Ukraine - Education Ukraine - Education
Overview
With nearly 5.7 million students in a country the size of Texas, Ukraine is among the largest and most talented international student markets in Europe.
After decades of standing in Russia's shadow, Western institutions are gradually taking more notice of Ukrainian students. The country ranks fourth in the world in the number of people with a higher education, and the literacy rate is 100 percent among its youngest generations. In 2017/18 the number of students in primary and secondary school reached 3,922,000, in vocational school 269,400 and in higher education 1,538,600 students.
Despite its track record in producing talented, literate students, over the last twenty years Ukraine’s educational system has suffered, which in turn caused increasing numbers of students to look for study abroad programs. Between 2009 and 2016 the number of Ukrainians studying abroad increased by 176 percent to reach 66,668 students studying in 34 countries. The most attractive countries to study are Poland, Germany, Russia, Canada, Italy, Czech Republic, USA, Spain, Austria, France and Hungary.
According to the most recent Open Doors Report of the Institute of International Education, 1,928 Ukrainian students went to the U.S. to study in 2017-2018, which is 6.1 percent more than in 2016-2017. Of these, 49 percent of Ukrainians studying in the U.S. pursue bachelor’s degrees, 33 percent enroll in master's programs, 12.5 percent take optional practical training, and 5.5 percent elect non-degree programs.
The most popular destinations for prospective students are the U.S., followed by Canada, the U.K, and Western Europe. When selecting a country, Ukrainians base their decisions on a country's reputation for helping a student with career preparation and the strength of a country's overall education system. When comparing schools, prospective students consider first the quality and then the cost of tuition. The most popular programs for Ukrainians are master’s degrees, English courses, and bachelor’s degrees. Due to a limited number of high-quality business education programs in Ukraine, business administration is the number one field of study for Ukrainian international students. Regarding competition for U.S. universities, according to agents, Canada is the main competitor for the U.S. in recruiting Ukrainians to study in primary and higher education programs, with the U.K. the major competitor for language schools and programs.
There are many recruiting agents in Ukraine and numerous small agencies dominate the market. Most agents concentrate their efforts on serving students who plan to use their parent's income or personal savings to pay for their education.
Trade Events
There are no educational trade events on a national level in Ukraine. The educational companies organize their own fairs and invite international schools to participate. Usually these fairs take place in October and February.
Leading Sub-Sectors
- Secondary Educations
- Community Colleges
- Higher Education Opportunities
Web Resources
- Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
- Osvita.Ua (Education portal)
- Analytical Center CEDOS
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