Russia wants to make university admission more difficult by raising requirements for applicants
Kyiv • UNN
The Federation Council of the Russian Federation proposed raising the minimum Unified State Exam scores and restricting admission through academic olympiads. Earlier, paid enrollment was cut by 28%.
The Russian Federation Council approved recommendations to raise the minimum Unified State Exam scores required for admission to Russian universities. The senators also propose limiting admission opportunities based on the results of subject Olympiads. The Moscow Times reports this, citing TASS, writes UNN.
Details
The relevant recommendations are addressed to Rosobrnadzor. They provide for stricter requirements for applicants to bachelor's and specialist's degree programs.
In addition to raising the passing score, the senators propose reducing the number of categories of applicants who have special admission rights. This could make it more difficult to obtain higher education even for winners of subject Olympiads.
Russia has already reduced enrollment in tuition-based programs
The new proposals continue the policy of restricting admission to Russian universities. In May 2025, the State Duma adopted a law allowing the number of tuition-based places to be regulated.
In October 2026, Russia's Ministry of Science and Higher Education reported that the number of students admitted to tuition-based programs had declined by 28%.
Minister Valery Falkov explained that these measures were necessary to reduce enrollment in fields that, according to the authorities, are not sufficiently in demand in the labor market.
At the same time, Russian schools are intensifying military training, introducing instruction in operating unmanned aerial vehicles, and encouraging students to transfer to vocational colleges after the ninth grade.