HSE Sees 60% Increase in Foreign Student Enrolment

Admissions in 2015 was quite successful for the Higher School of Economics – perhaps the most successful in the history of the university – according to a statement made by HSE First Vice-Rector Vadim Radaev on August 31 at a press conference on student admissions at Moscow universities.

Admissions to the Master’s programmes have been particularly successful, Radaev said. The Master’s programme at HSE has been in existence for more than 20 years, and while it has always been large, this year the Moscow campus saw the number of applicants increase by 60%; at the St. Petersburg campus, the number of applicants doubled. While previously applicants generally focused on state-funded places, there is now increasing demand for paid education: admissions of fee-paying students increased by a factor of 1.5.

 This year the number of foreign students enrolled increased by 60% to nearly 1,000 people

As in other years, students have shown high demand for programmes related to economics, management and law; demand for communications, media and design has grown significantly. ‘It’s a fantastic situation with the inflow of students to the Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication programme’, said Radaev. Programmes in computer science and Asian studies have also enjoyed above average popularity.

The university has been successful in attracting foreign students. ‘We are working specifically to attract foreign students – both from the CIS and from further abroad’, said Radaev. ‘This year the number of foreign students enrolled increased by 60% to nearly 1,000 people’. A growing proportion or enrolees is coming from outside the CIS; what began with students from Germany has now found HSE going ‘in two directions’ with the growing importance of Asia. Foreign students in HSE’s Master’s programmes can study in English; there are currently 18 fully English-speaking Master's degree programmes, and approximately 100 courses are taught in English.

Another peculiarity of admissions this year – part of a trend seen in recent years – is that less than half of the students at the Moscow campus are actually from Moscow. There was a time when primarily Muscovites attended HSE, said Radaev.