International School of Helsinki and Ressun lukio are both in Helsinki, about 1 km apart. Both schools offer IB programmes, and Ressun lukio also offers Finnish. Published annual fees are €12,432 - 16,608 at International School of Helsinki and €10,600 - 14,000 at Ressun lukio, which puts International School of Helsinki roughly 18% higher. International School of Helsinki takes pupils from 4 to 18, and Ressun lukio from 15 to 18. Ressun lukio is the larger school, with around 980 pupils to International School of Helsinki's 500.
Ressun lukio is located in the very heart of Helsinki at Kalevankatu 8-10, 00100 Helsinki. Two upper secondary school programmes operate in two different buildings. The school is run by the City of Helsinki and has approximately 900 students and 60 teachers. Tuition is free, and meals and health services are provided.
Stages
Stages
Ages 4 to 19; Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP)
Stages
Two upper secondary programmes: the Finnish-language programme following the Finnish national curriculum, and the English-language programme following the IB Diploma Programme.
School type
School type
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School type
General upper secondary school
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
40+ nationalities represented
Pupil nationality mix
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Additional learning support
Additional learning support
ISH provides student support including services for students with additional educational needs, English-language learners, and social-emotional/behavioral needs
Application fee - Application fee: EUR 350 per student. Payment of the application fee is accepted by credit card only.
One-time and registration fees - First-time registration (entry) fee: EUR 3,150 (payable once upon entry for new students). - Refundable security deposit: EUR 1,000 per family (held against unpaid fees; refundable subject to the school's notice and settlement conditions). - Non-refundable deposit to hold place: EUR 500 per student (invoiced each spring and applied to following year's tuition). - Annual capital fee: EUR 1,100 per student (charged in addition to tuition).
Tuition fees by year group (annual totals) - Early Years (Discovery / Explorers): EUR 12,067 per year. - Grades 1–5 (Lower School): EUR 13,341 per year. - Grades 6–8 (Middle Years): EUR 14,143 per year. - Grades 9–10: EUR 14,933 per year. - Grades 11–12 (Diploma Programme years): EUR 16,121 per year.
Tuition fee breakdown (components used in annual totals) - Basic tuition fee (component of the annual total): EUR 8,914 per student. - Supplementary tuition fee (varies by grade level and represents the difference between state cap and school's costs): - Early Years supplementary: EUR 2,053. - Grades 1–5 supplementary: EUR 3,327. - Grades 6–8 supplementary: EUR 4,129. - Grades 9–10 supplementary: EUR 4,919. - Grades 11–12 supplementary: EUR 6,107.
Non-residency fee (where applicable) - Non-resident students only: Grades 1–9 non-residency fee EUR 2,910; Grades 10–12 non-residency fee EUR 2,666. These are charged when a student does not have the municipality-of-residence documentation required for resident grant levels.
Per-term / trimester payment amounts (trimester payment option — example figures from published payment schedule) - The school year is divided into three trimesters (Aug–Oct; Nov–Feb; Mar–May). When using the trimester payment option, basic and supplementary tuition (and non-residency fee where applicable) are charged 30% (trimester 1), 40% (trimester 2) and 30% (trimester 3). A one-time administration fee of EUR 180 per student is charged for the trimester payment option (included in the last invoice). Example trimester invoices (2020/21 figures) were: - Early Years total EUR 12,247 — trimester instalments approximately EUR 4,390.10; EUR 4,386.80; EUR 3,470.10. - Grades 1–5 total EUR 13,521 — trimester instalments approximately EUR 4,772.30; EUR 4,896.40; EUR 3,852.30. - Grades 6–8 total EUR 14,323 — trimester instalments approximately EUR 5,012.90; EUR 5,217.20; EUR 4,092.90. - Grades 9–10 total EUR 15,113 — trimester instalments approximately EUR 5,249.90; EUR 5,533.20; EUR 4,329.90. - Grades 11–12 total EUR 16,301 — trimester instalments approximately EUR 5,606.30; EUR 6,008.40; EUR 4,686.30.
