As the most populous city in Northern Finland, Oulu has over 100,000 inhabitants. The city is home to the Oulu University of Applied Sciences, the University of Oulu, and a vocational college.

The formal higher education system of Finland is the 7-3-2-2 pattern. The university takes two years in vocational or technical education and finally two-year pre-tertiary education. Finland also has several public as well as private universities that have enabled accessibility of higher education to students.

A bachelor's degree is given to students who fulfill the necessary requirements given by the college or university they are attending. The requirements include three to seven years of focus on a subject, typically referred to as a major or concentration.