The average score: the "graduate index" was 10-15 thousand rubles.

How much do they spend on graduation

Students and their parents spend from 10.5 thousand rubles to prepare images for graduation, which will be held in most Russian schools on June 28-29, experts from the "Check Index" of the OFD Platform calculated for Izvestia.

An outfit and shoes for a girl costs an average of 11.6 thousand rubles, and about 2.8 thousand rubles are spent on beauty salons or hairdressers. If atelier services are required, the average check increases by another 2.8 thousand rubles.

An average of 10.5 thousand rubles are spent on a suit, shoes and a shirt for a young man, analysts estimate. The average check for graduate preparation for the holiday turned out to be 7% higher than last year. At the same time, sales of women's and men's shoes decreased by 5% in May-June.

"Many graduates this year prefer a more practical approach to their holiday wardrobe, often preferring sneakers over shoes,— Check Index experts emphasized. — This partly explains the more restrained demand for festive clothes and shoes.

Almost a third of parents are willing to spend from 10 to 20 thousand rubles on the image of a graduate, according to a survey conducted by the Orange loyalty service. Another 29% expect an amount of 5-10 thousand rubles, and 23% plan a budget of 20-50 thousand rubles.

At the same time, parents spend money not only on the image, but also on the organization of the holiday itself, gifts to teachers. So, the majority agree to pay 5-10 thousand rubles for a professional photographer, another 22% have set a more serious budget for this.

"There are also those who are going to do it on their own — parents and friends will record memories on smartphones," the service's analysts added.

More than half of the respondents reported that they plan to celebrate graduation in a restaurant or cafe, while 21% — outdoors, and 8% — in the school cafeteria. The rest are considering house parties.

Most of them allocate 1-3 thousand rubles for gifts to teachers. About a quarter are ready to spend from 3-5 thousand rubles, and 20% — more than 5 thousand rubles.

— There are different gift options: from traditional bouquets and sweets to a ticket to Dubai, bed linen, dishes, appliances and even an office chair. One of the most unexpected options is an air kiss," the service noted.

The cost of training a ninth-grader this year amounted to about 20 thousand rubles, Irina, a resident of the Moscow region, shared with Izvestia.

— The daughter's image cost us about 14 thousand rubles. And that was only because she chose inexpensive shoes, otherwise it would have been possible to multiply the check by two," she explained. — For the celebration, which will be held outside the city, we gave 5.5 thousand rubles just for the child.

At the same time, it is customary to give gifts to teachers at their school only on the "Last Call," the editorial interlocutor noted.

As the graduate's mother told Izvestia, an evening was arranged for the children in a cafe — the parents were discounted for 6 thousand rubles. The price included food, a festive and entertainment program, and a disco. In addition, parents handed over 2 thousand for gifts to teachers, as well as about 4 thousand for the graduate's album — they were prepared in advance.: Back in the winter, the children were photographed in the studio, the rental of which was also included in this price. But children will receive them only after handing over certificates for the ninth grade.

On average, Russians believe that a child's graduation will cost them 31 thousand rubles, according to the Avito Goods survey. Of these, 19 thousand rubles will be spent on the celebration, and 12 thousand rubles will be spent on the image. The majority of high school students will celebrate their graduation at school this year, 34% of respondents said. Another 29% will continue in the restaurant or banquet hall after the official part, and 17% will go to celebrate in nature.

How to save money on graduation

More than 40% of parents said they were looking for prom clothes on online platforms. For example, in June, sales of themed products at Wildberries — dresses, suits, and gift sets for teachers — increased by 40% year-on-year.

"Sales of various decorations for clothing increased fourfold, ties were purchased by 160% more than last year, and the average receipt increased by 10%," the press service said.

Sales of suits, shirts, blouses and dresses also increased.

"Specialized gift sets for graduates are also very popular, with an increase of 48%, but sales of similar sets for teachers have hardly changed, and teachers probably prefer to make individual gifts," the markteplace press service added.

Avito also recorded an increase in tie sales in May and June. In addition, men's trousers, jackets, and shirts were in demand. Graduates bought hair accessories, knee socks and jewelry.

— In May-June 2025, the average cost of a graduate's image, consisting of an evening dress, shoes and hair accessories, was 7.2 thousand rubles. The graduate's outfit of a suit, shoes, shirt and tie cost an average of 11.8 thousand rubles, they calculated.

Before graduation, the demand for makeup, manicures, pedicures and hairstyles is traditionally growing, Avito Services added.