Billing schedule and payment terms - Single-payment option: basic and supplementary tuition fees are payable in full by 30 June prior to the start of the academic year. - Trimester-payment option: due dates shown in the published schedule (example year) were 30 June (Trimester 1), 15 November (Trimester 2) and 28 February (Trimester 3); the trimester split is 30% / 40% / 30% for basic and supplementary tuition. A one-time EUR 180 fee applies for the trimester payment option. - Late payments: overdue payments are subject to interest charges (example policy showed 7% per annum) and continued non-payment may result in loss of the student's place after reminders and procedures. - Withdrawal notice: a minimum notice period applies (30 days advance notice required in the published schedule); final fee calculation depends on the date of formal withdrawal.
Refund information - Refunds are granted only for basic and supplementary tuition payments for full trimesters not attended. Any trimester that a student has started to attend must be paid in full. Students departing after 28 February receive no refund for that academic year. Application, registration, annual capital and non-residency fees are non-refundable.
Boarding / accommodation - The school operates as a day school; boarding is not offered and no boarding fees apply.
Other costs and optional fees - IB examination and registration fees are invoiced separately (IBO charges). - Materials / class activity fees and optional service fees (examples from published schedules) may include a materials fee and activity-specific charges; optional student support or therapy services and after-school care are charged separately and on a needs/participation basis. Exact optional-service fees vary by year and service. - The school may invoice additional one-off or annual charges (for example membership or capital levies); these are set or confirmed by the school's governance and may vary year to year.
Fee payment practicalities - The application fee is charged by credit card only. Invoicing and payment arrangements for tuition and other fees are handled by the school's Business Office; parents receive invoices with due dates and payment instructions. Specific accepted payment methods for tuition invoices (for example bank transfer or in-person card payment) are provided on those invoices and via the Business Office.
Fee details
Application fees
- No separate application fee is charged by Ressun lukio for admission to its general upper secondary (lukio) or IB Diploma Programme; applications are submitted through the national joint application process used by Helsinki general upper secondary schools.
Tuition fees (by programme and year group)
- For students who are residents of Finland or who are otherwise entitled to free municipal upper secondary education (including EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and those with equivalent residence status), there is no tuition charged for any year group; instruction, required study materials, school meals on required school days and student welfare/health services are provided without tuition charge.
- For students who are required to pay full-cost tuition (students arriving to Finland from countries outside the EU/EEA/Norway/Iceland/Liechtenstein/Switzerland who begin studies on or after 1 August 2026), the City of Helsinki's published standard tuition amounts for general upper secondary education are: - National general upper secondary (lukio): EUR 10,600 per academic year. - IB Diploma Programme (Ressun IB): EUR 14,000 per academic year.
- Per-term breakdown for the full-cost tuition amounts (where the school bills on academic-year basis but parents/operators require a per-term figure): - National general upper secondary: EUR 10,600 per academic year → EUR 5,300 per semester (assuming billing is divided in two equal semesters). - IB Diploma Programme: EUR 14,000 per academic year → EUR 7,000 per semester (assuming billing is divided in two equal semesters).
Billing schedule and payment terms
- The City's published tuition amounts are shown as annual fees. Specific published invoices, installment dates, exact billing cycle or statutory payment deadlines for individual families are not detailed in the public school summary materials. The tuition amounts above are presented as annual sums by the City of Helsinki.
Boarding fees (if applicable)
- Ressun lukio is a day upper secondary school operating in Helsinki city premises and does not operate a school boarding/dormitory programme; there are no boarding fees applicable.
Other costs or fees
- For students entitled to free municipal education, routine study materials, school meals on required school days and student welfare/health services are provided without charge. Extra optional items or activities (for example, voluntary school trips, optional extracurricular activities, personal equipment, or optional course materials beyond the standard curriculum) may incur separate charges to families; such optional costs are not listed as routine tuition.
- IB-related final examination registration/subject fees: for candidates not covered by the municipal entitlements, per-exam fees set by the awarding authorities apply; the national matriculation/examination authority's per-subject fee for autumn 2026 is indicated as €41 per paper (note: fees for IB subject registrations and the IB organization's school/registration fees are administered separately).
