The 2026 admission campaign in Ukraine concluded with unexpected results. Although traditional humanities and management majors continue to lead in the number of applications submitted, the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) is recording a significant shift in youth interests. Applicants are increasingly choosing computer science, cybersecurity, and engineering fields.
According to Deputy Minister of Education and Science Nikolai Trofimenko, this trend is of strategic importance. "This is an important signal for universities and the state, as it concerns the training of specialists needed by the economy and reconstruction," the official emphasized.
Record number of applications despite strict limits
Statistics from the 2026 admission campaign demonstrate increased applicant activity. Despite the rules being tightened — now an applicant could submit a maximum of 10 applications instead of the previous 15 — the total number of documents submitted grew by 28% compared to the previous year.
Traditionally, leaders in popularity remain specialties in management, psychology, and philology. However, this year there is a clear outflow from the legal profile: the "Law" specialty, previously a top leader, showed a decline in the number of applications submitted.
Universities in Lviv top the rating
The geography of admissions in 2026 also has its own features. According to the MES rating, educational institutions in Lviv hold absolute leadership. The National University "Lviv Polytechnic" took first place, receiving 59,676 applications. Second place was taken by Ivan Franko Lviv National University with 46,601 applications. The top three is rounded out by Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, which received 34,323 applications.
The final results of the campaign will only become known after the completion of the recommendation stage and the official enrollment of students.
Rising tuition fees
The popularity of sought-after universities directly affects the cost of education. Lviv universities, leading in the number of applicants, have already announced the cost of contract education for the 2026 intake. The most significant price increase affected popular specialties in IT, law, economics, and management.
The increase in tuition fees has also been recorded in Kyiv. The National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy raised tuition costs: now prices for the most affordable specialties start from 50,000 UAH per year.
The Ministry of Education separately noted the growth in demand for specialties with state support. According to the department, these fields are key to the development of the economy and the post-war renewal of the country.
