Never before have more students completed the matriculation examination in one school year
There were 3,574 graduates from 35 schools with a matriculation exam during the 2011-2012 school year, 342 more than in the previous year (10.6% increase). Never before have so many students completed the matriculation exam in one school year, and never before have so many schools graduated students with this exam. The ratio of students graduating with the matriculation exam to 20 year olds in the population has never been higher and increased considerably from the previous year; from 69.2% to 74.1%. Women were 59.1% of those completing the matriculation exam. Graduations with the matriculation exam after completing vocational education have increased in recent years, and were 742 in 2011-2012.
There were more graduates who were younger than 20 years old graduating with the matriculation exam than in previous years; graduates in this age group were 9.8% of all who completed the matriculation exam in 2011-2012. In 2004-2009 graduates younger than 20 years old were 5-6% of those who completed the matriculation exam, but were 8.0% in 2010-2011. Females are more likely than males to graduate under the age of 20, as 11.6% of females and 7.3% of males who completed the matriculation exam were younger than 20 years old.

Fewer graduates with the journeyman’s exam but more masters of a certified trade
A total of 6,118 students graduated with 6,761 graduations from the upper secondary level of education during the school year 2011-2012, an increase of 534 graduates from the previous year, by 9.6%. The increase was mainly due to more graduations from various shorter programmes and to the larger number of graduates with the matriculation exam. Females were more numerous than males, 54.5% of graduates. There were 518 graduations with the journeyman’s exam, 42 (-7.5%) less than in the previous year. Males were 73.7% of those completing the journeyman’s exam. The number of graduations with the journeyman’s exam has decreased by 218 (29.6%) since the 2008-2009 school year.

Fewer graduates from the tertiary level of education
There were 4,079 graduates with 4,108 graduations at the tertiary level of education in 2011-2012. Females were 64.4% of graduates. The number of graduates at the tertiary level decreased by 225 (-5.2%) from the previous year. The reduction is mostly found in graduates in the field of education, where there were 451 fewer graduates than in the previous year, probably caused by changes in the organization of teacher’s education.
There were 2.594 graduations with a first tertiary degree, 140 more than in the previous year (5.7%). The number of graduates with a diploma after a Bachelor degree decreased by 54.2%, down to 247. Students acquiring a teaching licence have usually been most numerous among those earning this diploma. In addition, 1,137 completed a master’s degree, down by 56 (-4.7%) from the previous school year.
There were 41 Ph.D. graduates during the 2011-2012 school year, 21 males and 20 females. Five of the males and twelve of the females were 40 years or older when graduating with the Ph.D. Seven fewer graduated with a Ph.D. than in the previous school year (-14.6%).

Almost 70% of new entrants at the tertiary level have graduated ten years later
There were 3,589 new entrants at the tertiary level in the autumn of 2002. Ten years later, in 2012, 69.1% of these students had graduated from the tertiary level of education; 61.1% of males and 73.7% of females.

Statistics:
Upper secondary schools
Universities