Key points
- The cost of contract-based higher education in Ukraine will rise in 2026.
- The increase is due to higher salaries for lecturers and the creation of special university funds.
- Ukrainian higher education remains cheaper than in most European countries.
- Low lecturer salaries may lead to staff leaving for abroad.
In 2026, the cost of studying at Ukrainian universities on a contract basis will continue to rise, according to Deputy Minister of Education Mykola Trofymenko during a briefing on this year’s admissions campaign.
The increase is linked to the need for universities to create special funds and to rising staff salaries.
From 1 January 2026, lecturer salaries were increased by 30%, with a further 20% rise planned from 1 September.
Accordingly, we should not undercut prices – we must ensure a fair cost for higher education in our universities.
– Mykola Trofymenko.
According to Oleg Sharov, Director of the Directorate of Higher and Adult Education, cheap education cannot be high-quality.
We cannot afford extremely low-cost education, otherwise our academic staff will simply leave abroad, and there will be no one to teach our students.
– Oleg Sharov.
He also noted that Ukrainian higher education remains significantly cheaper than in Europe.
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