Higher Education Is Getting More Expensive: How Much Does a Tuition Contract Cost at Ukraine’s Most Popular Universities?
21 July 15:28
A new phase of the 2026 admissions campaign has begun in Ukraine—as of July 19, applicants have started submitting applications to higher education institutions. This year, many applicants face a significant increase in tuition fees: at a number of leading universities, the cost of tuition for the most popular majors has already exceeded 100,000 hryvnias per year. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing NV.
The media analyzed tuition fees at the top five most popular public universities based on the number of applications submitted last year.
How much does a year of study cost at the country’s leading universities?
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Here, tuition costs traditionally vary significantly depending on the major. For example, training for future teachers of Ukrainian language and literature costs 54,600 hryvnias per year, while studying the natural sciences will cost 61,800 hryvnias. Those planning to pursue a career in film and television arts will pay 84,400 hryvnias. The most expensive program is English philology taught in English—here, a one-year contract costs a record 119,100 hryvnias.
- Lviv Polytechnic National University. At one of the country’s leading technical universities, tuition fees range from 50,000 to nearly 100,000 hryvnias. The most affordable programs remain civil security, fine arts, and history—about 52,000 hryvnias per course. In contrast, software engineering costs 90,000 hryvnias per year, while computer science and artificial intelligence systems have become the absolute price leaders, with costs reaching nearly 100,000 hryvnias.
- Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. Here , the difference in tuition between programs exceeds 35,000 hryvnias. The most affordable program is biology and human health, which costs 51,400 hryvnias per year. For hospitality and restaurant management, students will have to pay 69,100 hryvnias. The highest tuition—86,700 hryvnias per year—is charged for software engineering, translation at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, and key majors at the Faculty of International Relations (international commerce, economic relations, etc.).
- Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (NTUU “KPI”). At this Kyiv-based polytechnic institute, a bachelor’s degree program costs an average of 50,000 to 80,000 hryvnias per year. Humanities majors are less expensive here, costing between 60,000 and 70,000 hryvnias. Tuition for IT programs or cybersecurity ranges from 65,000 to 80,000 hryvnias. Engineering majors remain the most expensive at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, with tuition for a contract-based program ranging from 73,000 to 80,000 hryvnias per year.
- State University of Trade and Economics. This university offers significantly lower tuition fees compared to other top-ranked institutions. In particular, software engineering—a popular choice among applicants—costs 50,000 hryvnias per year here. Tuition for the “Economics” and “International Economics” programs will cost applicants 55,000 hryvnias per year.
Key Trends in the 2026 Admissions Cycle
The IT sector, international relations, and prestigious language and literature programs firmly hold the highest tuition rates nationwide. At the same time, natural sciences, education, and the humanities remain significantly more affordable for prospective students.
Popular private universities, such as the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), and the American University of Kyiv (AUK), occupy a unique position in the market. They attract applicants with modern programs and Western educational standards, but the annual tuition there is significantly higher than at most state universities in Ukraine.
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