Why should I study in Ukraine?

The country of wooden churches, and mountains and ornately painted eggs...

NOTICE: We firmly condemn the attacks from Russia on Ukraine, and stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and universities during this tumultuous time. Students interested in studying in Ukraine should keep in mind that due to the war, Ukrainian universities have announced that learning will continue online until further notice.

Studying in Ukraine

Ukraine is located in the east of Europe and borders Belarus and Russia to the north and east, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west, Romania and the Republic of Moldova to the southwest and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The capital and biggest city of the country is Kyiv. Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lviv and Odessa are metropolitan areas as well. In total, more than 44,4 million people live in Ukraine.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine is an independent state. Since 2009, Ukraine is part of the Eastern Partnership, together with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova. In June 2014 the cooperation between Ukraine and the EU was further enhanced by the Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement. 

Ukraine’s Higher Education System

199 public HEIs and 87 private HEIs - namely universities, academies and institutes – function in Ukraine.

Since 2005 Ukraine is a full-member of the European Higher Education Area. Study programmes at Ukrainian higher education institutions are designed according to the Bologna process requirements. All graduates get issued Diploma Supplement which allows recognition of Ukrainian qualifications in the European Union.

First level of higher education equals 4 years of formal studies and leads to Bachelor’s degree.  In Ukraine, it is also possible to receive a short-cycle qualification – “Junior Bachelor” - within a maximum of 2 years. Based on the first degree, the Master can be received after a further study period of up to two years. Doctoral degree programmes usually last four years.

Ukraine uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), therefore one academic year of full-time studies is equivalent to 60 ECTS credits.

For more information about the entire Education System in Ukraine, please click here. More details on Ukrainian higher education can be found here.

Ukraine’s Higher Education System in international comparison

In the following, you will see how Ukraine’s Higher Education Institutions are performing on the institutional level. Based on the U-Multirank dimensions the graphic depicts the national average and represents how many of the Ukrainian institutions perform above the average (receiving an ‘A’ (very good) or ‘B’ (good) score), or below the average (receiving a ‘D’ (below average) or ‘E’ (weak) score).

Among the five U-Multirank dimensions, the Ukrainian higher education institutions participating in U-Multirank perform strongest in Teaching & Learning and Regional Engagement.

National performance: Ukraine

Percent of all Universities 100% 80% 60% 40% < below Average above > 40% 60% 80% 100% Teaching & Learning 13.404255319148936% 70.42553191489361% Research 67.97274275979557% 24.701873935264054% Knowledge Transfer 78.37837837837837% 19.144144144144143% International Orientation 66.39566395663957% 17.615176151761517% Regional Engagement 27.09163346613546% 55.37848605577689%

How much does it cost to study in Ukraine?

The tuition fees vary greatly, depending on the subject, language and (level of) study programme. Bachelor programmes are generally less expensive than Master’s programmes and those in English.

The standard range of tuition fees in bachelor medical courses is between 1,700 – 4,000 USD, while master’s programmes average 4,400 USD per academic year. English language programmes are more expensive.

Engineering courses and sciences programmes are between 1,800 – 5,000 USD, social sciences, management and humanities between 1,700 – 7,000 USD per academic year.

Sometimes language/ preparatory courses are required, the costs vary across universities and cities between 1,300 and 2,100 USD.

For more information about the tuition fees of the programmes, please click here.

What are the entry requirements for Ukrainian universities?

Admission of foreigners to Ukrainian higher education institutions takes place:

1) Twice a year for obtaining degrees of Junior Bachelor, Bachelor and Master, before and at the beginning of the academic semester, that is until 1 November and until 1 March respectively;

2) Throughout the year for postgraduate studies, doctoral studies, clinical studies, medical residency, preparatory programmes and academic mobility programmes.

Admission procedures may vary and should be inquired at the respective university beforehand.

The central document for the admission of international students is proof of (previous) academic achievements (Transcripts). Higher education institutions – universities, academies, institutes - are qualified by law to autonomously recognize academic qualifications. Ukraine is a signatory state to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region. Recognition of foreign educational documents is based on the concept of substantial difference. For more details, please visit the website of the academic recognition body, ENIC Ukraine.

How to get a Stipend/Scholarship in Ukraine?

State-funded scholarships are, with a few exceptions, not available for foreign students in Ukraine.

If you are looking for other scholarships, please click here or additional information can be found here.

Waiving tuition fees is possible for international students, including:

  • foreigners who came to study in Ukraine according to international agreements;
  • foreigners and people without citizenship who permanently live in Ukraine;
  • people with the status of refugees and people who require additional or temporary assistance.

These categories can enter the Ukrainian system of higher education on a competitive basis and get public funding for their studies within the quotes whose amount is set in annual admission requirements. For more details, please click here.

Do I need a Student Visa for Ukraine?

Rules for visas and residence permits for international students in Ukraine vary depending on the country of citizenship.

Citizens of countries with a visa-free agreement with Ukraine (Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Russia) do not need a visa. International students from countries which require a visa or have an agreement on a visa-free period of up to 90 days, shall apply for a long stay visa (type D), if a longer stay is planned.

Information on the visa requirements can be found here.

 

Top Four Student Cities in Ukraine

 

How do Ukrainian Universities fare in U-Multirank?

  1. In 2022, U-Multirank covers 93 higher education institutions from Ukraine. The finalisation of the data collection was heavily affected by the war against Ukraine.
  2. In a global perspective, Ukrainian universities perform strongest in the dimension Teaching and Learning with 71% of all indicator scores ranked above average (group ‘A’ or ‘B’).
  3. In the difficult situation of final data provision in early 2022, three Ukrainian universities score more than ten top group positions (‘A’ scores): Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics (18), Lviv Polytechnic National University (14), and Sumy National Agrarian University (11).

Here you can find a more detailed Ukrainian country report.

Ukraine's Higher Education Performance in U-Multirank

Where to study in Ukraine

Consumer Basket

Main course

200 ₴

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35 ₴

One-way ticket

10 ₴

Cinema ticket

120 ₴

Useful vocabulary

Hello

Привіт! (Pryvit)

Bye

До побачення! (Do pobachennya)

Thanks

Дякую! (Dyakuyu)

Please

Будь ласка! (Bud’ laska)

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