No, that is an answer more based on patisanship than reality.
Nope, that's a fact. Europe strictly rations University admission. Artvelde made a great point about foreign students; which you will find very few of in Finland, and those that you do find will pay outrageous sums. The United States welcomes students from around the world, we are unique in this. There are a few, very high end, European universities that also welcome foreign students - for a price, but these are few and insanely expensive.
In every country, there are some restrictions on university attendance.
And this is what you don't grasp. With any resource, there must be a limit on distribution. How that is conducted varies, but the pretense that Finland, or any European nation, offers free education to all comers is utter nonsense. Finland offers a far smaller percentage of the population higher education than the USA does - that is simple fact. Both nations ration education, but the method of rationing differ. In Finland, political pull and social class are the basis of admittance. In the USA it is a matter or paying. In both cases the wealthy are assured an education and the poor are less likely. The USA has no aristocracy, Europe does, so "station" is a large determining factor. Anyone who has the cash or financing can get into higher education.
Still, a far greater percent of Americans receive a college education than in any other country in the world.
In Finland the only criteria is entrance exam results.
Nonsense. Social status and political ties are vital.
In the US cost is also a criteria.
Any Finnish student failing entrance exams or failing to make the cut for a particular course can take the exams again, apply again, or go on to take other courses or attend a free polytech.
Then why is the percentage of college educated people so much lower?
I agree that not every B- student can go on to complete an LLB, but if they improve their grades than they can. Cost is not a factor in "rationing".
I find cost to be an effective means of rationing - the MOST effective. I far prefer it to political pull.
(I don't have the stats on Masters per capita here, but I'll try and fnd it over the weekend - I think it's in Finnish will need translation, and I don't have time to do that today.)
I don't have them either. I teach at the world's largest private University system, so I'm sure I can locate them. (Part time, we use working professional for all instruction.)
