Aalto University vs South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences - XAMK vs Arcada University of Applied Sciences - UAS vs LAB University of Applied Sciences - LAB vs VAMK University of Applied Sciences

Side-by-side comparison from 77 verified student reviews. Scan one row at a time — winners are highlighted

Quick verdict
Higher overall rating: South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences - XAMK (4.90)
Aalto University: wins 0/7 categories
South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences - XAMK: wins 4/7 categories
Arcada University of Applied Sciences - UAS: wins 1/7 categories
LAB University of Applied Sciences - LAB : wins 1/7 categories
VAMK University of Applied Sciences: wins 1/7 categories
Novia University of Applied Sciences: wins 0/7 categories
LUT University - LUT: wins 0/7 categories
Comparing
Espoo, Finland
4.70
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36 reviews
×
Best programme: Computer Engineering
Best programme: BHC in Nursing
Best programme: Finance
Best programme: Bachelor of Nursing
Best programme: Energy Engineering
Lappeenranta, Finland
4.40
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5 reviews
×
Best programme: Business Economics
Category ratings
Facilities
4.39
4.79
4.67
4.80
Win
4.00
Not rated
4.40
Location
4.06
4.50
Win
4.33
3.80
2.00
Not rated
3.80
Professors
4.11
4.92
5.00
Win
3.60
4.00
Not rated
4.60
Internationality
4.33
4.75
4.33
4.20
5.00
Win
Not rated
3.80
Student life
4.30
4.54
Win
4.33
4.20
3.00
Not rated
4.20
Value
4.36
4.75
Win
4.67
4.00
4.00
Not rated
4.00
Accommodation
4.24
4.42
Win
4.00
4.40
4.00
Not rated
4.20
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • +Rigorous, independent learning with practical, hands-on experience
  • +Active student life, community support, and multidisciplinary collaboration
  • +Flexible course options and excellent facilities
  • +Passionate, supportive, and communicative educators
  • +Practical, career-focused programmes and real-world connections
  • +International atmosphere and flexible learning paths
  • +Practical, relevant learning and real-world projects
  • +Supportive and knowledgeable staff
  • +Modern facilities and updated resources
  • +Supportive environment for idea development and learning
  • +Good facilities and professional support for studies and career goals
  • +Flexible study options and access to technology
  • +Industry connection and practical experience
  • +Relevant, real-world focused curriculum

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  • +Supportive professors and excellent learning environment
  • +Practical, project-based, and industry-oriented coursework
  • +Strong research focus and modern facilities
Cons
  • -Administrative and management issues cause frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and technology are a significant drawback.
  • -Lack of support and engagement from staff is concerning.
  • -Inefficient administrative processes cause frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and equipment hinder learning.
  • -Lack of clear communication and transparency from staff creates confusion.
  • -Administrative and management issues cause significant frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and insufficient resources hinder learning.
  • -Poor communication and lack of support are prevalent concerns.
  • -Administrative and management issues create frequent problems.
  • -Outdated facilities and a lack of modern resources are consistently criticized.
  • -The curriculum is perceived as irrelevant and poorly delivered by instructors.
  • -Administrative and management issues cause significant frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and resources are a persistent problem.
  • -Lack of clear communication and support is a recurring complaint.

Nothing to show

  • -Inefficient administrative and management issues cause significant frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and a lack of necessary resources hinder learning.
  • -Communication breakdowns and a perceived lack of support from faculty create a negative environment.
Rating summary
What students say

With a generally strong showing across multiple aspects, this university excels in **Facilities**, receiving a high rating of 4.39. **Internationality** and **Value** also scored well, both above 4.3. Conversely, **Location** presents the weakest area, with a rating of 4.06. The university demonstrates robust performance in student-focused categories like **Student Life** and **Accomodation**, while **Professors** also maintain a solid score.

This institution earns exceptionally high marks, particularly in the **professors** category with a near-perfect score. **Facilities** and **internationality** also stand out with strong ratings. Areas receiving slightly lower, though still positive, scores include **student life** and **accommodation**. Overall, the university demonstrates a well-rounded positive profile.

This institution demonstrates outstanding strengths in its **Professors**, achieving a perfect score. Facilities and Value also receive exceptionally high marks. Conversely, Accomodation is the lowest-rated category. Other aspects like Location, Student Life, and Internationality are well-regarded, indicating a generally positive student experience.

Across several key areas, this institution demonstrates considerable strengths. Facilities stand out with an impressive 4.8 rating. Student life and internationality also score highly at 4.2, supported by solid accommodation at 4.4 and good overall value (4.0). The primary area for improvement appears to be professors, receiving the lowest rating at 3.6. Location also registers a moderate score of 3.8.

