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Superfluous people: why is the Ministry of Education and Science reducing paid places in universities
Tens of thousands of paid study places will be cut in Russian universities. This decision was reached by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The cuts will mainly affect the areas of Economics, Law, and Advertising and Public Relations. This is due to the fact that today there is an oversupply of such specialists on the market, while the state needs engineers and representatives of other technical specialties, experts believe. Against the background of a reduction in paid places, the competition for admission will increase, and tuition prices will rise. Whether it will become more difficult to get a higher education is in the Izvestia article.
From everyone according to their needs
The Ministry of Education and Science will reduce 47 thousand paid study places in Russian universities. This was stated by the head of the department Valery Falkov. He noted that the main cuts will affect three areas of education. We are talking about the specialties "Law", "Management and Economics" and "Advertising and public Relations".
First of all, the decision will affect the correspondence form of education, it will require 30,5 thousand places, which are planned to be reduced, the minister said.
The head of the Ministry of Education and Science stressed that the figure of 47,000 places is not too high. According to him, this number was approved after a long period of analytical work.
The ministry's decision will not lead to a shortage of highly qualified specialists in these and related specialties, said Alexander Tolmachev, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy. On the contrary, such a measure is caused by the current trend towards humanitarian specialties.
The analysis shows a significant oversupply in the training of lawyers and economists, says Alexey Nezhivoy, head of the operational headquarters of the independent trade union Novy Trud. According to the Ministry of Education and Science for 2025, 42.5% of students studying on a fee-based basis have chosen the specialty "Jurisprudence", he recalls. The direction remains one of the most popular among applicants, especially in large cities.
— However, as many experts note, the demand for lawyers is falling, and an oversupply of graduates leads to high competition in the labor market and reduced chances of employment in the specialty, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia.
It is considered one of the most popular in Russian universities and the field of Economics and Management. This year, 441.1 thousand people have enrolled in budget-funded bachelor's, specialist's and basic higher education programs in this specialty alone, the expert draws attention to. Finding a job later turns out to be difficult — universities produce more economists than the market requires.
The boom in economics and law majors began in the late 1990s and gained momentum in the 2000s, Tolmachev notes. These professions were considered particularly prestigious, and their prosperity coincided with the growth of the number of non-governmental universities. At the same time, at the end of the era, such educational institutions had the fame of dubious offices that gave only diplomas, not education, the parliamentarian believes.
And in the 2000s, media specialties became very popular, he adds. And the problem is that faculties for them were created not only where there were grounds for this.
— It is clear why the university, on the basis of its powerful and famous school of journalism or editing, opens the direction of advertising and public relations. But when the same thing happens in a purely industrial, technical university, which has always trained specialists for construction or heavy industry, questions arise as to whether this particular faculty is needed there," the deputy explains.
The current drop in demand for the above-mentioned specialties is largely due to the fact that the structure of the national economy is undergoing serious changes in the face of the destruction of the previous model of globalization, Nezhivoy is convinced.
— Previously, global production chains required a large number of lawyers and economists serving the exchange of goods, but now the country is in dire need of engineers. According to data for 2025, the total shortage of such specialists is estimated at 280-300 thousand people, or about 9% of the current number, the expert cites statistics.
To solve this problem, about one million engineers need to be trained in the next three years, he emphasizes. According to the plan of the authorities, their number should grow to 1.8 million people by 2030. To achieve this goal, at least 50 new advanced engineering schools are planned to be established in the country by the same year.
The problem, however, is that it is quite difficult to enroll in technical fields, Irina Abankina, professor at the HSE Institute of Education, draws attention. Starting in 2026, this requires passing the compulsory Unified State Exam in physics. And not all students graduating this year will have time to master the necessary curriculum in this subject.
Some of the specialties that will be affected by the reduction are, in principle, humanities. To enroll in these areas, basic mathematics is required, not specialized mathematics, which also raises the issue of exam preparation, the Izvestia interlocutor reminds.
— Another problem is the lack of motivation among the guys to link their careers with engineering. Many people prefer to work in the service economy and set up their own businesses. Creative areas also seem promising to applicants today. And, of course, the IT segment attracts attention," she lists.
The difficulty also lies in the fact that the reduction of paid jobs in economic and legal areas runs counter to the emphasis on the development of small and medium-sized businesses, which the government is doing today, says Olga Zhiltsova, associate professor at the Department of Logistics at the Financial University.
— These are the most necessary competencies in business. There is no reason to engage in entrepreneurial activity without economic and legal knowledge," she emphasizes.
And the lack of knowledge in these areas can open up additional opportunities for unscrupulous business coaches and coaches who mislead representatives of small businesses, the expert warns.
The Battle of the Strongest
It should also be borne in mind that the reduction of paid places at universities will lead to increased competition in these areas. It has always been high for budget places, Olga Zhiltsova recalls. However, according to Alexey Nezhivoy, starting this year it will only be more difficult to enter the budget, which will also be affected by the fact that some of these places will be reserved for privileged categories of citizens.
— It is possible that there will be a situation when next year there will be no budget places in the areas of Law and Economics at all, — the expert notes.
The competition used to be indirectly high for paid places, and after limiting their number, the situation will worsen significantly, Zhiltsova admits. But Alexander Tolmachev does not see this as a serious problem. The parliamentarian claims that the truncation of places is not aimed at applicants who dream of economics or law.
