Laatukriteerin

Laatukriteerin is a Finnish word that translates to "late criteria" in English. It is a concept related to university admissions in Finland, primarily used to evaluate applicants for post-secondary education. Laatukriteerin focuses on an applicant's academic performance and achievements during the last year of their upper secondary education.

In the context of Finnish education, Junior University Diploma (Finnish: lukion päästötodistus) is the certificate obtained after completing upper secondary education. When applying for university programs, applicants often must meet minimum requirements set by the universities. Laatukriteerin presents the most recent academic performance as decisive in determining an applicant's admission prospects.

Once the university admission process finishes, the minimum requirements are reviewed. If not enough students meet these requirements, the points system, which, among other factors, counts performance in the upper secondary school years, plays an essential role in student selection and evaluation. Laatukriteerin advocates for a more representative, data-driven approach in evaluation, reducing unfair biases related to factors outside of the applicant's influence.

Although the exact weight of Laatukriteerin in the Finnish education system is not explicitly outlined, most education experts agree on its role in reinforcing objective and transparent university admissions processes. Respect for and understanding of Laatukriteerin demonstrate a focus on fairness and accessibility in the Finnish higher education sector. Laatukriteerin grows increasingly relevant, with the overall importance of criteria linked to academic performance becoming stronger in judging applicants' preparedness for further education.