The Union of Rectors of Ukraine summed up the results of the admission campaign and discussed ways to improve admission rules in 2026

The Union of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of Ukraine, at its meeting on September 25, 2025, summed up the results of the admission campaign and discussed ways to improve university admission rules in 2026.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science and relevant committees, rectors of leading universities from all regions of the country, and heads of frontline educational institutions.

The Chair of the Union of Rectors, Petro Kulikov, opened the meeting and stressed the key role of higher education in ensuring national resilience during the war:

“Ukrainian universities not only continue teaching and research, but also form the human resources foundation for the postwar recovery of the state. Today the Union of Rectors is a communication platform between universities, parliament and the government.”

Mykola Trofymenko, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, stressed the importance of institutional strengthening of the Union:

“Today the Union acts as the state's key partner in shaping education policy. We should consider the possibility of transforming it into the Association of Universities of Ukraine, which would allow it to represent the interests of higher education even more effectively.”

Volodymyr Buhrov, Deputy Chair of the Union and Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, stressed the need to update the regulatory framework:

“The 2025 admission campaign was generally successful, but we see a need to improve admission rules and update legislative acts.”

Rector of Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University Viktor Hreshta highlighted the challenges faced by frontline universities and the need for state support for such institutions.

Rector of Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUBA) Oleksii Dniprov stressed the importance of increasing the transparency of admission procedures.

Viktoriia Petrushenko, Rector of Vinnytsia National Pirogov Medical University, emphasized the risks of lowering passing scores for medical specialties.

Rector of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine Vadym Tkachuk drew attention to problems with the indicative cost.

Rector of the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy Maksym Tymoshenko called for ensuring the key role of the creative competition at arts universities.

The meeting was also attended by members of parliament, representatives of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science and Innovation, deputy ministers, and heads of departments of the Ministry of Education and Science, including Oleh Sharov, Director General of the Directorate for Higher and Adult Education, who answered participants' questions.

The approved document (a decision of the Union of Rectors) states:

1. the 2025 admission campaign was successful — more than 317,000 NMT (National Multisubject Test) participants were registered and 882,000 applications were submitted;
2. educational institutions carried out significant career guidance work among young people, especially in frontline regions;
3. a decision was made to create a working group to prepare proposals for changes to the 2026 admission rules;
4. to prepare proposals for the Ministry of Education and Science, the government and parliament within one month;
5. to appeal to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with a proposal to deepen cooperation between the Ministry and the Union of Rectors.

The Union of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of Ukraine is an all-Ukrainian public organization that unites university leaders to coordinate educational, scientific and international activities.

Founded in 1992, the organization serves as an advisory partner to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and takes part in developing state education policy and regulations in the field of higher education.