Graduates of Diaconia University of Applied Sciences have the highest employment rate in a new comparison of Finland’s universities of applied sciences. Employment among health and social care graduates remained strong in 2024, despite a nationwide decline in employment among recent graduates.
“We are delighted with the result. Finding a job gives graduates the chance to build their future. It also means society benefits from professionals who support people’s wellbeing and inclusion,” says Kati Komulainen, CEO and President of Diak.
The Employment 2026 report by the Osviitta information service compares employment rates one, three and five years after graduation among holders of bachelor’s degrees from universities of applied sciences. Diak’s average employment rate across the three groups was 90.3%, compared with 85.7% nationally. The comparison is based on employment data for 2024.
A strong result in a challenging job market
People who graduated from universities of applied sciences in 2023 were less likely to be in work a year after graduation than those who graduated in 2022. The employment rate for the 2023 graduates at the end of 2024 was 1.7 percentage points lower than the rate for the 2022 graduates at the end of 2023.
Health and social care was, however, the only field of study in the report to see an improvement in employment compared with the previous year. This finding is based on the average employment rate across the three groups.
“We want our graduates’ skills to remain in demand. That is why we work with employers to develop our education. We need to understand what skills are needed in the workplace and how those needs are changing,” Komulainen says.
Educating professionals for a socially sustainable society
Diak’s strategy for 2025–2028 aims to reverse the trend of growing inequality in Finland, working alongside its partners. Diak contributes to this goal by offering equal opportunities to learn and equipping professionals with the skills needed in the workplace.
“Students from different backgrounds must have the opportunity to pursue an education. We also need professionals who understand people’s different circumstances and know how to help. Graduate employment is one measure of the impact of education, but the difference our graduates make in people’s everyday lives matters just as much,” Komulainen says.
About the comparison
The Employment 2026 report, produced by Viivain Ltd’s Osviitta information service, is dated November 2026. The data were compiled from Vipunen, Finland’s education statistics service, and are based on Statistics Finland’s graduate placement data. The comparison examines employment at the end of 2024, one, three and five years after graduation. It covers graduates who completed bachelor’s degrees at universities of applied sciences in 2023, 2021 and 2019. Diak’s first-place ranking is based on the average employment rate across these three groups.
Further information
Kati Komulainen
Aura Vuorenrinne
