Higher education in Finland consists of two parallel sectors: universities and polytechnics that are also called universities of applied sciences. Universities are characterised by scientific research and the highest education based thereon. Polytechnics are oriented towards working life and base their operations on the high vocational skill requirements set by it. Polytechnic-level post-graduate degree programmes are being trialled during 2002-2005.  

One of every two Finns has completed post comprehensive school education and 14 percent have a university degree. The literacy rate in Finland is very close to 100 percent.

Adult education is organised in more than 1,000 institutions for ca. one million students annually. Adults are offered education leading to initial qualifications or certificates achieved through, for example, open university studies, and preparatory training for competence-based examinations. Other significant forms of adult education include continuing and further training to update, diversify and consolidate vocational competences, and a variety of skill-oriented, social and purely recreational studies.
More information: http://www.oph.fi/english

Finland once again came out top in the OECD's latest PISA study of learning skills among 15-year-olds, with high performances in mathematics and science matching those of top-ranking Asian school systems in Hong Kong-China, Japan and Korea. Finland already led in the PISA 2000 reading assessment, and in PISA 2003 it maintained its high level of reading literacy while further improving its performance in mathematics and science.

More than 250,000 students in 41 countries took part in PISA 2003m the second three-yearly survey of its kind. The main focus in PISA 2003 was on mathematics, but the survey also looked at student performance in problemsolving, science and reading and at students' approaches to learning and attitudes to school.
More information: www.oecd.org

Quote from "VET in Finland" (pdf-document) pages 6-7