Jyväskylä has maintained its strong position as a student city

National survey shows how the status is evolving

A national survey conducted by Taloustutkimus, which is repeated annually, provides comparable information on Jyväskylä's ranking in relation to other study cities. The ranking between the cities has remained relatively stable from year to year. Jyväskylä has increased its overall score somewhat, but as in previous years, it still ranks fourth after Tampere, Turku and Helsinki. In terms of reputation, the ranking of the cities has also remained unchanged, with Jyväskylä ranking fifth. 

A total of 2 536 respondents aged under 30 answered the survey "Student Cities 2023 - Image and willingness to recommend", of which 1 781 respondents rated Jyväskylä. The overall average rating of 7.9 is better than in previous years (2022: 7.81 and 2021: 7.84). 

37% of respondents are willing to recommend Jyväskylä as a study city to their friends, the fourth highest among the comparison cities. Here too, the situation has remained unchanged. Jyväskylä's reputation as a place to live, its location in Finland and the size of the city speak in its favour. The location of the place of study in the city also has an impact, as do the atmosphere, the cost of living, the feeling of security and the opportunities for leisure activities. 

Local students' assessment is based on experience

In spring 2023, Jyväskylä commissioned its own student survey for the first time to find out more about local students' perceptions of Jyväskylä as a student city. During May, 990 students responded to the survey conducted by Tietoykkönen. 

The local experience of Jyväskylä as a student city is even better than the national reputation of Jyväskylä. The rating and willingness to recommend Jyväskylä as a study city by students exceeds the national survey. The results support previous perceptions of Jyväskylä's strengths as a student city. Jyväskylä receives an overall score of 8.6 from its students.

The most common reasons for studying in Jyväskylä are the interesting field of study offered by the institution, Jyväskylä's good reputation as a student city and the city's convenient size. The vast majority of respondents (90%) would also recommend Jyväskylä as a study city. Reasons given for recommending Jyväskylä included its convenient size and short distances, its community atmosphere, student friendliness, vibrant student culture and closeness to nature. 

- Jyväskylä is just the right size and, from a student's point of view, everything is close and easily accessible. The housing situation is really good and students are taken into account in many things, such as student discounts. Transport connections are also good everywhere and the university is close to the city centre," says one student, listing the reasons for recommending the city.

Up to 93% of respondents said that Jyväskylä is a great place to enjoy nature or somewhat agreed with this statement. Students are also mostly satisfied with their current housing situation. Up to 89% of respondents agreed or somewhat agreed.

- I found friends and acquaintances who are like me, I enjoy my field, I found interesting side subjects and student organisations, I liked Jyväskylä's cultural offerings, nature and sports facilities, I found a nice apartment", says another respondent, explaining the reasons for their stay in the city.

The results will help to strengthen communication and marketing of the student city

The City of Jyväskylä has discussed the results with educational institutions. The aim is to make better use of the information from the surveys and the strengths identified there, for example to attract new students to Jyväskylä. 

- Highlighting the strengths of Jyväskylä as a student city in joint communication and marketing is important as competition for students will become increasingly fierce in the coming years. To compete successfully, it is important to highlight not only our strong educational institutions but also the other strengths of our city," says Terhi Pekkarinen, marketing expert responsible for developing the marketing of Jyväskylä as a student city.