About us
We are a University of Applied Sciences of about 4400 students and 360 employees, producing and offering knowledge and relevant action.
This Is How We Operate
We promote the well-being and development of our region through education, research, development and innovation (RDI) activities, and cultural engagement. Each year, approximately 750 experts graduate from Centria to meet the needs of the regional workforce.
Centria is one of the leading universities of applied sciences in Finland in RDI activities. Each year, we have more than 100 ongoing projects, around one fifth of which are international.
“Relevant action” describes our way of working in a world where there is no single right solution, but many possibilities – and where what truly matters is the ability to choose the most appropriate approach for each situation.
Our story
At Centria, we have our feet firmly planted in three Ostrobothnian regions, with campuses in Kokkola, Pietarsaari and Ylivieska. Our university of applied sciences (UAS) offers several great fields of study, skills, and achievements, of which students, personnel, and business life in the region can be proud of. Therefore, it is no wonder that people from near and far come here, to receive the most international university of applied sciences education in the country, with an exceptionally strong spearhead on research and development. Many of our nearly 4,400 degree students have come to study with us from far beyond Finland’s borders.
We do not like to brag about our daily work, but thanks to our responsible, hard-working, and genuinely caring attitude, we have been praised as the most flexible university of applied sciences in the country. Especially our blended learning students, who work alongside their studies, have embraced the fact that, in Centria, everyone has their own unique path. On that path, like on campus corridors, students, personnel, and working life really meet, in concrete terms, and this creates endless opportunities. We call it relevant action: a way of working where everyone finds their place, and we support them in the best possible way.
“Relevant action” describes our way of working in a world where there is no single right solution, but many possibilities – and where what truly matters is the ability to choose the most appropriate approach for each situation. It is a promise that we know how to focus our efforts where they make the greatest impact: on developing students’ skills and expertise, transforming working life, and strengthening the vitality of our region. It does not mean following a single correct model or a predefined formula. Instead, it means having the ability and courage to choose the right approach for each situation – and to carry it out well.
The fact is that the courage to be your true self will carry you far. If Centria has not left a heart-shaped mark on your soul yet, just wait. Because we have just the right combination of creative madness and common sense. Our three campuses work together, and we want the same team spirit and courage to be transferred to our students as well. Cooperation and shared insights are needed, for example, in the strong research, development, and innovation work we do with companies in the region. When we build on the solid basis of knowledge and research, we speed up – and even enable – the development of large-scale business in both industry and commerce, as well as welfare services.
As a higher education institution, Centria is not like any other university. We believe in courage and the strong role of students in the university’s affairs, also in decision-making. We already do things as others will do in the future: Without discrimination and with a good spirit. At the same time, we keep the big picture in mind. Let’s not split hairs by concentrating on unnecessary things, and instead let’s take the bull by the horns and accomplish something really significant. It is relevant vision translated into everyday choices, interactions, and moments when we dare to do things our own way. This is caring with a capital C, regardless of whether the future lies in the world of chemistry, music, or technology, in the twists and turns of trade and export, or in the well-being and care of others.
PS. We are not offering you Helsinki or Paris, but a fair and bold approach to future working life. Who knows what life has in store for you? That is why it is good to have your bags packed for the journey ahead. For this, you need a university of applied sciences, where education, research, and real encounters lay the foundation for learning and working life. Not to forget the great work opportunities offered by the university’s region even after your studies. That is a good starting point. That is Centria.
Love, Centria
Key figures of 2025
Our organisation
Centria University of Applied Sciences is owned by Centria University of Applied Sciences Ltd. The biggest stakeholder is the City of Kokkola with a 27 percent share.