Admission to universities in 2026: how the system of ranking applicants will work
Starting in 2026, the rules for admission to Russian universities are noticeably changing: the submission of documents will become completely digital. In addition, the priority in the allocation of budget places will shift towards specialties in demand by the economy. What innovations await applicants and how applicants will be ranked with equal USE scores — in the Izvestia material.
New university admission rules from 2026: what will change for applicants
The main admission process in 2026 will remain the same, but with key innovations. According to Alexander Balashov, Vice—rector for Academic Affairs at NIU MIET, the main change is the submission of documents exclusively through the Gosuslugi portal. According to him, it will no longer be possible to submit documents through the information systems of universities.
According to Oleg Baksansky, Professor of the Department of Educational Psychology at Moscow State University, the reform of admission to budget places in 2026 has three key goals. The main task is to increase the effectiveness of the selection of applicants, ensure the availability of high—quality higher education and take into account the strategic needs of the economy for qualified specialists.
The targeted admission procedure will also be formalized: for each target location, applicants will receive full information about the customer and the conditions of study in advance. Special attention is being paid to optimizing commercial reception — artificial price lowering will be prohibited, and the number of paid places will become regulated.
The expert also noted regulatory changes. For college graduates, the possibility of admission on internal tests will remain only in specialized areas. Equal conditions will be created for foreign applicants: the results of the Belarusian CT will be equated to the Unified State Exam, and admission to internal tests in Russian universities will be available only to those who have not passed the Unified State Exam.
In the future, the introduction of a mandatory Unified State Exam in physics for engineering areas is being considered. In addition, the regions will have the opportunity to adjust the share of budget jobs, focusing on the needs of the local labor market. The new system is designed to ensure high competitiveness of applicants, improve the quality of education and bring it in line with the current requirements of the economy and society.
How will applicants be ranked in 2026 with the same USE scores?
As Oleg Baksansky noted, a number of fundamental changes will be implemented to achieve these goals. Firstly, the ranking system will remain transparent and will be based on the results of the Unified State Exam. Applicants will be ranked by total points, while for most specialties the minimum entry threshold will be 50 points.
Secondly, there will be a noticeable redistribution of budget places in favor of priority areas for the economy: engineering, medical, agricultural, mathematical and natural science specialties, while the number of places in humanitarian areas will decrease.
Balashov added that for each competition group, the university forms ranked lists of persons who have applied for admission and are allowed to participate in the competition. The transparency of the competition lists is ensured by their regular updating every two hours (if there are changes) and ranking in descending order of the amount of competition points, which consists of the sum of the results of the Unified State Exam and entrance tests and points for individual achievements.
— If scores are equal for several applicants, scores in priority disciplines are taken into account. For example, at the National Research University MIET, in most technical areas of study, the first priority is Mathematics, the second is Physics or Computer Science, and the third priority is Russian. And as individual achievements, MIET takes into account the certificate or diploma with honors, the gold badge "TRP," Balashov told Izvestia.
How to enroll in universities in 2026: from choosing a university to submitting documents
According to Olga Nazaikinskaya, Professor of business practice and director of the Center for Educational Transformation at the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo, the system of selecting applicants to leading universities is not limited only to the results of the Unified State Exam.
She recalled that a number of universities, including Moscow State University and St. Petersburg State University, are legally entitled to conduct additional entrance examinations. In addition, specialized exams are mandatory for creative and sports fields, as well as for applicants to universities like MGIMO, where advanced knowledge of foreign languages is tested.
For other universities that seek to identify the motivation and non-standard abilities of applicants, in addition to the results of the Unified State Exam, Professor Nazaikinskaya identifies two key approaches. The first of these is internal selection after enrollment, when additional students who have enrolled in the general faculty are assigned to the most complex and prestigious educational programs.
— That is, all applicants are admitted on a general basis, and after that, among the enrolled students, there is a distribution to certain programs through additional tests, — said the expert.
The second, more innovative way, which is used, for example, by ITMO University, is to organize a special competition.
— A separate competition is being created. You need to get the minimum score for this university, and then take part in a competition where a student can submit their portfolio, an existing project, or maybe a development. Most often, the university finances such places in the form of grants from its own funds," Nazaikinskaya shared.
As the expert emphasizes, such mechanisms allow universities to go beyond the standard system and attract exactly those students who meet their specific needs and values. However, this requires their own resources, willingness to undergo complex selection procedures, and, crucially, the ability to offer talented applicants truly strong educational programs in order to retain them after admission.
How will the enrollment procedure change in 2026
Balashov recalled that an applicant who is eligible for admission under a special admission quota can specify five directions for the general competition and five of the same directions under a special admission quota.
"For example, the field of study indicated in the application "Applied Mathematics — general competition" and "Applied Mathematics — special quota" will have the same priority value," the expert noted.
He also reminded that it is important to understand that only those persons who have submitted consent for admission to this university are eligible for admission to the competition group, that is, the applicant needs to decide on a specific university where he would like to participate in the admission competition and submit consent for admission there.
If an applicant decides to change their choice, they will be able to withdraw their consent to enroll in one university and submit it to another educational institution before the deadline for accepting such consent. At the same time, the submitted consent applies to all competition groups, and in each competition the university independently determines the highest priorities for the applicant.
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