—Photography is among the most in—demand services: interest in it has increased by 56% compared to May last year," they stressed.

Sales at Ozon Fashion before graduation directly reflect fashion trends. For example, midi-length models are the leaders among dresses, and the most trending options were deep shades — emerald, wine and blue — their sales increased tenfold over the year. Most often, girls complement their images with sequins for hair, face and body (twice their height) and jewelry like silver chains and earrings with flowers, the demand for which has increased 2.4 times.

Young men, as a rule, take one set for last call and graduation: in May, sales of suits increased by 63%, shirts — by 57%, shoes — by 54%. Ties help to diversify the appearance — their sales more than doubled in May-June.

How to plan your graduation expenses

Graduation expenses can be significant for the family budget, experts interviewed by Izvestia noted. So, if the minimum cost can be 15-30 thousand rubles, then the premium one — with an expensive venue and invited artists — can cost 100-150 thousand per person, said Oleg Abelev, head of the analytical department of the Rikom-Trust investment company.

"For families with lower—than—average incomes, these costs can amount to about half of the monthly budget, for the middle class - 10-15% of the budget, and for high-income families, such costs are usually not very critical," he said.

The amount of graduation expenses strongly depends on the school, the city, the requirements of the parent committee and, of course, the expectations of the students and parents themselves, added Magomed Gamzaev, Director of Financial Product Development at Compare.

— For some families, the total of such expenses can be compared with the monthly income or even exceed it. If money for these purposes has not been set aside in advance, such expenses can significantly hit the budget and lead to financial difficulties, as well as affect credit history and credit rating," he stressed.

The expert recommended planning graduation expenses in advance: start saving small amounts a year or two before the event, determine the maximum allowable amount that the family is willing to spend, and clearly adhere to it.

— It is necessary to set priorities and understand what is important for the child on this day: perhaps it will be more pleasant and joyful for him to spend it with friends, rather than buying an expensive outfit. Of course, graduation is a big event in a child's life, but it should not cause serious financial difficulties for the family," he said.

If you involve a teenager in a conversation about family finances while preparing for graduation, then this can be a good opportunity to teach him planning and prioritization, says Igor Rastorguev, a leading analyst at AMarkets.

At the same time, experts urged not to get into loans or debts for the sake of the holiday, especially given the high interest rates.

— Graduation credits are not considered an emergency. Graduation is an event with clear deadlines and clear introductory notes, so reasonable planning of expenses and accumulation of the necessary amounts in advance allows us to solve the problem of graduation financing without overloading the family budget," says Vasily Kutyin, Director of Analytics at Ingosstrakh Bank.

As a rule, all adult family members are ready to take part in preparing graduates for the holiday, which can be a financial help for parents.

Negotiate with the child

Graduation is not only a celebration, outfits and photos, but also a transition to the next stage of life, psychologists have noticed. It is important to understand how the teenager himself wants to celebrate this holiday, said Olga Kushnareva, a family therapist.

— If a teenager enthusiastically chooses a dress, a suit, discusses a hairstyle, worries, this is his way of living a meaningful moment. Then the parents' task is to support and help organize a comfortable participation," she said.

But if a child does not want to go to a party or is going only to the official part, this does not mean that something is wrong with him, the specialist assured.

— Teenagers experience separation from the stage of school life in different ways. For some, this is a holiday, but for others it is an extra social burden, especially if there were conflicts in the classroom or a relationship did not work out. In this case, graduation can be perceived more as stress than as joy," she explained.

Olga Kushnareva recommended that parents ask themselves the question: who really cares about participating in graduation?

— If it's a parental need to be "like everyone else", take beautiful photos, arrange a celebration, you should honestly admit it to yourself. Authoritarian attempts to force a teenager to participate if he doesn't want to can lead not to a holiday, but to an internal conflict," she warned.

At the same time, choosing a protest outfit, according to the psychologist, is also a form of self—expression. It is important to discuss boundaries here, but not to suppress personality.

If a teenager does not have a need for self-expression through clothes, an external image imposed on him can spoil the feeling of celebration, added Olesya Tolstukhina, a clinical psychologist at the Doctor Nearby medical technology company.

— If the child feels artificially dressed up, out of place, behavior and movements will be constrained, the whole holiday can become a continuous tension and stress, — she emphasized.

Psychologists believe that the decision on how the graduation will be held should be a family one. It is important that during the process there is an opportunity to openly discuss with the child all the details of the holiday, then the solemn moment will pass, and good relations with parents will remain.