In 2025, over 200,000 first-year students were admitted to Ukrainian higher education institutions, which is 2.6% more than last year. At the same time, the number of applicants over 25 years old decreased by 15%. This was reported by Deputy Minister of Education Mykola Trofymenko, according to a UNN correspondent.
Details
In 2025, 204,337 people were admitted to the first years of Ukrainian higher education institutions, which is 5,297 more than last year... that is, we have a growth of 2.6%. The share of contract students significantly increased here, which refutes the myth that the introduction of indicative cost deters our applicants.
Trofymenko reminded that the indicative cost is a formulaic equalization of expenses that the state spends on each budget student with the prices that the university sets for admission on a contract basis.
In some of our institutions, due to such balancing... and due to the fact that we are very actively fighting dumping... the share of contributions from first-year contract students to the special funds of universities is currently about 40%. This is a very significant and timely increase in special funds due to the fact that we expect an increase in salaries for scientific and medical workers and other employees of educational institutions.
The deputy added that such an increase should be provided by the state at the expense of the budget, and universities should provide a similar increase to all teachers who receive salaries from special funds. The situation with master's and postgraduate studies is slightly different. According to Trofymenko, the demand there, on the contrary, decreased.
Overall, the demand for master's studies decreased this year, the contract fell. We received almost 218 thousand applications in 2025 compared to 280 thousand in 2024. That is, a drop of 22.3%. Only slightly more than 97 thousand people were admitted in 2025 compared to almost 126 thousand in 2024. The drop is 22.9%. At the same time, the share of the budget in enrollment increased by 6%. 31.4% in 2025 compared to 25.3% in 2024, meaning the state allocated more budget places.
The official emphasized that the decline is due to the fact that "this year there are 15% fewer applicants aged 25+".
Those who entered master's programs in 2022-2023 for various purposes... to gain competence... some tried to use master's programs to evade mobilization... They have already received an education and a large part of citizens aged 25+ already have higher education. That is why we are seeing a decrease in numbers.
As for postgraduate studies, the situation is somewhat identical, as there is a reduction in the proportion of men over 25 years old. At the same time, there is a doubling of the proportion of women admitted on a budget basis.
That is, for full-time study, which grants the right to deferment from mobilization, we have admitted only 4643 people in 2025. For contract full-time study, we have admitted 1119 people - these are part-time students and foreigners.
"Overall, it can be said that the number of male applicants fell by 70% from last year. That is, we see that postgraduate studies have also leveled off, balanced with pre-invasion figures, and this is very correct," the official added.
Recall
Earlier, UNN wrote that Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykhailo Vynnytskyi announced new educational grants that allow partially covering the cost of tuition. Grants can reach 25 thousand hryvnias for those who scored 170+ points in two NMT subjects, and also provide additional coefficients for specialties important for the state and for applicants from certain regions.