Refund information
- Refunds of examination fees (in special or exceptional circumstances) are governed by the Matriculation Examination Board's rules and guidance; requests for refunds of examination fees must follow the Board's procedures and deadlines. For students who fall under the municipality's entitled/free-education category, the school will pay the registration fees for the first examination session.
- No separate municipal public schedule for refunds of annual tuition (for the full-cost tuition category) is published in the summary material; specific refund terms and cancellation conditions for tuition-paying students would be set in the City's billing and contract documentation.
Fee payment options
- The publicly posted school and City summary pages do not list specific permitted payment methods (for example, bank transfer, direct debit, card payment or online payment portal) for tuition invoicing. Payment methods and invoicing details are handled through the City of Helsinki's finance/billing processes and the school's administration at the time of invoicing.
Brief note on available public detail
- The City of Helsinki publishes that regular municipal students attend tuition-free and lists the annual full-cost tuition figures that apply to students required to pay (EUR 10,600 for national lukio; EUR 14,000 for IB). Specific operational details that were not published in the public summary materials reviewed include the school's exact billing schedule (invoice dates and installment breakdowns as issued to families), detailed tuition refund policy language for full-cost-paying students, and the explicit list of accepted payment channels.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
ISH offers the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the Diploma Programme (DP) as part of the IB World School framework. The language of instruction is English; Spanish, French and Finnish as a Foreign Language, plus Finnish Mother Tongue, are offered, with English as an Additonal Language (EAL) support for identified students. The PYP uses an integrated, cross-curricular approach and runs from early years through Grade 5; the MYP is a 5-year programme for Grades 6–10; the DP is a 2-year programme for Grades 11–12. ISH became Finland's first fully IB-accredited school in 2005.
Curriculum details
Two upper secondary programmes: Finnish-language programme follows the Finnish national curriculum; English-language programme follows the international IB Diploma Programme.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
1:5
Student teacher ratio
Approximately 15:1 (about 900 students and 60 teachers).
Exam results
Exam results
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Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
The High School Diploma (HSDP) and the IB Diploma (DP) are recognized by leading universities.
Higher education progression
Graduates are admitted to top universities in Finland and around the world.
Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
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Gifted and talented
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Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
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Social & emotional learning
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Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
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Special educational needs (SEN)
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English as an additional language
English as an additional language
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English as an additional language
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Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
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Mental wellbeing
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Safeguarding
Safeguarding
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Safeguarding
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Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
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Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
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Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
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Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
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Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
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History
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Community
Community
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Community
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Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
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Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
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Academic & intellectual
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Arts & creative
Arts & creative
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Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
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Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
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Social & hobbies
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Community & service
Community & service
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Community & service
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Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
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Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
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Language provision
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Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
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Bilingual teaching
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Immersion programs
Immersion programs
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Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
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Accreditations
Accreditations
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Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
1. Submit the online application via OpenApply with the required documents. All uploaded documents must be in English or translations with originals. Documents required vary by level but typically include the application form, enrolment and payment agreement, copy of passport, and school reports for the past two years. For Lower School there is a New Applicant Online Parent Survey and teacher reference forms; for Upper School there is an introductory letter from the applicant and teacher reference forms; Learning Support students must attach an IEP and recent assessments; an application fee of 350€ per student is charged.
2. After the admissions office has received a complete application, the applicant will be considered for admission. Submitting faulty or insufficient information can reverse the admissions decision.
3. An interview will be conducted when: the applicant is applying for Upper School (grades 9-12); the applicant has learning support needs; submitted documents need to be clarified; class placement needs to be defined.
4. English Language Expectations: High School applicants must demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency to succeed in high school. English language skills are evaluated throughout the admissions process, including a complete application and a student interview, and in some cases, an additional English assessment may be required.
5. Residency Requirements: Students must reside with at least one parent or a designated guardian while enrolled. The school requires verification of guardian arrangements to ensure student welfare and compliance with safeguarding policies.
