Magistratura for 260 000 hryvnias per year: how much education costs in Ukrainian universities in 2026 year

Students, money in hand. Photo: Magnific, Novyny.LIVE. Collage: Novyny.LIVE

Admission to a master's program for Ukrainian students can require very different financial capabilities. The cost of a year of study, depending on the specialty and the university, varies widely. In some programs it lists tens of thousands of hryvnias, while in others the amount already exceeds 200 000 hryvnias.

Which specialties ended up among the most expensive and where else you can obtain a master's education at a relatively affordable price, reports Novyny.LIVE citing Osvita.ua.

How much a master's costs in 2026 year

According to the data, the cost of study for daytime master's programs in 2026 year depends significantly on the chosen educational program. The highest prices were set by universities that train specialists for IT, business, economics, and modern analytics. At the same time, a number of technical, natural science, and agricultural specialties remain considerably more affordable.

The gap between the most expensive and cheapest offers reaches almost eight times.

Which program is the most expensive

The absolute record among the listed programs is the master’s program “Data Science” at the Ukrainian Catholic University. One year of study costs 260 000 hryvnias. The most expensive programs also include:

“Marketing Management” at the Kyiv School of Economics — 210 000 hryvnias per year;

“Economics and Politics” at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv — 119 000 hryvnias;

“Economics” at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute — 108 000 hryvnias;

“Economic Diplomacy and GR Policy” at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy — 100 000 hryvnias.

How much journalism costs

The cost of a master’s in journalism also varies significantly depending on the university. Among the listed options, the most expensive are:

Ukrainian Catholic University — 140 000 hryvnias;

Taras Shevchenko National University — about 119,3 thousand hryvnias;

Kyiv University of Culture — about 118,5 thousand hryvnias.

At the same time, in a number of regional universities prices are much lower. In particular, at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv study costs about 76 000 hryvnias per year, at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University about 76,6 thousand, and at the P. Mogila Naval University in Odesa about 75,5 thousand hryvnias.

Law also remains an expensive field

Legal education is among programs with relatively high cost. The highest prices among the listed options are:

Ukrainian Catholic University — 140 000 hryvnias;

Taras Shevchenko National University — 119,3 thousand hryvnias;

Lviv University of Business and Law — 109,9 thousand hryvnias.

For comparison, at Yaroslav Mudryi National University of Law the annual cost is about 84,3 thousand hryvnias.

Design nearly equaled law

Creative specialties also cannot be called cheap. Among the most expensive design programs:

National Academy of Managerial Cadres of Culture and Arts — 120 000 hryvnias;

National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture — 118,7 thousand hryvnias;

Lviv National Academy of Arts — about 78 thousand hryvnias.

Thus, the difference between universities in the same field of study can be over 40 thousand hryvnias per year.

How much philology costs

Master programs in philology can also be quite expensive. At Taras Shevchenko National University most such programs cost roughly 101–105 000 hryvnias per year — depending on the specific program and language of study.

In other universities the cost can be noticeably lower — on average from 70 000 hryvnias per year.

IT remains one of the most expensive fields

The highest price tags are formed by programs related to information technology and data analysis. Among them are artificial intelligence, information analytics, artificial intelligence systems, computer science, generative AI, and data science.

In leading universities, the cost of study in such programs often exceeds 100 000 hryvnias per year. The high price is largely explained by demand for those specialists and the positioning of such programs as preparation for work in high-tech fields.

Where master’s costs are the lowest

Despite record prices for some programs, there are specialties in Ukraine where annual contract costs are significantly lower.

Among the most affordable fields:

Metallurgy — from 33 000 hryvnias;

Agronomy — mostly 44–60 000 hryvnias;

Ecology — about 50–60 000 hryvnias;

Some mathematical programs — about 50–57 000 hryvnias.

Thus, the difference between the most expensive program at 260 000 hryvnias and the cheapest options can reach almost eight times.

Why the price varies so much

The cost of a master’s program is influenced not only by the specialty itself. An important role is played by the specific university, program format, its orientation toward practical training, involvement of practitioner faculty, and other features of the educational process. Therefore, even within the same specialty, prices can differ by tens of thousands of hryvnias.

Earlier, Novyny.LIVE reported that from 1 September salaries of Ukrainian teachers could rise by 20% . As a result, the base salary of a pedagogical worker without a category could be from 10 104 hryvnias, and for teachers of a higher category — 13 435 hryvnias. The actual amount will depend on allowances and supplements.

Also, Novyny.LIVE wrote about changes in schools in the new academic year. At the same time, the government announced a twofold increase in student stipends, so for students the new academic year will also bring changes.