Numbers: Who is more likely to be a student – ​​humanities or tech?

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The Main Information and Computing Center (GIVC) of MIREA carries out annual monitoring of the activities of higher education organizations. The 2023 report, based on 2022 data, presents various information on the state of higher education in Russia. Specifically, the number of students is analyzed by broad groups of professions, specialties, and areas of study. This data is summarized across eight main segments, which corresponds to the structure of the All-Russian Classifier of Educational Specialties, approved by Rosstandart Order No. 2007-st dated December 8, 2016. This approach allows us to get a complete picture of the distribution of students among various fields and professions, which is important for assessing the quality of education and planning its development in the country.

• humanities (according to the classifier of specialties, this includes linguistics, history and archeology, philosophy, theology, and even physical education and sports);
• arts and culture;
• education and pedagogical sciences;
• healthcare and medical sciences;
• social sciences (this includes economics and management, law, sociology, psychology, media and library science, political science, international relations, service and tourism);
• mathematical and natural sciences (this includes not only physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, geology, geography, and other earth sciences, but also computer and information sciences);
• agriculture and agricultural sciences;
• engineering, technology, and technical sciences (There are many areas here, depending on the type of technology, as well as computer science and computing, information security).

The GIVC monitoring takes into account the number of students in eight educational segments, including both state-funded and fee-paying students. According to the monitoring data, of the more than 4 million students in Russia, only about half receive their education at the expense of state funds, indicating a significant number of students studying on a fee-paying basis. This underscores the importance of analyzing educational trends and funding in Russian higher education.

The most significant field of study in Russia is "Engineering, Technology, and Technical Sciences," which accounts for 32.02% of students. "Social Sciences" ranks second with 28.22% of students. Humanities account for a smaller share, accounting for just over 5% of the total number of students. These data highlight the relevance of technical education in the country, as well as the importance of social sciences in shaping public consciousness.

If we consider students from all fields of study, they can be roughly divided into two categories: humanities and engineering. Humanities students include not only those studying literature and art, but also those involved in social sciences, education, and pedagogical disciplines. Engineering students, on the other hand, are students studying mathematics and the natural sciences. According to statistics, the proportion of humanities students is 45.95%, which is slightly higher than the share of engineering students, which is 38.17%. This ratio emphasizes the importance of the humanities in modern education and their significance for the formation of a well-rounded personality.

Monitoring the activities of educational organizations The Higher Education Survey, conducted by the MIREA Computing Center, provides the opportunity to analyze various data across federal districts and constituent entities of the Russian Federation. This enables comparative analysis between regions, which, in turn, makes it possible to identify key trends and characteristics in the education system. For example, it allows for the identification of differences in the quality of education, funding levels, and accessibility of educational resources across different constituent entities. Such data facilitates a more in-depth assessment of the effectiveness of educational institutions and helps inform decisions for their further development.

• Where are the largest shares of students relative to the total number of students in the Russian Federation (of course, in the Central Federal District - a third of all Russian students study there, and in Moscow alone - 20%), and where are there few (in the Far Eastern Federal District - only 4%).
• Where is what the ratio of students on the budget and fee-paying. In most districts, fee-paying and state-funded students is 50/50, and in the Central Federal District there is a noticeable imbalance - there are more fee-paying students than state-funded students (57 and 43% respectively), and in the Far Eastern and Siberian Districts - on the contrary, there are more state-funded students than fee-paying students.
• Where and which fields of education are the most widespread. If in regions such as the Volga, Southern, and Ural regions, the ratios are close to those observed on average throughout the country (see the first picture), then in other regions there are noticeable imbalances in one direction or another. For example, social sciences are extremely popular in the Central Federal District—34% of students there study in this field of study, while the Russian average is 28%. The Siberian Federal District has the smallest share of students studying social sciences compared to other regions (22.5%). However, it has the largest shares of engineers and mathematicians—38.5% and almost 7%, respectively, while the Russian average is 32% and 6%.

An analysis of the distribution of students by region within each federal district reveals interesting trends. The Central Federal District has a low percentage of students studying in education and pedagogical sciences, amounting to only 7.45%. Even in the Northwestern Federal District, this figure is even lower—6.96%. However, upon closer examination by region, it can be noted that in the Moscow and Lipetsk regions, this area of ​​higher education ranks second in popularity, with the share of students being 21.5% and 27.15%, respectively. These data highlight significant differences in educational preferences between regions and can serve as a basis for further analysis and educational policy development.

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