Helsinki · School search
Compare English-medium IB, bilingual Finnish schools and German education in Helsinki. Check the actual campus, admissions route and residence-based fees before choosing.
Helsinki offers several ways to study in English, but they do not all lead to the same qualification. For a younger child, language support and the next school stage come first. For a teenager, identify the intended leaving qualification before comparing campuses.
This guide covers six schools, not every Helsinki option. The Finland guide explains the wider system, including local Finnish- and Swedish-medium comprehensive schools, known as peruskoulu.
The International School of Helsinki, or ISH, is the clearest starting point here for a family seeking English-medium International Baccalaureate education across successive school stages. Its Ruoholahti campus offers the IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes. The school’s own high-school diploma is separate from the additional requirements for the IB Diploma.
ISH is private and fee-paying. Ask for a current quotation, including any non-residency charge. Its published language policy requires Finnish citizens to study Finnish as a mother-tongue subject, even if they have grown up abroad. Discuss placement and support before assuming that English-medium education removes that requirement.
The English School follows the Finnish curriculum. Preschool through Grade 6 is in Meilahti; Grades 7–9 and upper secondary are in Pitäjänmäki. Its bilingual teaching is designed to develop Finnish alongside English, so it is a more relevant comparison for national-system continuity than its name alone suggests.
At upper secondary, its bilingual programme leads to the Finnish matriculation examination in Finnish. A separate English-language programme follows the national curriculum too; it is not IB. English-language matriculation examinations begin in autumn 2028, and Finnish remains a compulsory examination subject.
That English-language programme has restricted eligibility. Applicants may have no more than three years of study under Finland’s Basic Education Act. Their Finnish or Swedish must be insufficient for upper secondary in those languages. Prior study of either as a mother-tongue subject also makes an applicant ineligible.
Non-EU/EEA applicants need a Finnish residence permit based on something other than studies. Read the programme’s admissions criteria before treating it as an option for a new arrival.
Helsingin ranskalais-suomalainen koulu, or HRSK, is a Finnish state school in Munkkivuori with Finnish-French education. It leads to the Finnish matriculation examination, not the French baccalauréat. Compare it for sustained French within the Finnish system, subject to the relevant language assessment. Teaching is free under its published standard arrangements; afternoon care is a separate cost.
For a German qualification, examine Deutsche Schule Helsinki on Malminkatu. Its German and Finnish entry streams lead towards the German International Abitur. Ask which stream fits the child’s languages and previous studies. Kindergarten uses two sites, while Grades 1–12 share the main school; the published semester fee includes lunch.
Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu, or SYK, in Etelä-Haaga starts at Grade 3 and later offers both Finnish upper secondary and IB. It is privately operated but publicly funded under a municipal agreement. Its introduction says it does not charge pupil fees; for a new upper-secondary applicant, confirm whether the residence-based fee rules affect that statement.
Ressun lukio is municipal and starts at upper-secondary level. Its Finnish programme is on Kalevankatu; its IB programme is on Ruoholahdenkatu. Choosing Ressu’s IB preparatory year does not provide an English-medium primary or lower-secondary place.
SYK and Ressu use the national Studyinfo/Opintopolku application system for IB entry. At Ressu, applicants from other school systems, including ISH, use a separate discretionary quota. Both are day schools, not arrangements for a child to move to Finland alone. Check guardianship requirements before applying from abroad.
Since 1 August 2026, some students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland entering upper secondary on a study-based residence permit are fee-paying. Helsinki’s municipal guidance lists €10,600 annually for national upper secondary and €14,000 for IB. Residence-based and other exemptions apply; citizenship alone does not settle the bill.
Private providers have their own charges. The English School’s 2026–27 third-country fee is €11,314 where applicable, already including its ordinary €673 annual charge. Do not add that charge twice. Ask each school to confirm the category and inclusions for your child.
Espoo International School at Opinmäki provides English-medium comprehensive education, with the Finnish curriculum and IB Middle Years in Grades 7–9. It does not itself offer the Diploma. For upper-secondary IB, compare Mattlidens gymnasium in Matinkylä and Etelä-Tapiolan lukio in Tapiola.
Keep the city and age-specific campus in your comparison, using the Helsinki and Espoo hubs. Ask about language support, qualification prerequisites and the next published application round. Spring 2026 dates are past, and an unfinished 2027 notice is not a confirmed deadline.
Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.
Deutsche Schule Helsinki combines Finnish schooling with the German international-school system. Its German and Finnish routes converge before the Deutsches Internationales Abitur. The decisive questions are which language route fits your child and whether they meet its entry standard.
HelsinkiHRSK is a Finnish state school in Munkkivuori offering education in Finnish and French from pre-primary to upper secondary. It follows the Finnish curriculum and leads to the Finnish matriculation examination. Tuition is free, but families pay for travel and preschool afternoon care. Admission depends on the entry stage and, in most cases, language tests.
HelsinkiSYK is a privately run Finnish school in Etelä-Haaga that charges no pupil fees. It begins at grade 3 and offers both the Finnish matriculation route and an English-medium IB programme at upper secondary level. The admissions routes have different language requirements and timetables: the published basic-school dates below concern 2027, while the IB information concerns the completed 2026 intake.
HelsinkiISH offers English-medium education for ages 4–19 in Ruoholahti, with IB programmes from the early years to the Diploma. Annual tuition for 2026–27 ranges from €12,432 to €16,608 when paid in one sum. Families should check the child’s language placement, any non-residency surcharge and the support available before applying.
Start with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.
7 minA useful visit should help you picture your child’s school day and resolve the questions that matter to your family. Ask for concrete examples, then separate what you observed from what you were told.