The English Track enables young people in Finland to complete the general upper secondary education and matriculation examination fully in English.
Studying in the English track requires strong English language skills, which are assessed in the entrance examination.
The fully English Track at The Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages will start in the school year 2026–2027. The first year's intake will be 30 places, with 25 filled through the joint application process.
All applicants must take an entrance exam. Learn more about applying to our school here: Apply to the English track.
Language of studies
The studies in the English track are fully in English, despite the compulsory Finnish as second language syllabus and examination at the end of the studies.
The final matriculation examination at the end of studies is otherwise taken entirely in English.
The studies in general
Students admitted to the English track will complete studies in accordance with the national upper secondary curriculum in English, but may also select other suitable courses from the wide range of studies offered at the Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages. It is also possible that providers of general upper secondary education in English will collaborate to offer some courses jointly online.
The matriculation examination will be taken in English, but students are also required to complete either the Finnish as a Second Language (S2) or the Finnish as a Mother Tongue examination as a compulsory part of the matriculation examination.
Studying with us
Students in the English track will be part of the school’s diverse and community-oriented international activities and may participate in school events and activities.
Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages is an Erasmus+ accredited school with one of the most extensive overnight school trip programmes in the country. We also take part in the UNESCO Associated Schools Network.
Our language offering is the most extensive in Finland. Your wellbeing is supported by youth workers, a sports coach and student welfare staff. The student council board and sports tutors organise a variety of activities for students.
The English Track is designed for young students who do not have sufficient Finnish or Swedish language skills to complete the general upper secondary syllabus in those languages.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the English Track, you must meet the following criteria:
- No more than three years comprehensive school studies completed (i.e. studies that follow the Finnish national core curriculum for primary and lower secondary (basic) education)
- Residence permit granted on grounds other than study (if you are not a citizen of an EU/EEA member country)
- Good English language skills to be able to complete general upper secondary school studies in English
- Primary and secondary education certificate or equivalent of comprehensive education (you need to provide a translation of the certificate in Finnish or English)
Apply during the joint application period 17 February-17 March 2026 on the Studyinfo website.
Go to Studyinfo(Link leads to external service)
All applicants must take an entrance exam. Read more about the exam and applying to the English Track in our school on page Apply to the English track.