University admission is no longer a way to avoid mobilization – Ministry of Education

The demand for Master’s degree programs has decreased overall, with a particularly noticeable drop in contract enrollment. The Ministry of Education and Science attributes this decline to the 15,500 fewer applicants aged 25 and older.

Mykola Trofymenko, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Education and Science, outlined this trend during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine.

“This year, over 217,000 applications were submitted for Master’s programs, compared to over 280,000 last year. In 2025, more than 97,000 future Master’s students enrolled, whereas last year, this figure was over 125,000. We are returning to normal levels of Master’s program applicants, as fewer people aged 25 and older are left without an education. Those who enrolled in 2022 and 2023 to obtain a deferment have already completed their studies and can be mobilized,” he said.

Trofymenko also noted that there has been an increase in the number of female applicants to postgraduate programs, while enrollment of men in postgraduate studies has fallen by 70%.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news