25.5 thousand foreign students study in Ukrainian universities: most are from China, and over 400 are from the Russian Federation
Kyiv • UNN
20,502 foreign students study in Ukrainian higher education institutions, most of them from China and Azerbaijan. Over 400 Russian citizens also receive education in Ukrainian universities.
20,502 foreign students study in Ukrainian higher education institutions, with the largest numbers coming from China and Azerbaijan. There are over 400 students with Russian citizenship in Ukraine. This was reported to UNN journalist by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in response to an inquiry.
Details
According to the Ministry of Education and Science, as of September 2025, 20,502 foreign students are studying in Ukrainian higher education institutions, including:
- citizens of China - 6846;
- citizens of Azerbaijan - 5017;
- citizens of Georgia - 1081;
- citizens of India - 930;
- citizens of Morocco - 723.
It is reported that 413 citizens of Russia also study in Ukrainian universities.
The ministry noted that starting from 2022, citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus who do not have a permanent residence permit in Ukraine are admitted to study with the individual permission of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Starting from 2025, it has been expanded: citizens of the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Belarus, and the DPRK who do not have a permanent residence permit in Ukraine are admitted to study with the individual permission of the Ministry of Education and Science
Among the most popular specialties chosen by foreign students in Ukrainian higher education institutions as of September 2025 are:
- Medicine - 2584;
- Management - 1868;
- Shipbuilding - 722;
- Law - 659;
- Economics - 647;
- Pharmacy - 622;
- Musical Art - 474;
- Dentistry - 472;
- Design - 435;
- Educational, pedagogical sciences - 411.
Among the most popular universities, foreign students choose:
- Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design - 1435;
- Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics - 1295;
- Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding - 1005;
- Sumy National Agrarian University - 1004;
- National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine - 734.