Big changes: the high demand for IT specialties is falling
The areas of "Software Engineering", "Applied Mathematics and Computer Science", "Law" and "Economics" have become the most in demand among applicants in 2026, Russian universities told Izvestia. At the same time, the number of applicants has almost tripled, and some universities have recorded a record flow of applications. As a result, the competition for budget places and the requirements for future students have become higher. The information about which specialties graduates choose, where competition has grown and why technical areas have become leaders can be found in the Izvestia article.
Where are they going in 2026
When choosing a profession, Russian schoolchildren are increasingly focusing not only on IT, but also on engineering and technology areas with a strong mathematical base. One of the leaders in admission this year was "Software Engineering", a specialty that trains developers of complex software systems, several universities told Izvestia at once.
In addition, the top topics are "Applied Mathematics and Computer Science", "Computer Science and Computer Engineering", "Fundamental Computer Science and Information Technology", as well as "Physics". According to Sergey Chernov, Vice-rector for Academic Affairs at Novosibirsk State Technical University of NATI, a noticeable increase in the number of applicants for physics-related specialties indicates the formation of a sustained interest in fundamental science as the basis for future technological developments.
A shift in the preferences of applicants was also noted at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, where an increase in demand for engineering and technical areas was also recorded.
"Salaries are rising in engineering, working conditions are improving, new professional growth opportunities are opening up, interesting global challenges are emerging, and young people are actively striving to do just that," the university added.
At the same time, I T-specialties still attract applicants, even in medical universities. For example, "Medical Cybernetics" has become more popular at the Siberian State Medical University (SibSMU).
—We attribute this to the general trend towards digitalization of healthcare and the growing interest of applicants in interdisciplinary fields where medicine is combined with IT technologies, big data analysis and artificial intelligence," said Alexander Okorokov, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at SibSMU.
According to Pavel Rvalov, Vice-rector for the Development of Additional Education at Tomsk Polytechnic University, the interest of applicants in chemical technology is also growing.
"This year, students chose the Unified State Exam in chemistry more often and passed the exam better than in the previous year," he noted.
The choice of today's graduates is determined by the state policy in the field of technological sovereignty of Russia, several universities told the editorial staff.
"They see government support for the industry, real production projects, and a demand for domestic developments, and they understand that these are areas with a long growth horizon,— said Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
Law, Management, Economics, as well as management and media-related specialties are still popular in the humanities block.
However, the technological cluster still dominates, Tomsk State University told Izvestia. The university recorded a decrease in interest in some humanitarian and socio-pedagogical areas — "Psychology", "Philology" and "Pedagogical education".
"The 2026 entrant is pragmatic and chooses not just a profession, but a tool for creating a new product, which fully correlates with the current economic agenda," TSU said. — Today's high school graduates often prefer professions with a short entry into the profession and transparent financial prospects.
Ruslan Garifzyanov, executive secretary of the admissions Committee of Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU), also told Izvestia that current applicants are carefully building their future career trajectory.
— Young people are now focused not only on the prestige of the profession, but also on employment prospects, professional development opportunities, the quality of training and the demand for specialists in the economy and social sphere, — said N. G. Chernyshevsky SSU.
How the competition has changed
The number of applications to universities has increased significantly this year, the country's universities told Izvestia. Many educational institutions have even set a record. The number of applications at Novosibirsk State University (NSU) increased by 58% compared to last year, and at MISIS — by 39%. The indicator also increased by 15% at the Higher School of Economics, and by 20% at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU).
But it has become more difficult to apply for a budget: dozens of applicants can apply for one place. At Plekhanov University, the competition for some specialties has almost doubled compared to last year. On average, 35 people apply for one budget place at Kazan Federal University, and 72 apply for International Relations at RANEPA. In addition, the average EXAM score increases, which makes the selection even tougher.
According to Niyaz Gabdrakhmanov, head of the HSE University Development Design and Training Laboratory, back in 2023, technical specialties were not among the top 5 in terms of admission quality, an indicator that takes into account the total number of places and the level of training of enrolled students. However, by 2025, they had taken four of the top five positions. The leaders are "Nuclear Physics and Technology", followed by "Physics" and "Mathematics". In addition, for the second year now, technical universities have been taking leading positions in the rankings, attracting increasingly strong applicants.
— The transition to engineering specialties is a conscious choice of the most prepared graduates. The average score of the Unified State Exam at the budget admission in technical areas has increased by three to four points in three years," he noted.
In addition, more and more Olympiads are coming to technical areas: in 2018, about 5 thousand people enrolled without entrance tests, and in 2025 - more than 9 thousand, the expert added.
At the same time, according to Irina Abankina, a professor at the HSE Institute of Education, the percentage of expulsions after the first two courses in technical fields is quite high.
"Even after completing the educational program, many people realize that they would not want to work in this field all their lives," she noted.
According to the expert, the problem of personnel shortage is not solved solely by increasing the number of budget places and reorienting graduates in the right areas.
Why are there more applications?
The increase in the number of applications does not in itself mean that more applicants have started to enter universities, Irina Abankina told Izvestia.
According to her, graduates today use all the opportunities for admission: everyone can apply to five universities and five directions in each, that is, they can actually get up to 25 enrollment options.
At the same time, in 2026, the number of hundred—point students has almost tripled — from 700 to 2 thousand people, and the number of Olympic athletes has increased. As a result, the competition for places has become noticeably tougher.
— The admission situation is quite tense. If earlier they often chose one university, now they apply to several universities at once," the expert added.
The new rules for paid admission also had an additional impact: the previous strategy of "I didn't pass on the budget, I'll stay on the paid course at the same university" now does not always work. The proportion of graduates who continue their studies at regional universities rather than going to Moscow or St. Petersburg for higher education is growing, thus changing the geography of admission.
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