The Cost of Higher Education in Ukraine: Tuition Fees by Major, Region, and University

The cost of higher education in Ukraine has risen by approximately 60% over the past four years, and in 2025, the average tuition fee exceeded 30,000 hryvnias for the first time. Medical, international, IT, and creative fields traditionally make up the premium segment, while agricultural, engineering, and industrial majors remain the most affordable. Learn more about the most expensive and cheapest majors, regional differences in tuition costs, and opportunities for state grant support for Ukrainian applicants

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With the admissions season approaching, the issue of the cost of higher education is once again coming to the forefront. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine attributes the annual price increases to rising operational costs at institutions and higher salaries for faculty. The Education.ua portal conducted a large-scale study of competitive offers from Ukrainian universities and determined how prices have changed over the past four years, which fields of study have become the most expensive, and where tuition costs remain moderate.

What does the current pricing landscape of higher education in Ukraine look like? In which regions and for which majors is it most expensive to study? Where can you find affordable options? And how do state grants help reduce the financial burden? We’ll cover all this in the article below.

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How has the average cost of tuition at universities changed from 2022 to 2025?

An analysis of admission offers for applicants with a complete secondary education showed that prices at Ukrainian higher education institutions are rising every year, and the pace of this growth is accelerating. According to Education.ua, the average cost of tuition over four years has increased by approximately 60%. In 2022, Ukrainian applicants paid an average of 19,171 hryvnias per year of study; in 2023, 21,591 hryvnias; in 2024, 25,347 hryvnias; and in 2025, this figure reached 30,798 hryvnias.

The most significant jump in cost occurred specifically over the past year: the difference between the figures for 2024 and 2025 exceeds 5,000 hryvnias. This trend is explained by rising operational costs at institutions, increases in faculty salaries, and the general level of inflation in the economy. For the families of prospective students, this means the need to plan their budget in advance and consider additional sources of funding for education—from government grants to student loans.

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Which majors saw the fastest price increases between 2022 and 2025?

In the ranking of majors with the highest cost increases, “International Relations” took first place: the cost of tuition over four years rose by 93%, from 24,920 hryvnias to 48,079 hryvnias on average per year. “Applied Mathematics” showed a similar trend with a 91% increase, as did “Geography and Regional Studies,” where costs rose by 88%. In fourth place is “Marketing” with an 87% increase, followed by “Law Enforcement” at 84%.

In addition, the top ten includes “Accounting and Taxation” and “Finance, Banking, Insurance, and the Stock Market” (both at 82%), “International Law” and “Railway Transport” (both at 79%), as well as “Public Health” at 77%. The most significant price increases were seen in fields related to international activities, management, finance, and law. For example, the cost of studying “Public Health” rose from 20,284 hryvnias in 2022 to 35,809 hryvnias in 2025.

Ukraine is set to raise university tuition fees. Here’s what we know so far.

Regional price map: where in Ukraine is education the most and least expensive?

The highest prices for contract-based education are not limited to the capital region. A significant portion of the western regions also ranked among the most expensive for prospective students, likely due to a shift in demand toward safer regions of the country. Chernivtsi Oblast became the leader in average tuition costs in 2025—37,800 hryvnias per year. Next are Lviv Oblast (37,480 hryvnias), Kyiv Oblast (37,308 hryvnias), Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (35,828 hryvnias), and Zakarpattia Oblast (34,504 hryvnias).

The lowest tuition costs were recorded mainly in the southern and central regions of Ukraine. Kherson Oblast topped the list of the most affordable regions with an average cost of 22,315 hryvnias. Mykolaiv Oblast (22,640 hryvnias) and Zaporizhzhia Oblast (22,780 hryvnias) are at nearly the same level. In Poltava Oblast, the average tuition cost is 23,506 hryvnias, and in Sumy Oblast, it is 24,124 hryvnias. The difference between the most expensive and the cheapest regions exceeds 15,000 hryvnias per year, which significantly influences the choice of city for pursuing higher education.

Top 10 Most Expensive Majors at Ukrainian Universities

“Dentistry” tops the list of the most expensive majors—the average cost of one year of study is 53,280 hryvnias. In second place is “Medicine” at 51,412 hryvnias, and in third place is “Audiovisual Arts and Media Production,” where tuition averages 48,788 hryvnias. The top five also includes “International Relations” (48,079 hryvnias) and “Pediatrics” (47,752 hryvnias).

