In Ukraine, the number of people wishing to enroll in IT specialties has decreased, but leading universities say that enrollments are staying at the planned level and in some places are increasing. Industry companies are also not moving away from universities and continue joint programs for students.
In Ukraine, the number of people wishing to enroll in IT specialties has decreased, but leading universities say that enrollments are staying at the planned level and in some places are increasing. Industry companies are also not moving away from universities and continue joint programs for students.
Mezha.media writes about the trends with reference to GlobalLogic analytics and statistics from DOU. According to the results of August 2025, there were fewer IT applicants: by 8% compared to 2024 and by 24% compared to 2023. The most common reasons are war, family relocation, studying abroad, or postponing admission. At the same time, the following areas are popular in the top of choice: «Computer Science», «Software Engineering», «Cybersecurity and Information Protection».
GlobalLogic emphasizes joint programs and recruiting juniors: «…we do not stop involving beginners in projects,» says Viktoriya Viktorenko, University & Education Programs.
At universities, the picture is different from the national one. At NaUKMA, the Faculty of Informatics recorded a record number of bachelors and deliberately limits groups for the sake of quality. Dean Andriy Hlybovets clarifies: «…we are not observing a decline… We have reached the limit of our capabilities and consciously adhere to the principle: it is better to educate fewer students, but ensure the highest quality.»
At UCU, the IT program plan has been implemented, Robotics has been launched, and demand has exceeded the number of places. First Vice-Rector Yaroslav Prytula adds: «Almost all of our applicants have indicated UCU as their first priority…» Lviv Polytechnic reports growth in both the budget and the contract and emphasizes the importance of a diploma for starting positions.
The smaller number of applicants coincides with a demographic «hole» of graduates and a wave of relocations. In response, universities with businesses are increasing their practice: dual courses, laboratories, mentoring tracks, internships. For applicants, this means competition for strong programs, more practical tasks during their studies and a chance to get the first place on the team before graduation.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how the rector of Lviv Polytechnic University, Natalia Shakhovska, said that in this year’s admission campaign, IT specialties are in third place in popularity, and the cybersecurity direction has broken the record for the number of applicants. In her opinion, such a large number of applicants is associated with Russian cyberattacks.
