Graduates rate SeAMK as the third best university of applied sciences in Finland

Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK) has been ranked among the top three universities of applied sciences in Finland for the sixth consecutive year in the latest results of the nationwide graduand feedback questionnaire (AVOP). SeAMK’s position in the 2024 results was third, calculated based on the average of all approximately one hundred questions in the survey.

SeAMK ranked highly in several question groups in the questionnaire. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree rated SeAMK as number one in the following areas: learning environments, thesis work. Additionally, SeAMK achieved a top-three position in areas such as studies, study support services, work-life connections, career counselling, and student satisfaction.

“The feedback from graduates is extremely valuable to us, and it is great to hear positive evaluations. We are pleased that the results show SeAMK continuing its strong performance as one of Finland’s leading universities of applied sciences. We have been among the top three nationally for six consecutive years,” says SeAMK’s President & CEO Jaakko Hallila.

SeAMK has many of Finland’s best bachelor degree programmes

SeAMK’s degree programmes also perform well in national comparisons. The bachelor degree programes that rank at the top nationwide include Library and Information Services, Agriculture and Rural Enterprises, Hospitality Management, and Food Processing and Biotechnology.

“It is wonderful to see that all three of our food-related degree programmes – Agriculture and Rural Enterprises, Hospitality Management, and Food Processing and Biotechnology – have been rated number one by graduates,” says Anu Katila, head of the Agriculture and Rural Enterprises, Hospitality Management, and Food Processing and Biotechnology degree programmes. The expertise of teachers, various teaching methods, and diverse internships received particular praise.

Other bachelor degree programmes close to the top nationally include Applied Gerontology (2nd), Automation Engineering (3rd), Cultural Management (2nd), and Business Administration (3rd).

“At SeAMK, teaching is developed with a long-term perspective, and it is very gratifying to see that it produces good results based on graduates’ evaluations. We invest in studies and the student experience, so feedback from students and graduates is important for the continuous development of our operations. Our goal is to be the best university for you,” says Anne-Maria Aho, Faculty Dean.

Entrepreneurship readiness and the student union SAMO receive positive evaluations

The graduand feedback questionnaire includes several individual questions. SeAMK ranked among the top three in numerous questions.

In individual questions, SeAMK achieved strategically important results, such as in providing entrepreneurship readiness, where it returned to the number one position from last year’s second place. In terms of teaching, SeAMK ranked in the top three in areas such as interaction in studies, strengthening group work and presentation skills, and natural collaboration with teachers, as well as diverse learning environments, teaching and study facilities, and the student community. Additionally, SeAMK ranked at the top nationally in several questions related to internships and work-life relationships.

A great source of joy for SeAMK for many years has been the question about the services and activities of the student union supporting studies. In this question, the student union SAMO has now achieved the number one position for the seventh consecutive year.

“This is once again a very pleasant and wonderful result and a significant acknowledgment of the work done for the benefit of students and our members. The valuable and genuine recognition comes directly from those for whom we have worked diligently,” says Jani Erkkonen, Executive Director of the student union SAMO.

About the questionnaire

AVOP – Graduand feedback questionnaire of the universities of applied sciences asks graduating students to evaluate and provide feedback on their education. The findings are used locally by universities to improve their processes and practices and nationally to inform performance-based monitoring and funding. All graduating degree students from universities of applied sciences are requested to fill out the questionnaire. A total of 32,967 graduates responded to the survey in 2024. There were 1,077 respondents from SeAMK.

The questionnaire was developed in close cooperation with the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (ARENE), the Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (SAMOK), Foundation for Research on Studying and Education (OTUS) and the Ministry for Education and Culture. The responsibility for development and implementation of the questionnaire lies with Arene.

The statistics are freely available at the Vipunen statistics services of the educational administration.

Further information:

Jaakko Hallila
President & CEO
SeAMK
jaakko.hallila@seamk.fi
+358 40 8680621