Russian Universities Announce Admission Policy Changes for 2026-2027 Academic Year

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Russian universities have effectively launched the 2026 admissions campaign: detailed rules for the 2026/2027 academic year have been published on their official websites. The documents specify areas of study, minimum entrance exam scores, application deadlines, lists of additional exams, and, most importantly, the set of exams required for admission.

Applicants still have time to adjust their plans. Until February 2, they can change the list of subjects in their application for the Unified State Exam (USE). Current graduates are still required to take Russian language and mathematics (either basic or advanced level).

The federal admissions regulations were approved back in November 2024, but important amendments have recently been made. One key change is the abandonment of submitting documents through internal university information systems, which often malfunctioned. Now, only three methods are allowed: personal visit to the admissions office, the online service "Entrance to University Online," or sending documents by mail.

The system of targeted education is also undergoing significant changes. Starting in 2026, targeted places will be allocated not abstractly to a field of study but to specific employers, forms of education, and educational programs. In effect, each employer will have its own "talent pool," and applicants will have a clearer understanding of their future employment trajectory.

New rules also affect college graduates. Previously, they could enter universities without taking the USE, based only on internal exams. Now, this option is preserved only if they choose programs in the same field. In other cases, taking the USE will be mandatory.

Another novelty of the 2026 admissions campaign is the expansion of fields where physics becomes a mandatory exam. This primarily concerns engineering, technical, and high-tech specialties.

Universities have also paid special attention to Olympiad winners. Several universities have revised the lists of Olympiads that grant admission without entrance exams. The academic community acknowledges that in recent years, winners and finalists of Olympiads in certain fields have fully occupied budgetary places, leaving few opportunities for other applicants. No formal quotas have been introduced, but leading universities have tightened the criteria.

For example, Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) has for the first time clearly linked international Olympiads to specific fields of study, defining which ones are considered profile-specific, particularly for the mechanics and mathematics faculty (Mekhmat), computational mathematics and cybernetics (VMK), physics, and economics. Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU) has reduced the list of Olympiads with the right to admission without entrance exams for IT and robotics fields. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) has decreased the number of counted Olympiads by almost a third and raised the minimum USE score for Olympiad winners in the profile subject to 80 and above.

Changes have also affected the lists of entrance exams at regional universities. In many universities, physics has replaced advanced mathematics as a mandatory exam, while mathematics has become an optional subject. At the same time, the lists of alternative disciplines for humanities and interdisciplinary fields are being expanded.

Universities are also announcing the launch of new programs and expansion of enrollment, particularly in engineering, IT, and transport sectors, as well as in areas related to energy, architecture, and media communications. In 2026, most universities will also begin the transition to a new higher education system, making this admissions campaign one of the most significant in recent years.