The University of Turku is an ambitious, research-led university with seven faculties and internationally acknowledged expertise from humanities to medicine and natural sciences. The University is recognised for the quality of teaching, research and excellent student support services. The new University of Turku formed when the University of Turku and Turku School of Economics merged as of 1 Jan 2010, is an internationally competitive research university whose operation is based on high-level multidisciplinary research. The mission of the University is to promote free research and scientific civilization and provide the highest research-based education.

The University of Turku recognises areas of strength in research. Molecular biosciences form the widest strength area of the University. Other recognised areas of strength are cardiovascular and metabolic research, ecological interactions and ecological genetics research, learning and education research, future studies and research on institutional design and social mechanisms.

The University has seven faculties: Faculties of Humanities, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Medicine, Law, Social Sciences and Education and Turku School of Economics. Outside the faculties are eleven special units where research activities and learning take place.
Further proof of the University’s research activities growing stronger comes from the Academy of Finland’s four new National Centres of Excellence placed under the coordination of Turku. In all, the University now coordinates six centres of excellence, which are among the world’s best in their fields of research.

Total enrolment of students is 21,000 and each year about 1,000 international students study at the University. Most of them participate in English-language programmes or at the doctoral level in research projects. Even though the main language of instruction is Finnish, 15 International Master's Degree Programmes are available in English and each Faculty offers courses in English to both non-degree and degree students.