The 2026 admissions campaign in Ukraine has become a record-breaker since the start of the full-scale war. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, as of October 20, a total of 226,932 applicants were enrolled in bachelor’s programs at Ukrainian higher education institutions—31,770 more than the previous year. Of these, 64,625 students will study state-funded, while another 162,307 are on a contract basis. Compared to 2025, state-funded admissions increased by 11.5%, and contract-based admissions rose by 18.3%. Additionally, 10,249 applicants enrolled in medical, pharmaceutical, and veterinary master’s programs right after school, a 11.7% increase over last year's figure.
Half a Million Applications: 2026 Campaign Shatters Five-Year Record
The total number of registered and confirmed applications for bachelor's and medical master's programs reached 1,031,705—an increase of 102,033 compared to the entire 2025 admissions campaign. This is the highest figure in the last five years. Deputy Minister of Education Mykola Trofymenko noted that «over a million applications even before the end of the main submission stage is primarily evidence of high demand for Ukrainian higher education.» The main submission stage started on July 19, allowing each applicant to submit up to 10 applications, with up to five for state-funded slots.
Engineering Fields Lead: Electrical, Construction, and Robotics
Among the fields with the largest state-funded enrollment for bachelor's degrees, secondary education leads with 5,749 enrolled students. However, in terms of growth rates in state-funded admissions, fields critical for infrastructure restoration and development took center stage. Enrollment in electrical engineering surged by 40.1%, construction and civil engineering by 31.8%, and automation, computer-integrated technologies, and robotics by 29.9%. At the application stage, the rise in interest was even more pronounced: applicants submitted 232,354 applications for 40 specialties with special state support, compared to 174,166 the previous year—a 33.4% increase. The largest increases in applications were recorded in construction and civil engineering (+61.6%), electrical engineering (+57.1%), automation and robotics (+53.5%), aviation and rocket-space engineering (+74.6%), and Earth sciences (+66.8%).
Geography of Enrollments: Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv in the Top Three
Kyiv leads in the number of enrollments for bachelor's and medical master's programs with 54,395 applicants. Lviv Oblast is in second place (27,914), and Kharkiv Oblast is third (20,782). Odesa Oblast (17,619) and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (13,975) also entered the top five. Higher education institutions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast enrolled 7,548 applicants, Mykolaiv Oblast 4,158, and Sumy Oblast 3,489. The Ministry of Education clarifies that regional data reflect the registered location of educational institutions, including relocated ones, and do not necessarily reflect the students' place of residence or actual study location.
Master’s and Postgraduate Studies: Stable Demand with a Shift Toward Contracts
Master's programs after bachelor’s degrees enrolled 97,081 students—28,197 state-funded and 68,884 on contracts. The total number of enrollees remained almost unchanged compared to 2025, but the structure shifted: state-funded admissions decreased by 7.6%, while contract admissions grew by 3.4%. Postgraduate and doctor of arts programs accepted 6,410 applicants—11.2% more than last year. An additional round of contract-based enrollment lasted until October 15, which institutions could run independently if they failed to recruit the necessary number of students during the main stage.
Context: Precedent Involving Applicants from Combat Zones
Alongside record-breaking figures, the 2026 campaign left behind a precedent that human rights advocates call dangerous. For the first time since the simplified admission procedure was introduced, difficulties arose in confirming the status of applicants from combat zones (TOT). According to the publication «Ostro», some applicants from these territories faced requirements to provide additional proof of their location, threatening their right to enrollment. This issue remains a subject of discussion within the educational community and could influence the rules for future campaigns.
