Arcada awarded status as Elite Athlete Friendly University
Published: 06.05.2026 / Press release
Arcada University of Applied Sciences has been audited by the Finnish Olympic Committee and awarded status as Elite Athlete Friendly University. The recognition confirms Arcada’s long term and systematic commitment to supporting elite athletes’ dual careers, enabling the successful combination of higher education studies and elite sports.
Examinations remotely, guidance, planning support, and individual solutions are often required to make things work when pursuing a career as an elite athlete while also completing a higher education degree. Close cooperation between the athlete, the academic programme, and support services makes this possible.
Arcada’s commitment to supporting students who combine studies with a sports career dates back to 2003. Being an elite athlete friendly institution means that Arcada guarantees that students pursuing elite sports can combine their studies with training, competition, and recovery. Over the years, the university of applied sciences has developed structures, working methods, and individual solutions that enable elite athletes to study flexibly without compromising either academic quality or athletic development.
When the Finnish Olympic Committee began auditing higher education institutions in 2023, it was a natural step for Arcada to take part. Now, Arcada’s support for elite athletes has been audited, and the institution has been granted the status of a elite athlete friendly university. Lecturer Joachim Ring, who is responsible for elite sports activities at Arcada, is both pleased and proud of the new status.
“This is a very important recognition of work that has been built over a long period of time. For us, it is about seeing the whole person and creating realistic conditions for both high‑level studies and sports. At Arcada, students do not have to choose between an education and a sports career,” says Ring.
Arcada views the distinction both as confirmation of the work already done and as an incentive to continue developing support for students with an active sports career. Read more about the activities on Arcada’s website.
Since 2023, the Finnish Olympic Committee has been auditing higher education institutions and awarding the quality label Elite Athlete Friendly University. The aim is to build a national operating model that supports athletes’ dual careers at the higher education level, in a similar way to sports‑oriented comprehensive schools and upper secondary schools.
