Nizhny Novgorod Universities Detail 2026 Admissions Changes
Some Nizhny Novgorod universities have revised the required entrance exams for specific degree programs.
The 2026 admissions campaign at Russian universities will differ significantly from previous ones. In January, higher education institutions finalized their lists of entrance exams for this year. Read about the changes affecting Nizhny Novgorod«s universities in this NN.RU article.
The minimum required scores on the Unified State Exam have been raised for several academic subjects.
General Changes in 2026
Several universities in the city have kept their entrance exam requirements unchanged for 2026.
One of the major changes concerns the submission of documents, which will now only be possible via the government services portal «Gosuslugi,» by mail, or by personally visiting the admissions office. Submitting documents through university information systems is being abolished.
Furthermore, graduates from secondary vocational education institutions (colleges) will be able to enroll without taking the Unified State Exam (USE) only for programs relevant to their previous studies, based on the results of the university«s internal entrance exams. For a change of specialization, USE results will be required.
Changes are also coming for students on employer-sponsored (targeted) contracts. The quota for them will now be set with a specific employer organization, form of study, educational program, and number of places. A targeted admission spot will be reserved for a specific employer. Unfilled spots from the targeted and special quotas for bachelor«s and specialist programs will be redistributed into a separate quota. For master»s programs, such spots will be immediately transferred to the main admissions competition.
Universities are also expanding benefits for participants of the special military operation (SVO) and their children. Russian citizens will be able to use results from the Belarusian centralized testing for admission to universities in Russia. Foreign applicants will start to be admitted to internal entrance exams if they lack valid USE results.
A significant change is the increase in the minimum USE scores. They have risen in physics from 39 to 41, in history from 36 to 40, and in computer science from 44 to 46. The threshold for chemistry and biology increased by one point to 40, and for foreign languages by 10 points — also to 40.
Changes in Nizhny Novgorod Universities
At Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod (Lobachevsky University or NNSU), changes to the required USE subjects for admission only affect two programs: «special radio engineering systems» and «electronics and nanoelectronics». Physics has become a mandatory exam for these instead of mathematics. Concurrently, the total number of state-funded places at the university has increased by 61.
At Nizhny Novgorod State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (NNGASU), the NN.RU editorial board was informed that changes have affected the «heat power engineering and heat engineering» program. Now, applicants must take the USE in Russian and physics, and additionally choose to take advanced mathematics, chemistry, or computer science. Previously, Russian and mathematics were mandatory.
Furthermore, NNGASU has limited the number of fee-paying places for some bachelor«s and specialist programs: »architecture« — 93 places; »architectural environment design« — 9 places; »service«: full-time — 14 places, part-time — 23 places; »fire safety« — 1 place. The university is also introducing a »silent day« — a period when enrollment orders are issued, during which applicants cannot withdraw their consent to enrollment.
At Privolzhsky Research Medical University (PIMU), NN.RU«s correspondent was informed of a change in the list of entrance exams for the »clinical psychology« program: advanced mathematics has been added to the list of USE subjects as a choice subject. Now there are two choice subjects: social studies and advanced mathematics. Russian language and biology remain mandatory. Additionally, for applicants with a secondary vocational education background — after college — the list of entrance exams has been shortened.
The Vice-Rector for Science and Admissions Organization at Minin University, Elvira Samerkhanova, told NN.RU there are no changes regarding the USE for the 2026 admissions campaign. She explained that changes for pedagogical programs will come into effect on 1 September 2026. Therefore, the innovations will impact the 2027 admissions campaign.
Specifically, social studies will no longer be a mandatory subject for admission to the «pedagogical education» and «pedagogical education (with two specializations)» programs. Instead, USE results will be required in the specific subjects of the chosen specialization, e.g., physics for future physics teachers.
At Nizhny Novgorod State Agricultural Academy (NGATU) and the Nizhny Novgorod branch of National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University), it was reported that there are no changes to the exams.
At the end of January, it was also announced that the application deadline for taking the Unified State Exam in 2026 has been extended to 2 February inclusive, as the original date fell on a weekend. The main USE period will run from 1 June to 9 July. An approximate schedule by subject has already been published.
