Enontekiö tops school rankings - with a catch

First on the list in 2015 is Enontekiö Upper Secondary School in Lapland. However, the school gained pole position due entirely to the prowess of its one and only pupil, the star student single-handedly securing the school's rankings triumph.

The yearly comparison is based on average scores in the four compulsory subjects in Finland’s matriculation exams. The student examinations are taken at the end of their upper secondary education, the only nationwide test in Finland. The tests constitute the Finnish high schools' final exam and are required to qualify for entry into university. Each pupil is required to pass at least four tests to graduate.

Next in line come the traditional leaders of the pack:  Espoo’s Etelä-Tapio Upper Secondary School, Helsinki’s Ressu Upper Secondary School and the Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu (SYK). Just last year, these same three schools topped the ranking in the exact same order.

The average matriculation exam scores achieved by students of the Etelä-Tapiola school have been on the rise consistently since the turn of the century. Of those schools ranked high on the list, the Olari Upper Secondary School in Espoo made the biggest improvement this year, jumping up two full points in the comparison.

Gap grows between best and worst

The yearly comparison is compiled from the results of this spring’s matriculation exams, as the same test is administered to all graduating students throughout the country. The results tally the exam scores by assigning 7 points for the top score of laudatur, 6 points for the next best score of eximia cum laude approbatur and so forth down to one point for the lowest passing score of improbatur. In line with a centuries-old tradition, the scores on the matriculation exams in Finland are given as verbal Latin names.

The differences in test scores between those schools at the top and bottom of the list grew this year, with the ten most successful schools showing an average grade of 22.87, while the schools producing the ten lowest scores came in at an average of 13.57. The highest score of 25 slightly outranked last year's top two schools.

The list below contains 2015's top ten upper secondary schools in the ranking. Please consult the Finnish language article for a complete list of all of Finland's schools.