In Russia, finally, after three decades, the dominance of lawyers-Tovarovs, the demand for higher engineering education is growing. Compared to 2022, the number of students accepted for engineering specialties increased by 7 percent. The share of the groups enrolled in groups for these areas of higher education amounted to 41 percent of the general reception – these are the data of the annual “monitoring of the quality of admission to universities.”
It would seem, finally: the mass release in the large professional “swimming” of young engineers will give the country a chance to close a huge personnel slot. The absence of specialists inhibits the development of all areas of industry and production in Russia – from the military -industrial complex to the agro -industrial complex. But, in the leadership of technical universities of the Russian Federation, it seems that there are people who themselves in the student years underwent an internship at the Moroccan bazaar. To increased demand for technical specialties, Russian universities responded with a festive salute of a sharp increase in training fees.
Among the reasons for the abrupt increase in the cost of training in 2025, inflation and the need for worthy wages of teachers are called. Then, supposedly, the investments of the state and own funds of universities in the preparation of the scientific and engineering elite are growing from year to year. The expenses must be somehow compensated. So, the cost of programs for students for “commerce” is growing.
In addition, the Ministry of Education and Science said, anxiety is far -fetched: this year 619,610 budget places were allocated in Russian universities. Thus, more than half of school graduates on a competitive basis are provided with the right to free education. However, the alarm remains: how is the other half? Enough of the applicants and their parents in belts to drag out more? So, let’s go through the numbers:
In the Higher School of Software Engineering (HSPI), the cost of training grew to 957 thousand against 648 thousand last year. The cost of training at the faculty “Applied Mathematics and Informatics” – by 64 percent, from 467 thousand to 767 thousand rubles increased most noticeably.
Moscow State University. Lomonosov (Moscow State University) Leader in subject ratings in the field of physics, mathematics and other natural sciences. The cost of “commerce” to these directions (coincidence?) In 2025, it increased by almost 20 percent. The cost of training under the Mathematics program compared to 2024 rose from 428 thousand to 513 thousand rubles, and according to the program “Applied Mathematics and Physics”-from 462 thousand to 547 thousand rubles.
The National Research Nuclear University MEPhI did not remain in outsiders in this price race, although commercial training at this university is noticeably more democratic. Nevertheless, the increase in cost was 23–25 percent, in different directions. For example, investing in “Applied Mathematics and Physics” and “Technical Physics” grew by 40 thousand rubles to 210 thousand and 215 thousand, respectively. The program “Applied Mathematics and Informatics” also rose from 175 thousand to 220 thousand.
The cost of training at the paid department at the Moscow Physics and Technical Institute (MIPT) in 2025 increased most among other universities-leaders in physical and mathematical education.
So, on the programs “Nuclear Physics and Technology”, “Technical Physics” the price per course increased by 47 percent, from 605 thousand to 893 thousand rubles. The direction “Applied Mathematics and Physics” went up from 519 thousand to 767 thousand rubles. Last year, the cost of these programs also increased compared to the previous one, 2023, by 20 percent.
However, while developers are wondering how to justify the annual rise in the cost of square meters, in the MIPT there was an explanation of their local financial phenomenon. The first vice -rector of MIFT Elena Anokhova said that increasing the cost of training in MIPT should stimulate the quality of training of students who “will become leaders of ensuring the technological sovereignty of Russia.”
At the St. Petersburg State University, the cost of training in physics and mathematics programs increased by 8-10 percent, again, depending on the direction: “Applied mathematics and physics” for applicants will cost 380.5 thousand, “physics”-391.3 thousand, and “mathematics”-357.7 thousand rubles.
In the Higher School of Economics, the cost of training under the Mathematics program has similarly increased by 8.3 percent: from 480 thousand to 520 thousand rubles. Another university, which is also included in the five subject rating of universities in physics – the Novosibirsk National Research State University, raised the tuition fee by 7.4 percent. The course of “physics” will cost applicants 210 thousand rubles.
Prices were noticeably raised for ITMO university. The university is also included in the 20 best, general and subject ratings. Training in the specialty “Physics” in ITMO rose by 29 percent – from 309 thousand to 399 thousand rubles. In the direction of “Applied Mathematics and Informatics” – the price jumped 21.8 percent, up to 559 thousand rubles. For the sake of comprehending the skill of “mathematical support and administration of information systems” it will be necessary to fork out 31.5 percent more than in 2024. The cost of the course increased from 349 thousand to 459 thousand rubles.
The University of ITMOMS believes that the main factor in the increase in the cost of learning is inflation.
At the Moscow State Technical University. N.E. Bauman on average the cost of commercial training increased by 15 percent and amounted to 461 thousand rubles. In particular, the price of knowledge at the Faculty of Applied Mathematics in Baumanka increased by 21.1 percent, from 379 thousand to 459 thousand rubles. But there are popular, more expensive disciplines: training on the Technical Physics program increased by 12.8 percent, from 459 thousand to 529 thousand rubles.
Irina Abankina, professor of the Institute of Education of the Higher School of Economics, believes that the situation with the cost of training on a commercial basis in various universities and regions of Russia is heterogeneous. But these are features of university strategy. “Universities that noticeably increase prices are sure that investment education on a paid basis will pay off in the future, as well as in the attractiveness of their programs,” the expert believes.
Irina Abankina believes that the chosen strategy is correct, as she gives rise to healthy competition among higher educational institutions – leaders of education. Although prices, of course, are affected by inflation, level of teachers’ salaries, the cost of expenditure materials, laboratories, utilities, etc. “Fizteh, of course, is included in the best universities in the world, and its programs are today in demand not only at the level of Russian graduates. It just determines the cost of training based on the investment attractiveness of investments in education. This is its competitiveness in the global education market,” the professor believes.
It remains to recall that according to the official data of the Federal State Statistics Service, inflation in Russia over the past year amounted to only 9.52 percent, but not 20 percent and not 47 percent.
An important point: the state continues to take measures to increase the interest of young people in technical education. Specifically to specialties, “corresponding to the tasks of ensuring technological independence and technological leadership.” The question is – how professional are people who promote a technical education, and at the same time increase the cost of training? – It remains with brackets.
