Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with this notice and the Terms of Use.
Journals KemSU
Scientific journal "Bulletin of KemSU. Series: Humanities and Social Sciences Scientific journal "Bulletin of KemSU. Series: Political, Sociological and Economic sciences Scientific journal "Bulletin of KemSU. Series: Biological, Engineering and Earth Sciences SibScript (until February 17, 2023 – Bulletin of KemSU Strategizing: Theory and Practice Foods and Raw Materials Virtual Communication and Social Networks Food Processing: Techniques and Technology Dairy industry Cheese- and buttermaking Science Evolution
Submit manuscript
Bulletin of Kemerovo State University. Series: Political, Sociological and Economic sciences
VAK Russia 5.2.3

SHIFTING UNIVERSITY CHOICE FACTORS AND APPLICANT PROFILES: A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE Shifting University Choice Factors and Applicant Profiles: A Regional Perspective

Published in Bulletin of Kemerovo State University. Series: Political, Sociological and Economic sciences · Volume 11, Issue 3, 2026 · Pages 434–447 · Rubric: REGIONAL AND SECTORAL ECONOMY
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21603/2500-3372-2026-11-3-434-447 · EDN: TEMHBZ
Received: 28.01.2026 Accepted: 11.05.2026 Published: 15.10.2026
Authors
EL
Elena Lysenko
ORCID SPIN
ABSTRACT
Academic migration poses a threat to regional higher education systems, negatively affecting local human capital in the long term. This article examines how the factors influencing university-choice decision-making change over time. Siberia and the Russian Far East suffer from an outflow of youth seeking higher education options elsewhere. Interregional academic migration is driven by an uneven distribution of higher education institutions across the country and specific local education policies. Young people leave their home regions to overcome socio-educational inequality by gaining access to higher-quality educational programs and the superior infrastructure of larger universities. Ultimately, they seek better career opportunities to improve their quality of life. These factors depend on both regional specificities and applicants’ performance. The article introduces a diachronic classification of factors underlying the choice of region and university. These factors are grouped by the model of educational migration (horizontal or vertical), patterns of choice, and the academic achievement levels of applicants. Finally, the author proposes a set of recommendations for a university located in an unpopular region on how to revise its promotional strategies based on target applicant profiles. These include expanding geographical outreach and leveraging "soft power" through highly specific applicant profiling, as opposed to targeting broad segments of potential applicants.
KEYWORDS
regional human capital, higher education, regional universities, university-choice factors, profiles of applicants, university promotion
Text References
Text
Text (RU) (PDF)
Read Download

1. Korshunov I. A., Shirkova N. N., Zavivaev N. S. Contribution of highly qualified employees to regional economy. Economy of Regions, 2021, 17(3): 873–887. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17059/ekon.reg.2021-3-11

2. Ustinova K. A. Human capital as a factor of the regional innovative development: Theoretical aspects. Problemy sovremennoi ekonomiki, 2012, (3): 252–257. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/pvrqfp

3. Tuguskina G. N. Regional human capital as the basis for the formation of national human capital. Bulletin of Udmurt University. Series Economics and Law, 2024, 34(2): 271–277. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/maszrn

4. Boldina M. Yu. Educational plans of applicants of the Russian province. Higher Education in Russia, 2022, 31(3): 84–95. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/arvxos

5. Mukhametdinova S. Kh., Tyumentseva E. Yu. Analysis of factors influencing the applicants' choice of a university (on the example of Omsk Region). Bulletin of Moscow Region State University. Series: Pedagogics, 2023, (1): 147–155. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.18384/2310-7219-2023-1-147-155

6. Morozova E. A., Kochneva O. P. Youth migration in the Kemerovo Region (Kuzbass). Vestnik Kemerovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriia: Politicheskie, sotsiologicheskie i ekonomicheskie nauki, 2021, 6(3): 326–338. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21603/2500-3372-2021-6-3-326-338

7. Morozova E. A., Golubitskaia L. V., Kochneva O. P. Staff potential of the regional education system: The concept and evaluation methods. Vestnik Kemerovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriia: Politicheskie, sotsiologicheskie i ekonomicheskie nauki, 2023, 8(1): 103–111. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21603/2500-3372-2023-8-1-103-111

8. Velm I. M. The role of human capital in the economic development of the region (on the example of the Udmurt Republic). Progressivnaya ekonomika, 2023, (11): 143–156. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/xowwxc

