Uzbekistan, Tashkent – AN Podrobno.uz. Over the past 15 years, the number of students over 40 has increased almost 87-fold — today there are more than 53,000 of them. Universities are ceasing to be exclusively a youth territory and are increasingly becoming a platform for those who decide to study in adulthood.

According to the National Committee on Statistics, in the 2010/2011 academic year there were only 616 such students, but by 2025/2026 their number reached 53,500. The growth has been particularly noticeable in recent years: from 10,000 in 2020/2021 to more than 44,000 in 2024/2025.

Thus, over 15 years, the number of students over 40 has increased by more than 52,800 people — almost 87 times. These figures indicate significant changes in access to higher education for different age groups.

The very idea of when to get a higher education is changing. Today, the opportunity to enter a university is available not only to school graduates — the expansion of private universities, increased quotas, and new opportunities for women have made higher education more accessible to different age groups.

The trend aligns with the tasks outlined in the "Uzbekistan - 2030" strategy, which envisages international accreditation of educational programs of 30 universities and the launch of at least 50 joint "double diploma" programs with foreign universities ranked in the world's top 500.

In addition, students have more time to pay for their education. Uzbekistan has extended the deadline for contract payment and enrollment in universities for the 2026/2027 academic year until October 15 inclusive.

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Source: podrobno.uz