---
title: "Record number of applicants: MON comments on the growth of NMT participants in 2026"
description: "More than 350,000 people registered for the NMT in 2026 — this is a record growth for the third year in a row. Education Minister Oxen Lisovoy stated that the permission for boys to leave the country did not affect admissions, and interest in Western Ukrainian universities is growing. 🇺🇦📚"
date: 2026-05-30T05:44:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/record-number-of-applicants-mon-comments-on-the-growth-of-nmt-participants-in-2026
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Record number of applicants: MON comments on the growth of NMT participants in 2026

![Ukrainian Minister of Education Oxen Lisovoy at a press conference on NMT registration results](https://xab.info/media/2026/05/30/rekordnoe-kolichestvo-abiturientov-v-mon-prokommentirovali-rost-chisla-uchastnikov-nmt-v-2026-godu/oksen-lisoviy-nmt-2026-registratsiya.webp)

The Ukrainian higher education system demonstrates steady dynamics: more than 350,000 people have already registered to participate in the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) in 2026. This is the third year in a row that the number of those wishing to take the entrance exams shows confident growth.

This was stated by the Minister of Education and Science, Oxen Lisovoy, in an interview with "Radio Liberty." According to him, the statistics indicate that interest in Ukrainian universities is not fading, but rather gaining momentum. The Minister emphasized that the growth in the number of registrations directly correlates with the increase in the number of students enrolling in the country's universities.

### The impact of mobilization and emigration

One of the key questions of the admission campaign was the impact of the permission for men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country. Experts' expectations of a possible drop in the number of applicants did not come true. Oxen Lisovoy noted that the Ministry of Education and Science does not record any negative consequences from this decision.

"We do not trace any negative impact. On the contrary, we see growth in those who register for the NMT test," emphasized the head of the department.

Interestingly, about 30,000 registrations came from Ukrainians abroad who plan to study in their homeland. The Minister assured that there is no critical outflow of applicants to foreign universities. Although traditional interest in Poland and Slovakia remains high, Ukrainian universities are successfully competing for students.

### Geography of success: why they choose the West

A special trend is observed in the distribution of student flows within the country. The leaders in the growth of the contingent became universities in the western regions. This is explained by the possibility of receiving a full-fledged offline education in conditions of safety.

The Minister listed the cities where there is a significant growth of interest: Zhytomyr, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Uzhhorod. In these educational institutions, students can study in person, which becomes a decisive factor in choosing a place of study.

### Digitalization of admission: what awaits applicants

In 2026, the admission campaign will become even more digital. Most applicants will submit documents exclusively in electronic form. To do this, you need to create a personal applicant account in the ZNO system and prepare the corresponding scans of documents.

The rules for submitting applications remain flexible: an applicant can submit up to 10 applications, half of which can be for a budget form of education. This gives students more chances to get into the desired specialty, diversifying their risks.