Ukrainian universities in 2025 have again increased the prices for contractual education. The rise in cost is a result of inflationary processes, increased energy costs and budget cuts. Many higher education institutions have already published updated prices, which turned out to be unaffordable for some applicants.
About it write "Comments" having analyzed why higher education in Ukraine is becoming more expensive and what alternatives are available abroad.
It is noted that changes in tuition fees came into force in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 417 of April 26, 2025. The document introduces new principles of formation of contractual cost, taking into account the popularity of the specialty, the actual costs of universities and the availability of education. For the first time the state at the level of the whole country has outlined the boundaries and benchmarks in calculating tuition fees.
The main provisions of the new regulation:
- The Ministry of Education now determines the maximum payment amounts for each specialty and region separately.
- The cost of education should not exceed double the cost of training one student.
- For the most in-demand fields - such as law, medicine and international relations - there is a limit on price growth: no more than 10% per year.
- Universities are obliged to publish detailed economic calculations of program costs on their websites.
- Individual fee reductions may be provided for students who have suffered from military actions or reside in temporarily occupied territories.
According to the newspaper, if in 2024 the cost of education was often determined by universities independently, which led to significant differences by region (for example, law in Kiev cost about 65 thousand UAH per year, while in regional universities - 30 thousand), but now, thanks to the decree № 417 a uniform pricing policy is introduced, reducing the gap.
On average, contract education in Ukrainian universities in 2025 will rise in price by 15-30%. This is due to several key factors, namely:
- The higher education system under the war conditions turned out to be one of the least funded, and universities have to cover the costs of utilities, repairs, faculty salaries and campus maintenance on their own.
- Additional funds were also required to secure the educational process: modernizing shelters, developing digital infrastructure for the hybrid format, and securing information systems.
- Declining enrollment. Due to military migration and demographic problems, some universities lost up to a third of their students.
"Despite the war, the volume of the state order in 2025 remained at the level of 2024 - more than 120 thousand places. The priorities are technical, pedagogical and agrarian specialties. Meanwhile, the share of contract students is growing - according to preliminary estimates, about 55% of entrants to the contract", - reports the edition.
Where it is most expensive to study
In 2024, the cost of contract form in some Ukrainian universities exceeded 80 thousand UAH per year, with the highest prices traditionally fixed in the capital. Thus, in Taras Shevchenko National University of Ukraine students of specialties "law", "international relations" and "cyber security" paid up to 85-90 thousand UAH per year. In NTUU "KPI" engineering and IT-directions cost about 70-80 thousand UAH. In private universities the prices are even higher. For example, in the Ukrainian Catholic University a year of study in humanitarian programs cost from 100 to 120 thousand UAH.
Foreign education as an alternative
At the same time, against the background of rising costs in Ukrainian universities, more and more school graduates are considering the possibility of studying abroad. Many European countries offer preferential or free access to education for Ukrainians, although this requires a high level of language skills, financial readiness and collection of many documents.
The publication cites the cost of education in some countries, namely:
Poland
Free tuition is available at public universities for Polish-language programs. English-language courses cost from 1.5 to 3 thousand euros per year. Increased demand from Ukrainians leads to a reduction in the number of budget places for foreigners.
Germany
Higher education in public universities in Germany is mostly free, but requires payment of an administrative fee - from 200 to 400 euros per semester. It is also necessary to know the language at the level of B2-C1 and the availability of funds for living - about 11 thousand euros in the bank account.
Czech Republic
State universities provide free education in the Czech language, but applicants often need to take paid preparatory language courses costing 3-5 thousand euros. Programs in English are paid separately - from 3 to 10 thousand euros per year.
Canada
A year of study for foreign students in Canada costs a minimum of 15 thousand Canadian dollars (more than 400 thousand UAH), and prestigious programs can reach 40 thousand dollars. Nevertheless, students have the right to officially work during their studies. The country is popular among Ukrainian youth due to the high quality of education and immigration prospects.
USA
American universities are among the most expensive in the world. A year of bachelor's degree at top-level universities costs from 40 to 70 thousand dollars. However, there is a wide range of scholarships, grants and other forms of financial support, especially for gifted students and athletes.
