Estonia
The Estonian university system is regulated by the Universities Act, passed in 1995 and last amended in 2014. It lays out the organisation of teaching and education in universities; the rights and obligations of students and regulates the establishing, managing, funding and supervision of universities.
There are two other specific laws that regulate specific institutions: the University of Tartu Act and the Tallinn University of Technology Act, which lay out the differences between each of these institutions and the other universities in the system. Two out of six ‘public’ universities have their own regulatory frameworks. Since 1995 the University of Tartu has been regulated differently, while the Tallinn University of Technology emancipated from the Universities Act in 2014.
The University of Tartu and the Tallinn University of Technology enrol nearly half of the students in the system.
Recent developments:
- Governance changes for two universities, introducing dual structures with the creation of a board/council
- Abolition in 2013 of tuition fees for students enrolled in full-time programmes taught in Estonian
Organisational autonomy: high
The law prescribes that rectors must be professors and serve for five years. Other aspects are regulated by the internal statutes. Universities have decision-making senates in which they can include external members. Changes to the governance model have been implemented in two large universities.
Financial autonomy: medium high
Estonian universities receive annual block grants for which they control the internal allocation. They can keep surpluses and borrow autonomously, and own their buildings. Universities have lost the capacity to set and charge fees to domestic and EU students since 2013 when these were abolished by the government.
Academic autonomy: high
Universities essentially decide on student numbers and can design their own admission criteria. Accreditation is undertaken at institutional level by the agency chosen by the university. Autonomy is only restricted in this field insofar as universities are assigned individual academic profiles. Otherwise universities are free to design the content of their programmes and may introduce programmes in other languages.
Staffing autonomy: high
Universities are highly autonomous in the management of their human resources, whether in relation to recruitment, salaries, promotions or dismissals.
Organisational weighted 87% unweighted 82%
100% Selection procedure for the executive head
The selection of the executive head is not validated by an external authority
75% Selection criteria for the executive head
The law states that the executive head must hold an academic position
100% Dismissal of the executive head
The procedure for the dismissal of the executive head is not stated in the law
This applies to 10 other countries: Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Flanders, Wallonia, Ireland, The Netherlands, Serbia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
0% Term of office of the executive head
The exact length is stated in the law
100% External members in university governing bodies
Universities can decide to include external members
This applies to one other country: United Kingdom
Universities can freely decide on external members
100% Capacity to decide on academic structures
Universities can decide on their academic structures without constraints
This applies to 19 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Denmark, Finland, Flanders, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Capacity to create legal entities
Universities can create legal entities without constraints
This applies to 18 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Croatia, Finland, Flanders, France, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Serbia, Spain, United Kingdom
Financial weighted 77% unweighted 69%
60% Length of public funding cycle
One year
100% Type of public funding
Block grant and there are no restrictions on the allocation of funding
This applies to 15 other countries: Brandenburg, Denmark, Finland, Flanders, Hesse, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Ability to borrow money
Universities can borrow money without restrictions
100% Ability to keep surplus
Surplus can be kept without restrictions
This applies to 15 other countries: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Hesse, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Ability to own buildings
Universities can sell their buildings without restrictions
This applies to 9 other countries: Austria, Denmark, France, Wallonia, Italy, The Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom
0% Tuition fees for national/EU students at Bachelor level
There are no tuition fees
0% Tuition fees for national/EU students at Master's level
There are no tuition fees
0% Tuition fees for national/EU students at doctoral level
There are no tuition fees
This applies to 10 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Denmark, Finland, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden
100% Tuition fees for non-EU students at Bachelor level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 13 other countries: Croatia, Flanders, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, United Kingdom
100% Tuition fees for non-EU students at Master's level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 13 other countries: Croatia, Flanders, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, United Kingdom
100% Tuition fees for non-EU students at doctoral level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 11 other countries: Croatia, Flanders, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, United Kingdom
Staffing weighted 100% unweighted 100%
100% Recruitment procedures for senior academic staff
Recruitments are carried out freely by universities
This applies to 17 other countries: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Flanders, Hesse, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Recruitment procedures for senior administrative staff
Recruitments are carried out freely by universities
This applies to 20 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Finland, Flanders, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Salaries for senior academic staff
Universities can freely decide on staff salaries
This applies to 4 other countries: Latvia, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland
100% Salaries for senior administrative staff
Universities can freely decide on staff salaries
This applies to 5 other countries: Lithuania, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Dismissal of senior academic staff
There are no sector-specific regulations concerning dismissals (national labour regulations apply)
This applies to 8 other countries: Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Dismissal of senior administrative staff
There are no sector-specific regulations concerning dismissals (national labour regulations apply)
This applies to 11 other countries: Denmark, Finland, Wallonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Promotion procedures for senior academic staff
Universities can freely decide on promotion procedures
This applies to 11 other countries: Austria, Finland, Flanders, Iceland, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Promotion procedures for senior administrative staff
Universities can freely decide on promotion procedures
This applies to 13 other countries: Austria, Finland, Flanders, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Academic weighted 98% unweighted 95%
100% Overall student numbers
Universities decide independently on the number of study places
This applies to 6 other countries: Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom
100% Admissions procedures at Bachelor level
Admission criteria are set by the university
This applies to 8 other countries: Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, United Kingdom
100% Admissions procedures at Master's level
Admission criteria are set by the university
This applies to 18 other countries: Brandenburg, Finland, France, Hesse, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom
80% Introduction of programmes at Bachelor level
Other restrictions
80% Introduction of programmes at Master's level
Other restrictions
80% Introduction of programmes at doctoral level
Other restrictions
100% Termination of degree programmes
Universities can terminate degree programmes independently
This applies to 25 other countries: Croatia, Denmark, Flanders, France, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Language of instruction at Bachelor level
Universities can choose the language of instruction for all programmes
This applies to 19 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Denmark, Finland, Hesse, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Language of instruction at Master's level
Universities can choose the language of instruction for all programmes
This applies to 20 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Denmark, Finland, Hesse, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Selection of quality assurance mechanisms
Universities cannot select quality assurance mechanisms
100% Selection of quality assurance providers
Universities can choose the quality assurance agency freely according to their needs (including agencies from other countries)
This applies to 7 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Finland, Hesse, Hungary, North Rhine-Westphalia, Switzerland
100% Capacity to design content of degree programmes
Universities can freely design the content of degree programmes and courses (other than for the regulated professions)
This applies to 25 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Flanders, France, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom