In the upcoming academic year, higher education institutions in Uzbekistan plan to accept over 234 thousand applicants for undergraduate full-time programs. This figure represents an increase of approximately 58% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, more than 36 thousand places are allocated for study under state grants.
Over the past three years, there has been a steady growth in enrollment for full-time education. In 2024, universities could admit about 128 thousand people, and in 2025, 148,400. Thus, over two years, the number of available places increased by more than 106 thousand.
When determining admission criteria, special attention is paid to engineering specialties, information technology fields, pedagogy, and the agricultural sector. The formation of state orders is carried out taking into account the needs of the economy, the demands of various industries, and graduate employment statistics.
In the 2025/2026 academic year, universities graduated over 323 thousand students, and it is expected that over 390 thousand graduates will enter the labor market in 2027. To assist with their employment, 378 job fairs were organized and 1,243 workshops were held this year, enabling nearly 18 thousand young specialists to reach preliminary agreements with employers.
The rules for the entrance campaign have previously been announced: the maximum score on exams will be 189 points, and the traditional correspondence form of study will be replaced by a part-time format.
Some educational institutions in Uzbekistan have an extremely high student-to-teacher ratio, significantly exceeding the figures in state universities.
According to data from the Unified National Labor System, some branches of foreign universities lacked registered full-time teaching staff. The National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education conducted an analysis of this situation.
According to the agency, over 1.6 million students are currently studying in the country, supported by more than 61 thousand professors and teachers.
The lowest student-to-teacher ratio was recorded in state universities, where it averages 19 students per teacher. In branches of foreign universities, this figure reaches almost 33 students per teacher. The most strained situation is observed in the non-state sector, where the average ratio is 55.3 students per teacher.
The gap is even wider in some institutions. For example, at IT Park University, there are 244 students per teacher, and at Tashkent University of Economics and Pedagogy—236.6. Other noted figures include 140.1 at the Singapore Management Development Institute, 133.8 at the International School of Finance and Technology, and 127.3 students at 'Millat Umidi' University.
The agency emphasizes that such a high teaching load hinders the possibility of conducting individual work with students, organizing practical classes, and stimulating scientific activity. Furthermore, official reports on staffing do not always reflect reality.
According to the Unified National Labor System, no teachers were registered as full-time employees at Webster University and Riga Nordic University, making it impossible for the agency to calculate the ratio of faculty to students in these institutions.
Previously, a document regulating higher education was adopted in Uzbekistan, which establishes rules for the functioning of universities, covering aspects from the organization of the educational process to the rights of both students and teachers.
