The MES of Ukraine has published new admission rules for 2026 - what changes for applicants

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has prepared the Procedure for admission to higher education institutions for 2026. This was announced on Telegram by the head of the department, Oksen Lisovyi, as reported by UNN.

Details

As Lisovyi noted, admission to a higher education institution is one of the first independent choices that determines a person's further educational and professional trajectory. According to him, it is important that this choice is conscious, and access to quality education in Ukraine does not depend on circumstances and is equally possible for all applicants.

The key innovations are the following:

• up to 10 applications can be submitted, but no more than 5 for state-funded places;
• the priority system now also applies to master's admissions, including for contract-based studies;
• for most creative specialties, the weight of the creative competition has increased — the coefficient is 0.7;
• interviews and creative competitions are held in person, with exceptions for certain categories of applicants;
• the results of national graduation exams from European countries can be credited instead of the NMT for citizens of Ukraine;
• in 2026, motivational letters are no longer required.

At the same time, admission to bachelor's degree programs is based on the results of the NMT in three compulsory subjects - Ukrainian language, mathematics, history of Ukraine - and one subject of choice. The results of the NMT from 2023-2025 can be used, Oksen Lisovyi noted.

In addition, not only the number of points matters, but also the specialty for which the application is submitted.

For each field, subject coefficients are set. For example, for technical specialties, mathematics will have more weight, and for humanities, language or history. Therefore, with the same test results, one can have different positions in the ranking depending on the chosen specialty. That is why it is worth checking in advance which subjects are decisive for the applicant's chosen field.

Oksen Lisovyi also commented on the innovations regarding admission to master's programs. This involves passing a single entrance exam, and for some specialties, an additional professional test.

At the same time, for admission to postgraduate studies, it is necessary to pass an exam in research methodology and pass entrance examinations at a higher education institution.

Admission by quotas and interview - how it will happen

Admission by interview instead of NMT is possible for:

• war veterans, including persons with disabilities due to war and combatants;
• persons released from captivity;
• applicants who could not pass the NMT due to lack of conditions (including health reasons).

Admission by quotas (i.e., a separate competition for state-funded places) is provided for:

• orphans and children deprived of parental care;
• applicants from temporarily occupied territories or territories of active hostilities;
• other specific categories defined by law.

Recall

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a decision on an experiment with project-based postgraduate studies, which combines the training of doctors of philosophy with the implementation of research projects. This will change the logic of financing, focusing on specific projects rather than on the status of a postgraduate student.