get help if you need it.
The Education Index, published with the UN's Human Development Index in 2008, based on data from 2006, lists Finland as 0.993, amongst the highest in the world, tied for first with Denmark, Australia and New Zealand. The Finnish Ministry of Education attributes its success to "the education system (uniform basic education for the whole age group), highly competent teachers, and the autonomy given to schools.Finland, often called the country with the best education, is frequently at first place or on top of the charts in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), which studies 15-year-old students’ scholastic performance on science, mathematics, and reading. Also, according to Pearson, a British publishing- and education company, Finland’s school system is the best in the world. The study gathered information from international test results as well as the amount of graduating students in the years 2006-2010.
5. School lunch
The school lunch is very affordable for students. You have a variety of things to choose from. The lunch contains salad, dried fruits and nuts, bread, beverages and a warm meal of your choice. Lunch in Finnish schools is healthy, fresh and diverse. According to Finnish National Board of Education statistics from the year 2014, the average school meal was valued at 2.40 euros- 2.80 euros per student-school day,
6. Lapland as a destination
You could say that Lapland is a very communal place. There is a sense of belonging here. The people are nice, and won’t hesitate to help you if you’re lost or need any assistance. The three campus cities of Lapland UAS have different sized and diverse city centers, but all of them include shopping opportunities and restaurants. The Rajalla-shopping center in Tornio is right on the border of Finland and Sweden. Lapland pulls in the second most tourists, right after the capital city. Lapland is not only a tourism destination, but also important industrial area in Finland. Sustainable bioeconomy and metal industries are growing areas in Lapland. Rovaniemi is the largest city in Europe by area. Furthermore, Finland was named the world’s third best travel destination in 2017 by Lonely Planet!
7. Northern lights, Santa Claus, Memorable experiences
Lapland is most known for its outstandingly different nature, and its special phenomena. Northern lights appear in the sky in the wintertime. They’re a beautiful example of a phenomenon that can be seen in Lappish nature, and it’s definitely something you should experience at least once. Polar Night and Polar Day, the long periods of continuous night and day, are also truly unique in Lapland. In the wintertime the sun does not rise over the horizon for around a month whereas during summer Lapland has 24-hour sunlight for nearly three months; this is also called the Midnight Sun and it is an incredible contrast to the dark and gloomy winter months when there’s no sun at all. The presence of Santa Claus in Lapland is something to remember for sure – The Santa Claus Village in located in Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is also named “The official hometown of Santa Claus” and you can spot references to that all around the city. Lapland UAS' Tourism programme is an official Good Will partner of Santa Claus Finland.
8. Internationality
Lapland is the second most tourist-rich area in Finland and well-known for its internationality. There are also lots of foreigners living here because of their studies or work, and some are just here seeking better and safer life. Tornio, one of Lapland UAS’s campus cities, is right on the border of Finland and Sweden so it offers the students cultural experiences from both countries.
9. Events
Lapland is very rich area when it comes to events. Many of these events revolve around the arctic factor; such as the best possibility to host winter-time sporting events because of the vast amount of snow and the length of the winter. There are many annual events in Lapland such as Arctic Lapland Rally; the International Grand Market in Rovaniemi; Arctic Pride in Rovaniemi, a weekend-long celebration of sexuality- and gender equality; Suurpilkit in Tornio, an ice fishing competition; Simerock in Rovaniemi; Lapin kullan kimallus & Irish drinking festival in Rovaniemi city center; and Poro Cup, a reindeer race.
10. Leisure possibilities
Lapland hosts endless possibilities for your leisure time. The distinct seasons provide chances for different kinds of sports and other activities. In the spring- and summertime you can explore the beauty of nature by biking, hiking and camping in the many nature paths of Lapland. If you want to see the many lakes and rivers, you may go paddling, fishing or even rafting. There are golf courses in all of the Lapland UAS’s campus cities. The early spring is also the best time for cross-country skiing as the ski tracks are in great shape and you get to enjoy skiing in sunshine.
In the fall you may do many of the same activities as in the summer – but this time seeing as the nature turns into beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow. You can go hunting with the right permits. Mushroom and berry-picking are popular leisure time activities; for example, you may collect blueberries, cloudberries and lingonberries. Everyman’s right allows everyone to enjoy nature freely, pick berries and mushrooms as long as they respect nature, other people and property.
The wintertime is prime time in Lapland, as winter can last up to 200 days. Then you can do a huge variety of sports, including cross-country skiing, ice fishing, ice swimming, downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and much more. You may also go on dog sled rides, reindeer rides, or snowmobile driving. Lapland is the most attractive area for downhill skiing and snowboarding due to the endless well-maintained slopes.
Study in Lapland
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