A total of 1,131 students have already begun their studies across 19 bachelor’s degree programs, modernized and launched by the Lviv IT Cluster in partnership with tech companies and four universities in Lviv. On average, there were four applicants per seat.
For the third consecutive year, the university admissions campaign took place against the backdrop of the full-scale war. Air raids, blackouts, and closed borders have impacted graduates’ decisions on whether to pursue their education in Ukraine or abroad. Unfortunately, the trend of youth “outflow” persists.
The total number of first-year students in Lviv IT Cluster programs decreased this year, but only by 17%. In comparison, enrollment across Ukraine dropped by a third. Despite the overall decline, six of the Cluster’s 19 programs saw an increase in first-year students. Additionally, 51% of all applicants for technical specialties in the Lviv region chose Cluster programs — 7% higher than last year and 2% more than in 2021, before the full-scale invasion.
“The results of this admissions campaign show that, despite the challenging conditions, interest in tech specialties remains strong. We are inspired by the many applicants who chose Lviv IT Cluster programs, which indicates that our educational initiatives are meeting both modern challenges and the expectations of young people. Our goal now is to equip students with the knowledge, practical experience, and entrepreneurial skills they need to create their own projects and startups, making them competitive in the market and driving growth in the tech industry,” said Julia Tsymbala, Lviv IT Cluster’s Education Lead.
In terms of regional preferences, Kyiv received the most applications, followed by the Lviv region, with Kharkiv in third place. Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions rounded out the top five. The Lviv region received approximately 87,000 applications for various fields of study, with over 14,000 applicants choosing IT specialties.
For the third consecutive year, Cybersecurity has been one of the most popular fields among applicants. At Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, it saw one of the highest competition rates, with 658 applications for 60 spots — nearly 11 applicants per seat, a record for this year. Cybersecurity was also in high demand at other institutions, with Lviv Polytechnic National University receiving 1,493 applications for 250 spots, resulting in 5 applicants per seat.
Software Engineering at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv also remained popular, with 727 applications for 75 seats, equating to nearly 10 applicants per spot.
UX/UI Design was another top choice this year. At the Lviv National Academy of Arts, competition reached nearly 6 applicants per seat, while Lviv Polytechnic National University saw 4 applicants per spot.
Among humanities programs, Public Administration and HR Management at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv remained popular, with over 4 applicants per seat.
Notably, some of Ukraine’s top graduates chose Lviv IT Cluster programs. One student in the Artificial Intelligence Systems program at Lviv Polytechnic National University scored 800 points on the national test (NMT) — one of only seven students in the country to achieve this score. Artificial Intelligence Systems is the most popular program at Lviv Polytechnic, with a competition rate of 7 applicants per seat.
Additionally, three more entrants to Lviv IT Cluster programs scored 600 points, 19 scored 400, and 69 scored 200, with most opting for careers in AI.
High NMT scores were also seen among entrants to the Ukrainian Catholic University. This year, the passing score for the Computer Science program was 182.5, while IT and Business Analytics required 178.3 points. Both programs had nearly 5 applicants per seat.
This year, 19 new students will begin their studies in the Computer Science program at IT Step University.
Despite the challenges of war and the overall decline in student numbers across Ukraine, the number of students choosing Lviv IT Cluster programs continues to grow. This is driven by their high entrance scores, active engagement, entrepreneurial ambitions, and creative potential. Applicants are drawn to Lviv IT Cluster programs because they offer a modern education aligned with market demands and provide opportunities to create innovative projects and startups.
Learn more about tech specialties offered at Lviv universities and supported by Lviv IT Cluster here.
A total of 1,131 students have already begun their studies across 19 bachelor’s degree programs, modernized and launched by the Lviv IT Cluster in partnership with tech companies and four universities in Lviv. On average, there were four applicants per seat. Every second applicant for technical specialties in the Lviv region chose Lviv IT Cluster […]
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