9. Pastukhova E. Ya., Morozova E. A., Mukhacheva A. V. The region's labor potential against the backdrop of depopulation: Assessment, trends, influences. Regional Economics: Theory and Practice, 2020, 18(6): 1079–1100. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24891/re.18.6.1079

10. Ochirova G. N. Educational migration from the Republic of Buryatia: Factors, scale and directions. Vestnik universiteta, 2021, (4): 181–188. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/ifmmxg

11. Gabdrakhmanov N. K., Nikiforova N. Yu., Leshukov O. V. "From Volga to Yenisei...": Educational migration of young people in Russia. Moscow: HSE, 2019, 48. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/dkzgmi

12. Averyanov A. O., Pitukhina M. A., Simakova A. V. Migration outflow of regional school graduates. Lifelong Education: The 21st Century, 2021, (3): 112–131. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.15393/j5.art.2021.7052

13. Dozhdikov A. V., Kornilova E. V. Educational migration of applicants among regions of the Russian Federation as a data source for planning the higher education system development. Higher Education in Russia, 2023, 32(3): 67–83. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31992/0869-3617-2023-32-3-67-83

14. Agasisti T., Bertoletti A. Higher education and economic growth: A longitudinal study of European regions 2000–2017. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 2022, 81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2020.100940

15. Becker G. S. Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis with special reference to education. New York: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1975, 268.

16. Egorova E. V. Regional problems of human capital development. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta MVD Rossii, 2025, (4): 186–194. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24412/2073-0454-2025-4-186-194

17. Bezdenezhnykh A. S. The development of human capital as a factor of regional economic stability in the context of external challenges. Russian regions in the focus of change: Proc. XIX Intern. Conf., Ekaterinburg, 14–16 Nov 2024. Ekaterinburg: Azhur, 2025, 145–155. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/giagwk

18. Yunusova G. R. Human capital in the development of region’s economy: High-quality higher education as investment in human capital. Public Administration, 2021, (88): 190–203. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24412/2070-1381-2021-88-190-203

19. Babina S. I., Sadovnikova I. Yu. Analysis of the human capital of the region. Vestnik Kemerovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriia: Politicheskie, sotsiologicheskie i ekonomicheskie nauki, 2018, (3): 69–74. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21603/2500-3372-2018-3-69-74

20. Vlasyuk L. I., Stroev P. V. A methodology for determining the level of human capital development and its differentiation in the regions of Russia. Economics, taxes, law, 2017, 10(4): 86–95. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/zqohzr

21. Dyakov M. Yu. Economic assessment of regional human capital. Economy of Regions, 2022, 18(2): 556–568. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17059/ekon.reg.2022-2-18

22. Klyachko T. L., Semionova E. A. The contribution of education to the socio-economic development of Russian regions. Economy of Regions, 2018, 14(3): 791–805. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/uzbosr

23. Leshukov O. V., Evseeva D. G., Gromov A. D., Platonova D. P. Assessment of the contribution of regional higher education systems to the socio-economic development of Russian regions. Moscow: HSE, 2017, 30. (In Russ.)

24. Lysenko E. A. Features of modern educational migration in the Kemerovo Region. Development of productive forces of Kuzbass: History, modern experience, and strategy of the future: Proc. Intern. Sci.-Prac. Conf., Kemerovo, 17–23 Nov 2023. Moscow: RAS, 2024, 129–134. (In Russ.)

25. Kurbatova M. V., Donova I. V., Kranzeeva E. A., Leukhova M. G. Educational migration in resource-type regions. Universe of Russia, 2022, 31(1): 91–112. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17323/1811-038X-2022-31-1-91-112

26. Kapshuk E. A., Kostina E. Yu., Orlova N. A., Tseren G. Educational migration in modern Russia: Trends and issues. Theory and Practice of Social Development, 2022, (3): 26–32. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24158/tipor.2022.3.3

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
PDF JATS XML
The contact persons
Elena A. Morozova
Chief editor
Elena A. Morozova
morea@inbox.ru
19
downloads
RINC RINC Science Index VAK Crossref Socionet Cyberleninka Dimensions The Lens Directory of Open Access Journals
CC
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Creative Commons
© КемГУ, 1997–2025
Agreement Personal data protection and processing policy Support Powered by Editorum, 2026 Instructions
Login or Create
* Forgot your password?