Russian senators propose raising minimum scores on university entrance exams

The Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, has recommended raising the minimum scores needed for university entrance exams on the Unified State Exam (USE) for all Russian universities, according to a resolution issued on October 28. This proposed change would apply universally, irrespective of a university's department or ownership.

The Council also suggested discontinuing distance learning for engineering and technology majors. To address fields with excess enrollment relative to job market demand, it proposed capping the number of tuition-paying spots. Furthermore, the senators recommended reassessing the rules and criteria for admission benefits, and suspending the issuance of new university licenses until amendments improving the licensing process are enacted into Russian law.

Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko emphasized the need for stricter university licensing requirements in an October 14 plenary session, stating that opening a university in Russia is currently as simple as opening a newspaper kiosk. Matviyenko also proposed reducing the number of tuition-paying students at Moscow universities by limiting admissions from other regions: "Enroll as many as are needed in the necessary fields, and no more.

The rest can study at home." In recent years, Russian authorities have been increasingly encouraging students to pursue vocational education instead of universities, according to BBC Russia. Some schools have started reducing enrollment in upper grades, and since 2025, students who skip the USE will only be able to choose a similar field of study.

In 2025, the government will also have the authority to allocate tuition-paying slots in the 40 most popular fields of study deemed to produce an overabundance of graduates.