Students have cooled down towards the USA – Kommersant FM
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The number of Russians enrolling in US universities is gradually declining. In 2023, there were less than 4.5 thousand such students. Before 2020, about 1 thousand more left for the United States per year. This data is provided by the UNESCO Institute of Statistics. Most often, Russians choose economics and humanities. What is the reason for this dynamic? And where else do Russians go to study? Alexander Mezentsev will tell you.
One of the main problems for those wishing to enroll in a foreign university is a visa. Consulates of European countries take several months to process documents. It is no longer possible to obtain US permission in Russia; to do this you have to travel to countries where embassies are open. According to Anastasia, who is currently studying for a master’s degree at one of the American universities, admission was long, but not very difficult:
“First of all, I applied for the RUSLEF scholarship program. To pass the selection, I had to describe my education and previous travels. You must also take or have TOEFL scores. Then I met with the organizers via Zoom. The second step was admission directly to the university, but it was already quite easy, since the organizers of the scholarship program had agreements accordingly. The third stage is obtaining a visa. We went to Armenia and received it there.”
Tuition in an American college costs approximately $20 thousand per year. At the university, the cost reaches $40 thousand. Most often, students from Russia are interested in technical areas, notes Irina Sledeva, General Director of AcademConsult:
“In terms of the number of requests, there is a decrease of at least 20%. The USA has always been in the top 3, but now it has dropped to fifth or sixth place in terms of the number of students who ultimately go to universities in this country. The same trend is observed across specialties – an ever-increasing increase in requests for natural sciences, engineering, technological specialties and IT.”
For those wishing to enroll in humanitarian fields, as a rule, UK and EU universities are a priority, Kommersant FM’s interlocutors say. In the fashion field, applicants, for example, are often interested in Italy. Student Darina, looking for an art history program, chose Vienna:
“In general, I didn’t care what city. I started from my level of German. The University of Vienna has a program that is related to theater, film and media. It was different from the programs at other universities, which only offered art history, so I decided in favor of the University of Vienna.”
In addition to the traditionally popular universities in the UK, USA and Europe, Russians also chose other destinations in 2023. For example, programs in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and South Korea have become in demand. In 2024, the list is likely to expand, says ITEC CEO Nina Koltashova:
“Still, the UK traditionally takes first place. Second place is shared by the USA and Canada. The total number of students choosing higher education abroad has increased over the past year. New countries have appeared – the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia is now entering our market, Turkish universities. If we talk about secondary education, in any case it’s the UK and the UAE.”
In addition to difficulties with paperwork, students are sometimes stopped by the lack of direct flights and problems with money transfers. The ruble exchange rate does not add optimism either. Against the backdrop of its jumps, tuition prices in foreign currency are becoming more and more noticeable. However, Russian universities are not lagging behind. The Ministry of Education and Science has already announced an increase in the cost of education by at least 10%.
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