Ressun lukio vs The English School - Grades 7-9 and High School
Ressun lukio and The English School - Grades 7-9 and High School are both in Helsinki, about 4 km apart. Both schools offer Finnish programmes. Ressun lukio also offers IB, and The English School - Grades 7-9 and High School also offers Bespoke and Cambridge IGCSE. Published annual fees are €10,600 - 14,000 at Ressun lukio and €673 - 11,314 at The English School - Grades 7-9 and High School, which puts Ressun lukio roughly 105% higher. Ressun lukio takes pupils from 15 to 18, and The English School - Grades 7-9 and High School from 13 to 18. Ressun lukio is the larger school, with around 980 pupils to The English School - Grades 7-9 and High School's 700.
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.
Location
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Stages
Stages
Two upper secondary programmes: the Finnish-language programme following the Finnish national curriculum, and the English-language programme following the IB Diploma Programme.
- 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.
Fee details
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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
The school provides meals at no charge.
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
The school is run by the City of Helsinki. It operates two upper secondary programmes: the Finnish-language programme following the Finnish national curriculum and the English-language IB Diploma Programme.
Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
Two upper secondary programmes: Finnish-language programme follows the Finnish national curriculum; English-language programme follows the international IB Diploma Programme.
Curriculum details
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Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
Approximately 15:1 (about 900 students and 60 teachers).
Student teacher ratio
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Exam results
Exam results
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Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
Graduates are admitted to top universities in Finland and around the world.
Higher education progression
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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
The student association is active and holds various events each year. An active parents' association supports the students.
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
The English-language programme follows the international IB Diploma Programme.
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
The upper secondary school comprises two programmes: a Finnish-language programme following the Finnish national curriculum and an English-language programme following the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The two programmes operate in two different buildings in the heart of Helsinki, with easy traffic connections. The school has approximately 900 students and 60 teachers, and the students are aged 15–19. The school is run by the City of Helsinki, and tuition, study materials, meals and health services are free. The library is good and contains books, magazines and newspapers; the classrooms are equipped with modern presentation technology; and the school building includes a gym.
Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
The school has a gym on site.
Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
Two buildings host the Finnish-language programme and the English-language IB Diploma Programme. The classrooms are equipped with modern presentation technology. The library provides books, magazines and newspapers for student use. The City of Helsinki runs the school and offers free tuition, study materials, meals and health services.
Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
The student association is active and holds various events each year. An active parents' association supports the students. The school cooperates with guardians, universities, companies and cooperation partners in Finland and around the world.
Extra curricular facilities
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Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
Ressun lukio forms an upper secondary school in the very heart of Helsinki, with easy access to transport. Two programmes operate in two buildings: the Finnish-language programme follows the Finnish national curriculum, and the English-language programme follows the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Ressun lukio and Ressun lukio IB World School together host around 900 students and about 60 teachers; students are typically 15 to 19 years old. Either programme leads to general university entry qualifications. The school is run by the City of Helsinki and does not charge tuition; study materials, meals and health services are provided.
History
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Community
Community
The student association is active and holds various events each year. An active parents' association supports the students. The school is committed to international cooperation and the spirit of open-mindedness. It cooperates in many ways with guardians, universities, companies and cooperation partners in Finland and across the world.
Community
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Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
An active parents' association supports the students.
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
Erasmus programme; international cooperation with guardians, universities, companies and cooperation partners in Finland and across the world; the English-language IB Diploma Programme is offered.
Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
The student association is active and holds various events each year.
Social & hobbies
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Community & service
Community & service
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Community & service
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Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
There is a Ressun lukio IB Student Council; the student association is active and engaged in events.
Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
The school building contains a gym; meals and health services are free.
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Finnish and English are the languages of instruction. The Finnish-language programme follows the Finnish national curriculum; the English-language programme follows the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Either programme provides general university entry qualifications.
Language provision
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Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
Two upper secondary programmes: a Finnish-language programme follows the Finnish national curriculum and an English-language programme follows the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