— First of all, it will affect those who need to go somewhere, because it is accepted, because parents want it that way, because a person does not know who he wants to become, and goes to the "universal" lawyer or economist, - says the deputy.
In practice, such students do not join the ranks of workers in these fields, because they did not initially intend to do so. The new measure will make applicants more aware, the parliamentarian is sure.
The cost of paid tuition will still increase, Irina Abankina believes, noting that universities are already discussing prices.
— They will be announced in the spring, but we can say that, taking into account inflation and the need to ensure the salaries of the teaching staff in accordance with the requirements, of course, the cost of tuition at paid places will increase, - warns the interlocutor of Izvestia.
Prices for the maintenance of the property complex, consumables, utilities, as well as communication and transport services have increased significantly, she notes. And universities balanced their budgets precisely thanks to paid students, most of whom study in such areas as Economics, Law, Management, and others. The current situation may be a significant blow for regional universities, predicts the professor.
— There is a threat hanging over educational institutions that they will not be able to accept the required number of paid students. And of course, they will have to somehow find reserves in order to cover current expenses," the expert clarifies.
Meanwhile, following the approval of the new model of higher education, standards will need to be updated, which will require updating the qualifications of personnel, programs, laboratory equipment, and so on, Abankina lists.
— The paid education segment made it possible to cope with the resource provision of the system as much as possible. Its restriction will negatively affect universities, their development opportunities and competitiveness," she warns.
For many regional universities, paid education was a significant source of income, admits Alexander Tolmachev. And educational institutions, especially those that depend on the number of paid places, will have to rethink their policies. The parliamentarian does not rule out that some universities will try to compensate for losses by raising prices. However, as he recalls, last year Federal Law No. 114-FZ came into force, regulating tuition fees in specific areas, due to which changes should not significantly affect the availability of higher education.
There is a plus in increasing the cost of tuition and the admission competition, Zhiltsova says. Applicants with borderline scores, whose knowledge is sufficient only to obtain secondary vocational education, will not be able to enter higher education institutions.
The thorny path to knowledge
However, it is important to take into account that colleges cannot accept everyone, Irina Abankina emphasizes. Already in the current academic year, some eleventh-graders who failed to enroll in paid education did not go to colleges either, because the places in them were filled by ninth-grade graduates.
— The capacity of colleges, taking into account the demand for them, turned out to be insufficient. Therefore, this year we have about 10% of 11th grade graduates who did not enroll in either universities or colleges," the Izvestia interlocutor clarifies.
In the current situation, she does not exclude the possibility of some applicants leaving for other countries. Moreover, a number of neighboring countries have Russian-language training programs. And educational institutions with English-language programs often offer favorable conditions, which can also attract graduates.
However, there is no significant demand for foreign education, believes Alexander Tolmachev. The question of applying abroad, as a rule, requires preparation and is considered long before exams, but also before the start of studies in the graduating class.
It should be borne in mind that, first of all, the reduction of places will affect distance learning, and many students who choose this format work full-time, recalls Abankina. Moreover, some students switch to this form of education in their third or fourth year if they have the opportunity to get a job. And in this context, the reduction of paid correspondence places is rather a negative trend.
In this regard, Olga Zhiltsova allows for an active transition to distance education. And this format has its advantages, she argues: it is on-the-job and family-friendly education, as well as the opportunity to study at a convenient time for the student.
Many universities, especially in the humanities, where constant practical training is not required, are actively developing distance education today, Alexey Nezhivoy draws attention.
— And perhaps it is at the distance level — although this, of course, will be paid — that legal and economic areas will remain accessible to applicants, — the expert does not exclude.
New horizons
In any case, the situation will be difficult for graduates who were preparing for admission to specialties in which paid places are being reduced, Irina Abankina is sure.
— Therefore, we need to look at other areas, focusing on private universities and colleges. Olympiads also remain important, since their winners and prize—winners have an advantage in admission," advises the Izvestia interlocutor.
Alexander Tolmachev, however, is convinced that for those who are determined to study the professions affected by the reduction, the new measure will not be a problem. As a rule, students who are seriously passionate about a topic prepare for exams carefully, he draws attention.
— Some guys are so immersed in the subject at school that they can compete with junior students in terms of knowledge. Many participate in Olympiads, national competitions and projects. I am sure that those who really see themselves in the future as lawyers, economists, PR specialists, who work hard and every day, will have no problems with admission to the coveted faculty, — says the parliamentarian.
At the same time, you can always enroll in a related field with the opportunity to expand the range of knowledge and skills during training in a specialized program or try your hand next year, the deputy adds.
In addition, new legal areas will develop in the future, Alexey Nezhivoy expects. In particular, in his opinion, the law related to robotics, artificial intelligence and platform employment will actively develop.
— Therefore, the recommendation for those who still want to study economics and law is to focus on these new areas. Specialists in them will be guaranteed to be in demand, since there simply does not exist an established legal system regulating, for example, platform employment. We are waiting for mass robotization, widespread adoption of machines, which means the inevitable emergence and clash of human and technological interests," the expert predicts, stressing that in the future a large number of specialists trained according to fundamentally new standards will be needed, and this is a chance for students to be in demand in the labor market.
The editorial board of Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. No response has been received at the time of publication.
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