This institution demonstrates notable strengths in its **internationality**, achieving a perfect score, and its **facilities**, **professors**, and **accommodation**, all receiving high marks. Conversely, the **location** stands out as its weakest area, indicated by a lower rating. Student life and overall value are rated respectably in the middle tier.

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With a robust average score of 4.1, the university demonstrates particular strengths in its **Professors** (4.6) and **Facilities** (4.4). Areas receiving slightly lower, though still solid, marks include **Location** and **Internationality**, both at 3.8. Student life and accommodation are well-regarded, scoring 4.2 respectively, with overall value sitting at a respectable 4.

Reviews summary
Highlights

University reviews are overwhelmingly positive (~92% 4-5 stars), highlighting strong academic challenges, independent learning, and active student life with multidisciplinary opportunities. A small amount of feedback (~8%) suggests courses may be too short to fully grasp topics.

All 26 reviews are positive, averaging 4.88/5. Students praise practical, student-centered education, supportive teachers, and innovation. A minor concern was difficulty securing clinical practice due to language skills.

All 100% of reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.25/5. Students highlight a sense of belonging, welcoming staff, practical learning, and modern facilities. Some mention concern about course scheduling.

With an average rating of 4/5, reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Students praise learning opportunities, valuable knowledge, and practical skills. Facilities and equipment, including 3D printers and design software, are highlighted.

This single review offers a positive perspective, highlighting strong industry connections and relevant, real-world focused coursework. The average rating is 4/5, with 100% of feedback being positive.

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Students highly recommend LUT University, highlighting supportive professors, modern facilities, and a strong research/sustainability focus. ~80% of feedback is positive, praising practical coursework and a calm academic environment. A small amount of feedback noted limited job support for international students.

Rating distribution
5★
56%
88%
25%
20%
0%
0%
60%
4★
39%
12%
75%
60%
100%
0%
20%
3★
11%
0%
0%
20%
0%
0%
20%
2★
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1★
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Most useful review
Most liked
Student

Aalto University is honestly such an amazing place. The campus is right in the middle of nature, with woods and water all around. The student life here is super active, there are tons of student clubs that host different events all over the week, which provide great opportunities to make some new friends! One thing that really surprised me was how multidisciplinary the courses are. Being able to collaborate in diverse teams of designers and engineers is a rare opportunity that simply doesn't exist at many other institutions. It really pushes you to think outside the box and reflect more deeply on your work. P.S. If you’re lucky, you can even catch the Northern Lights right from campus!

My experience studying nursing at Xamk.

Studying nursing at Xamk has been a practical and rewarding experience to me regardless of my previous background in-terms of profession. The programme strongly focuses on hands-on skills, simulation training, and clinical placements, which has helped me connect theory directly to real nursing practice. The teachers are supportive and approachable, and the learning environment encourages growth both professionally and personally, being able to also learn a new language (Finnish) within a short period of time with the help of Xamk has been a great milestone to me. Overall, Xamk has prepared me well for working life in healthcare.

ARCADA experience - Mechanical Engineering

In all honesty, my university offers a fantastic level of education, dedicated and extensively knowledgeable lecturers, as well as a spacious, clean, modern campus. These items make it a great place to study. However, one specific trait that bothers me personally is that some of the more important courses are limited to a single period (half a semester), to make space for other courses that I deem unnecessary or that could be optional instead of mandatory. Overall, my experience at Arcada has been outstanding.

next-level facility, diverse study materials and helpful lecturers

LAB has one of the most modern, smart and inclusive university facilities in Europe. The campus houses a diverse set of meeting rooms, working spaces that are professionally suitable for students of every faculty. The nursing students have got impressively updated equipment and labs, and so do the people of Design Institute, Engineering, and Business. The facility encourages learning, but it also puts an emphasis on relaxing and maintaining balance. LAB has built an exercise point, along with equipping billiard table, mini basketball game, and 2 ping pong tables indoor. Also, the campus is open 24/7, accessible always with a student or staff card. The university also owns a holistic range of academic journals, books, articles in its physical and digital libraries. Making a library card, loaning and returning a book is as easy as ever. The lecturers for courses taught in English could be better, in my opinion. They are very helpful and responsive, but at times, lectures are somewhat boring.

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Strong practical focus coursework.

From my perspective, my experience at LUT University has been positive overall. I especially liked the strong focus on project-based and practical coursework, which helped me gain real-world skills. The academic environment is calm and research-oriented. However, I felt that the university is not very supportive when it comes to helping international students find jobs. Overall, I would recommend it to students who are independent and proactive.

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