study in Turku
Finland's oldest city — a coastal, compact university town on the edge of an archipelago, with a strong life-sciences cluster.
Turku was Finland's capital before Helsinki, and it retains the character of an older European city: a river running through the centre, a cathedral and castle, and a scale that makes it easy to navigate on foot.
Its academic strength is in the life sciences — a well-established biotechnology and pharmaceutical research cluster sits around the universities, alongside marine technology and shipbuilding at the port.
It is also the gateway to Finland's archipelago, thousands of islands stretching toward Sweden, which shapes the city's summer life. It is bilingual in Finnish and Swedish, and hosts Finland's Swedish-language university.
Two universities plus applied institutions, in a small city.
University of Turku
Medicine, biosciences, technology, law and education; a strong biotechnology research base.Åbo Akademi University
Finland's Swedish-language university; chemical engineering, biosciences, social sciences and theology.Turku University of Applied Sciences
Applied; engineering, health care, business and the arts.Turku sits below Helsinki on housing and daily costs, with the same national requirements and the same scholarship arrangements. A small, walkable city keeps transport spending minimal.
Against the other cities we cover in Finland, Turku is mid-range. That is our reading of this country’s own spread, not a published index.
The residence permit requires you to show at least €800 a month, or €9,600 a year.
The practical texture of the place — what a week actually looks like.
Climate
Coastal and slightly milder than inland Finland, though still a long dark winter with snow and sea ice.
Getting around
Buses with student rates, and a compact centre most students walk or cycle across.
Housing
Student housing foundations offer cheap rooms with shorter queues than Helsinki. Apply on admission.
Working
An average of 30 hours a week under current rules. A smaller market than Helsinki; research and laboratory roles exist through the universities.
Language
Officially bilingual in Finnish and Swedish. Study is in English; daily life and work reward learning Finnish.
The archipelago
Thousands of islands reachable by ferry — the defining feature of a Turku summer, and largely free to enjoy.
The student residence permit requires at least €800 a month, or €9,600 a year, the same national figure as in Helsinki or Tampere.
Plan for the full national minimum wherever you apply. The cheaper city helps your monthly reality, not your permit paperwork. As everywhere in Finland, the fee actually worth comparing is the one left after the scholarship attached to your offer — check its renewal conditions before accepting.
Turku is one of 3 cities we cover in Finland. Tap any pin to compare — the city you pick moves your total cost more than almost any other choice you make.