More than 17.8 thousand budget places are available for applicants in Nizhny Novgorod colleges.

      June 20, 2026 13:02 Society Today, on June 20, the admission campaign has started in colleges and technical schools of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Institutions of secondary vocational education have begun accepting documents from applicants, the regional Ministry of Education reported. In 2026, about 34,800 schoolchildren graduated from the ninth grade in the region. More than 17,800 budget places have been prepared for applicants in regional colleges and technical schools. Nearly a thousand more budget places are available in vocational education institutions affiliated with Nizhny Novgorod universities. Compared to last year, their number has increased by several hundred. Russian Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov noted that interest in secondary vocational education continues to grow. According to him, about 63% of ninth-grade graduates and 12% of eleventh-grade graduates choose colleges. On average, the competition is three people per place, and in some institutions, it reaches 18 people. As the minister emphasized, the popularity of vocational education is supported by the federal project "Professionalitet," which allows obtaining several professions and is aimed at the subsequent employment of graduates. Employers are also actively involved in the educational process, including through the conduct of demonstration exams. According to the Nizhny Novgorod Ministry of Education, the number of budget places in the vocational education system increases annually. It is formed taking into account the needs of the regional economy, the labor market situation, demographic indicators, and recommendations from the Ministry of Education of Russia. The head of the regional Ministry of Education, Mikhail Puchkov, reported that the most in-demand fields among applicants remain engineering and energy — chosen by about 24% of applicants. There is also high demand for humanitarian and pedagogical specialties, while the transportation sector rounds out the top three most popular fields. It is worth noting that the development of secondary vocational education is supported by the "Professionalitet" project. Currently, there are 16 clusters operating in the Nizhny Novgorod region: one educational and 15 production. In 2026, it is planned to open three more clusters, including in the fields of creative industries and aircraft manufacturing. By 2027, their number in the region is expected to increase to 25. Earlier, NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" reported that several innovations would be implemented in this admission campaign. Read the details here. We also reported that almost 10,000 budget places have been allocated in Nizhny Novgorod universities in 2026. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+