Thus, those students who first entered colleges and technical schools, vocational school had two significant advantages.

First, they received professional training and could count on skilled work.

Second, they could assess how well a profession suited them.

Third, they avoided the cumbersome procedure of passing EIE for admission to universities, academies, and institutes.

Fourth, they have the opportunity to enroll for a reduced period of study (to obtain a bachelor’s degree in 2–3 years).

However, from 2019, the rules of admission to the HEI provide for the need to obtain external evaluation certificates in the Ukrainian language and literature, even for graduates of technical schools, colleges and vocational school. From 2021, it is planned to introduce mandatory external examination in mathematics for them. In addition, a minimum number of competitive points for entrants is set for many specialties (at the level of 130–150 points) and a system of «indicative prices» is introduced for admission to the contractual form of education. This approach in 3–4 years can change the ratio between high school graduates and enrolled in the HEI.

The dynamics of the number of universities, academies, and institutes is characteristic of the development of higher education in Ukraine.

The period from 1994 to 2009 was characterized by a rapid growth in the number of universities, academies, institutes of various forms of ownership. At that time, almost 200 such HEIs were opened, which was due to the phenomenal liberalization of licensing requirements for educational activities in the field of higher education.

In Table 1.8 the actual data on the number of HEIs by years and chain changes of their number are presented, and in Fig. 1.12 – their graphic interpretation.