More than 3,900 young people to start upper secondary studies in Espoo and Kauniainen in autumn 2026

A total of 2,661 new students were admitted to the City of Espoo’s general upper secondary schools (2025: 2,401), while 134 were admitted to Kauniaisten lukio, 26 to Espoon Steinerkoulun lukio, and 97 to Gymnasiet Grankulla Samskola.

The Finnish-speaking general upper secondary schools had places available for 66.3% of pupils completing their basic education in Espoo. The Finnish-speaking schools had 2,707 primary applicants (2025: 2,599). The number of primary applicants increased by 108 students from the previous year.

Espoo’s Swedish-speaking general upper secondary school, Mattlidens gymnasium, had 146 primary applicants and 175 available places in the general programme. Mattlidens gymnasium’s IB programme had 54 primary applicants and 50 available places. The school’s new sports programme had 25 available places, with 35 primary applicants. In Swedish-language general upper secondary education, places were available for 64% of pupils completing their basic education in Espoo’s Swedish-speaking schools. The Swedish-speaking general upper secondary school in Kauniainen, Gymnasiet Grankulla samskola, will have 97 new students in the autumn.

A total of 1,728 new students were admitted to Omnia through the joint application process. A total of 1,368 of them are of compulsory education age.

In total, nearly 3,900 young people of compulsory education age will start their upper secondary studies in Espoo and Kauniainen in the autumn.

This year, the lowest average grade required for admission to a general upper secondary school in Espoo was 7.67 (2025: 7.75). Otaniemen lukio and Tapiolan lukio required the highest average grade for admission (9.17). Tapiolan lukio had the largest increase in the average grade for admission; last year, the lowest average grade for admission was 9.08. The lowest score required for admission increased the most for Otaniemen matematiikka- ja luonnontiedelukio (mathematics and natural sciences), rising to 17.88 from 16.90 in 2025. The lower admission averages at nearly all general upper secondary schools can be partly explained by the fact that there were as many as 262 more study places available than in the previous year.

Among Espoo’s Finnish-speaking general upper secondary schools, the number of applicants grew the most at Matinkylän lukio (primary applicants +30.1%, general programme +39.2%), Tapiolan lukio (primary applicants +19.8%) and Kuninkaantien lukio (primary applicants +17.1%) compared to last year. In addition to general upper secondary education, applicants were interested in specialised schools, programmes and weighted curriculums. The number of primary applicants to Otaniemen lukio’s theatre and media programme increased by 26.2%. On average, there were 1.12 applicants per study place in Espoo’s Finnish-speaking general upper secondary schools.

The City of Espoo has ten Finnish-speaking general upper secondary schools and one Swedish-speaking general upper secondary school with a total of 8,000 students in the autumn. All general upper secondary schools in Espoo offer high-quality general education, and some also offer weighted-curriculum education (languages, media, and social sciences) or have specialised programmes (sports, visual arts, theatre and media). In Espoo, two general upper secondary schools also have a national specific educational mission: Tapiolan musiikkilukio (music) and Otaniemen matematiikka- ja luonnontiedelukio (mathematics and natural sciences). In addition, Otaniemen lukio has a national development task in natural sciences.

A total of 1,728 new students were admitted to Omnia through the joint application process in 2026. The initial vocational qualification programmes with the largest increase in the number of applicants compared to 2025 were electrical engineering and automation, restaurant and catering services, and the motor vehicles sector.

As a new programme, Omnia will launch a vocational qualification in education and guidance this August. Fifty new students have been admitted to the programme. The new programme responds to workforce needs in the sector in Espoo and also supports the city’s investments in children and young people and in new day care centres.

A total of 270 students were admitted to preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification (TUVA). TUVA education is provided at Omnia’s campuses in Tapiola, Espoon keskus and Kirkkonummi.

The student admission results will be published on 11 June 2026. The Finnish National Agency for Education will send an email concerning the results to all applicants. You can also check your results on the My Studyinfo website.

Omnia’s admission results are available at www.omnia.fi/yhteishaku(external link, opens in a new window).

The City of Espoo’s general upper secondary schools do not publish the names of admitted students on their websites.

Two (2) places will open in continuous admission for the visual arts programme at Viherlaakson lukio from 11 June 2026 onwards. You can apply at www.studyinfo.fi(external link, opens in a new window). More information about the application process and entrance exam is available at https://www.espoo.fi/en/viherlaakson-lukio.

Six (6) places will open in continuous admission for the film programme at Espoon Steinerkoulun lukio from 11 June 2026. You can apply at www.studyinfo.fi(external link, opens in a new window). More information about the application process and entrance exam is available athttps://www.espoonsteinerkoulu.fi/(external link, opens in a new window)

If you received a study place, you should accept it through the link you received via email by Thursday 25 June 2026. You may be later offered a place in a school that was higher on your preference list. If you want the place offered to you through the reserve list, please accept it as soon as possible, no later than within 14 days or you will lose the place. Places will be offered to applicants on reserve lists until 14 August 2026.

If you did not yet receive a study place, you can contact Ohjaamotalo for help.

Under Information about the joint application system, you can find information on what to do after you received a study place, if you are on a reserve list or if you were not admitted to any school. Everyone of compulsory education age is guaranteed a place in upper secondary education.

The school year 2026–2027 in Espoo’s general upper secondary schools starts on Thursday 13 August 2026.
At Omnia, instruction for new students in both vocational education and TUVA education begins on Wednesday 5 August 2026.

Congratulations on your admission and welcome to school in August!

General upper secondary education | City of Espoo

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