The second half of the ranking is made up of “Medical Psychology” with an average cost of 46,028 hryvnias,

“International Law”—42,704 hryvnias, ‘Music’—42,353 hryvnias, “Information Systems and Technologies”—40,817 hryvnias, and “Software Engineering”—40,687 hryvnias. Four fields form the core of the premium segment of higher education: medical fields, creative professions, international activities, and IT. It is worth noting that even at these prices, competition for these majors remains consistently high—each year, admissions committees receive a significant number of applications.

Top 10 cheapest majors for contract-based study

At the opposite end of the ranking are fields that the state defines as critically important for economic development and post-war reconstruction. The cheapest major in 2025 is “Railway Transport”—19,803 hryvnias per year of study. “Animal Husbandry” costs just 11 hryvnias more (19,814 hryvnias), while “Mechanical Engineering” rounds out the top three most affordable programs at 20,649 hryvnias.

The top ten most affordable fields also include “Organization of Sociocultural Activities”—21,120 hryvnias, “Aquatic Bioresources and Aquaculture”—21,187 hryvnias, “Electrical Engineering”—21,391 hryvnias, “Landscape Architecture” — 21,399 hryvnias, ‘Metallurgy’ — 21,408 hryvnias, “Agricultural Engineering” — 21,730 hryvnias, and “Power Generation” — 21,758 hryvnias. Most of these fields are related to the agricultural sector, industry, and energy—sectors that form the backbone of the Ukrainian economy and require an influx of young professionals.

The Most Expensive and Least Expensive Universities in Ukraine

The price gap between higher education institutions in Ukraine is widening every year. The most expensive university in 2025 was American University of Kyiv, where a year of study costs an average of 323,999 hryvnias. Second place went to Sigmund Freud University Ukraine with a price tag of 315,000 hryvnias, and third place to the Ukrainian Catholic University (147,000 hryvnias). The ranking of the most expensive universities also includes Odessa Technological University “SHAG” (137,000 hryvnias), IT Step University (119,857 hryvnias), Kyiv School of Economics (117,212 hryvnias), Dnipro Technological University SHAG (110,000 hryvnias),

Kharkiv Technological University “IT STEP” (100,250 hryvnias), Neoversity (100,000 hryvnias), and the Kharkiv School of Architecture (100,000 hryvnias). Almost all institutions at the top of the ranking are private.

The cheapest higher education is available primarily at pedagogical and religious institutions. The lowest average tuition fee in 2025 was set by the Tavriya Christian Institute—11,750 hryvnias per year. Next are the Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy (15,000 hryvnias) and the Berdiansk State Pedagogical University (15,177 hryvnias). The top ten most affordable institutions also include the Berdiansk University of Management and Business (15,500 hryvnias), the Ferenc Rákóczi II ZUI (16,847 hryvnias), the Beit-Hana MGI (17,000 hryvnias), the Central Ukrainian Institute of the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management (17,535 hryvnias), the Kherson Institute of the National University of Naval Forces named after Admiral Makarov (17,550 hryvnias), the Kherson National Pedagogical University named after G. S. Skovoroda (17,612 hryvnias), and the Poltava National Pedagogical University named after V. G. Korolenko (17,710 hryvnias).

By the way, starting September 1, student scholarships will increase to 4,000 UAH.

State grants as a way to reduce the cost of higher education

Against the backdrop of annual price increases, the state is expanding financial support programs for prospective students. State grants have become one of the key tools, capable of partially—and in some cases fully—covering the cost of tuition. Access to such support is granted to applicants whose NMT scores exceed the average. According to the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, over 40,000 students have benefited from these grants during the two-year pilot program, with the average grant amounting to just over 23,000 hryvnias.

Despite the steady rise in the cost of higher education, the Ukrainian market still offers options for various budgets—from a minimum of 11,750 hryvnias per year at religious institutions to hundreds of thousands at premium-segment private universities. However, the choice of a major increasingly depends not only on the applicant’s calling but also on their family’s financial means. That is why state grant support, educational loans, and scholarship programs are becoming increasingly important for Ukrainian students and their families.

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Reminder! Ukraine is tightening controls on school attendance to ensure every child’s right to education. Thanks to new rules, information about absences will be shared between schools, the police, and social services much more quickly. What penalties apply to parents if a child misses school without a valid reason — read more at the link.

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