The admission campaign for 2026 starts on July 1, with the opening of registration for electronic cabinets of entrants for a bachelor’s degree. This year’s admission to universities will take place according to updated rules, which the Ministry of Education and Science approved by order No. 373 of February 26, 2026. The most notable changes are three: the motivation letter has become optional, the number of applications has been reduced to ten, and the results of the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) for four consecutive years are now considered valid.
We will break down how to submit documents, how many applications to submit for a budget form of education, what the priorities are, and how the admission campaign of 2026 differs from the previous one. All figures and dates are based on the official admission procedure published by the Ministry of Education and Science and registered with the Ministry of Justice.
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Cancellation of the Motivation Letter — What It Means in Practice
In 2026, the motivation letter is no longer a mandatory component of the admission application for all forms of admission. If last year, certain categories of applicants still had to prepare it, now higher education institutions cannot require the letter as a mandatory document. The only exception is that individual institutions can provide for a motivation letter in their own admission rules, but only as an additional component.
For most entrants, this change simplifies preparation: the main criterion for selection for a bachelor’s degree remains the results of the National Multi-Subject Test. The freed-up time can be logically spent on a thorough selection of specialties and universities, as the new priority system has made this choice much more responsible.
How Many Applications Can Be Submitted in 2026
The general limit is up to 10 applications for admission, of which no more than five can be submitted for a budget form of education. The rest are for contract education. At the discussion stage in the fall of 2025, the Ministry of Education and Science considered an option with 12 applications, but in the final version of the admission procedure, they fixed exactly ten.
Each application must be numbered by priority from 1 to 10, where 1 means the highest level of desire to enter this specialty at this university. The fundamental difference from the previous campaign is that priorities now work for both budget and contract applications, including master’s programs. This means that even if the applicant is applying mainly for a contract, they must rank all their applications.
The logic of the system is as follows: if the applicant is recommended for enrollment with a higher priority, the lower ones are automatically canceled. Therefore, priority No. 1 should be placed on the specialty that the applicant is really ready to study, and not on a “prestigious one that I will definitely not pass”. A mistake with priorities can cost a place in the university that suited better.
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NMT — Valid Results for Four Years
The National Multi-Subject Test remains the main test for admission to a bachelor’s degree. In 2026, it consists of three mandatory subjects — Ukrainian language, mathematics, history of Ukraine — and one subject of choice. The duration and format of the test remain the same.
Important news for those who have already passed the NMT: the results of 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 are valid in 2026. This means that the applicant can use the score they received in previous years without retaking the test. This is especially relevant for those who took a break between school and university or are returning to study after service, evacuation, or other life circumstances.
Registration for the NMT this year lasted from March 5 to April 2. The main test session takes place from May 20 to June 25, and additional sessions — later. For those who received a negative result or could not take the test for valid reasons, there is an opportunity to retake it during additional sessions.
European Exams Instead of NMT
A separate innovation of 2026 is the possibility of enrolling the results of national final exams of EU countries instead of the NMT. Ukrainians who completed school abroad — for example, passed the Polish matura, German Abitur, or Czech maturitní zkouška — can now submit their results to Ukrainian universities without retaking the multi-subject test.
The norm applies to those who received secondary education in the official system of an EU member state. For medical, pharmaceutical, and veterinary master’s programs, this opportunity is also provided, which is especially relevant for families who left due to the war and want their children to enter Ukrainian universities.
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Key Dates of the 2026 Campaign
Registration of electronic cabinets of entrants opens on July 1, 2026, on the vstup.edbo.gov.ua platform. Through the cabinet, the applicant submits applications, tracks the progress of the campaign, and confirms the intention to study after receiving a recommendation. This year, it is possible to confirm the recommendation within five days instead of three, as it was last year — this is additional time for reflection if the applicant is hesitant between several universities.
Enrollment for studies must take place no later than 15 days after the completion of the relevant application and document submission session, but in any case, no later than October 15, 2026. The admission campaign itself lasts until this date. After October 15, new applications for a bachelor’s degree are no longer accepted this year.
What Makes Admission 2026 Different from 2025
If we summarize the changes into one logic, the admission campaign of 2026 has become both simpler and more responsible. Simpler — because the mandatory motivation letter has disappeared, an alternative to the NMT for foreign school graduates has appeared, and the time for confirming a recommendation has been extended to five days. More responsible — because there are fewer applications, mandatory priorities for all types of admission, and a new logic of automatic cancellation of lower positions after a recommendation.
Strong positions in the university rankings by the cost of education, which traditionally interest applicants — Lviv National University named after Ivan Franko, Kyiv Polytechnic Institute named after Sikorsky, Lviv Polytechnic — in 2026, remain, but the final admission rules and the cost of contract education are approved by each institution’s admission committee.
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Questions and Answers
How many applications can be submitted for admission in 2026?
Up to 10 applications in total, of which no more than five can be submitted for a budget. All applications, both budget and contract, must be ranked by priority from 1 to 10.
Is a motivation letter required for admission in 2026?
No, the motivation letter has been canceled as a mandatory component of the admission application for all forms of admission. Individual institutions can provide for it in their own admission rules, but only as an additional, not main, document.
Are NMT results from previous years valid?
Yes. In 2026, the results of the NMT obtained in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 are valid. The applicant can use the score they received in previous years without retaking the test.
Until what date does the admission campaign 2026 last?
Enrollment must take place no later than October 15, 2026. Registration of electronic cabinets of entrants for a bachelor’s degree opens on July 1.
