Over 50% of state-funded students selected specialties with state support
In 2026, about 300,000 new students were enrolled in bachelor's and master's degree programs at Ukrainian higher education institutions. The total number of people currently studying at universities has exceeded one million. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine (Ірина Костенко) citing the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
During the admission campaign for bachelor’s degrees, universities received over 1.2 million applications. Following an automated distribution process, more than 212,000 recommendations were generated, with 222,342 students effectively enrolled. Of these, 151,832 will study on a contract basis, while 70,510 were admitted to state-funded positions.
Educational Priorities and Enrollment Leaders
Demand among applicants remains consistently high for humanitarian and management specialties. Most frequently, students chose management, psychology, secondary education, philology, and marketing. A significant portion of young people, specifically 57.2%, has concentrated in five major educational hubs: Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Dnipro.
The leaders in terms of the number of enrolled students are Lviv Polytechnic National University, National Technical University of Ukraine Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and the State University of Trade and Economics. Additionally, more than 6,000 students utilized special admission conditions under “Quota-2,” which applies to residents of temporarily occupied territories and active combat zones.
Stimulating Human Capital Recovery
The state continues to implement policies supporting specialists necessary for post-war reconstruction. Approximately half of the state-funded students, totaling 49,475 individuals, selected areas with special state support. This list includes engineering, construction, teaching, and agricultural specialties, the training of which is strategically vital for Ukraine.
Although the main enrollment phase has concluded, the admission campaign will continue until October 20. Applicants who were not enrolled earlier still have the opportunity to submit documents for available contract positions. Notably, over 90% of state-funded students received recommendations for one of their top three preferred programs, indicating a highly effective distribution mechanism.
Illustrative photo: RBC-Україна
Read also: Metinvest implements new programs for youth employment
