Arcada ranked first among Finnish UASs second year running
Published: 27.11.2017 / Press release
Arcada once again placed first in the yearly comparison of universities of applied sciences in Finland. The comparison, which is made by Metropolia UAS, takes results both within education and research into account, and is based on the funding indicators put in place by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
The report concludes that Arcada is the highest performing university of applied sciences in relation to its size 2016. The report focuses on how the UASs in Finland perform in the fields relevant to the funding model used by the ministry.
“The gap between the UASs’ results have decreased, and it’s increasingly challenging to keep the position with such competition. I’m proud that we at Arcada have managed to stay on top for the second year running, and that our dedicated work is acknowledged,” Arcada’s rector Henrik Wolff says. “The result shows that we’ve chosen the right areas to develop and that our dedicated work pays off.”
The ranking is based on e.g. the amount of completed degrees, ECTS credits, education through Open Studies, international mobility, employment rate, research publications and external research funding.
“To remain in the top of the rankings a UAS needs significant and strong research activities. Our great results when it comes to research publications and external research activities were paramount for us placing first in this comparison. Arcada’s Open University also continues to perform far better than the average,” Wolff concludes.
The results in the comparison are important as the governmental funding of UASs is based on performances.
“Being ranked first also contributes to Arcada’s reputation and makes the UAS more attractive. This acknowledgement also motivates both the staff and students, who all share the credit for the good results.”
The difference between the UASs decreases, and according to Wolff it will take a positive working environment, result-oriented leadership and clearly defined focus areas, as well as dedicated efforts from staff and students, to continue to stay on top in the future.
“We should still improve our results when it comes to e.g. master’s degree students graduating and the number of students that complete at least 55 ECTS-credits per academic year,” Wolff says.
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Further information:
Rector Henrik Wolff, phone 050 649 36
