Pisterajat

Pisterajat are numeric thresholds used in Finnish education to decide whether a student's score qualifies for admission to a program or for progression in a study path. They are most visibly used in university and university of applied sciences admissions in Finland. A pisteraja represents the minimum points a applicant must accumulate from the combination of matriculation exam results, entrance tests, and possibly other selection criteria to be considered eligible for admission. The exact calculation and the weight of each component vary by program, institution, and year, reflecting the level of competition and the size of the applicant pool.

Thresholds are published by the admissions authorities, for example in Studyinfo and by the universities themselves, and they may change annually. When the number of applicants meeting the pisteraja exceeds the number of available places, admissions may proceed by ranking applicants who meet or exceed the threshold, using tie-breakers such as higher scores in specific subjects, better overall exam performance, or random selection.

Beyond university admissions, the term is sometimes used in the context of secondary education to indicate passing marks or required levels on standardized assessments, though in practice the concept is most associated with higher education entrance criteria.

Understanding the current pisterajat for a chosen program requires checking official sources, as thresholds can differ across fields and change from year to year. For applicants, achieving marks well above the threshold improves admission chances, while those near the cutoff may rely on tie-breaks or additional opportunities for admission.