What Tatarstan universities are popular among applicants according to online queries

Dominance of major players

The study revealed the undeniable dominance of Kazan Federal University (KFU), which consistently demonstrates the highest level of interest in itself among applicants. KFU is significantly ahead of other universities in the total number of search queries, which indicates its strong recognition and sustainable attractiveness in the educational services market of Tatarstan.

In general, all universities are characterized by a pronounced trend: a sharp surge in search activity is observed in June. This peak of interest coincides with the beginning of the admissions campaign, reflecting the period of active decision-making by applicants and their intensive search for information about admission.

The leading positions are occupied by large, long-established universities, which are first on the list of interests of potential students.

Large universities have more queries, small ones have a surge of interest

For a more in-depth analysis, all universities in Tatarstan were divided into two categories based on their total volume of search queries and popularity:

• Large universities: Kazan Federal University, Kazan National Research Technological University, Kazan State Power Engineering University, Kazan Aviation Institute, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering, TISBI University of Management. These universities are characterized by a wide range of educational programs, a large number of students and developed infrastructure.
• Small universities: Kazan Cooperative Institute, Kazan Law Institute of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Almetyevsk State Oil Insittute, Timiryasov Kazan Innovations University and others. These educational institutions, as a rule, have a narrower specialization, a smaller number of students and, accordingly, a smaller absolute volume of search queries.

Large universities predictably have a significant and more stable volume of search queries, which is due to their scale and recognition. But even small universities, despite lower absolute values, demonstrate their unique trends and growth dynamics, which is also an important indicator of their developing potential.

Online activity of applicants in June soared by 200-300%

June turned out to be a period of explosive growth of interest in universities in Tatarstan, demonstrating a significant increase in search queries compared to the average values for the previous five months (January — May 2025). This emphasizes the critical role of this month as the time when applicants move from general interest to an active search for information necessary to make a final decision on admission.

large universities such as KFU, Kazan National Research Technological University, Kazan Aviation Institute and Kazan State Medical University demonstrated the most impressive growth, increasing the number of queries by more than 250% in June. This indicates their ability to accumulate maximum interest during the peak period.

Small universities also showed significant growth, albeit to a lesser extent, with an increase of 104% to 182%. This confirms the general trend towards increasing online activity of applicants, regardless of the size of the educational institution.

Double growth in a year

A comparison of search activity in June 2025 with the same period in 2024 reveals a stable positive trend for most universities in Tatarstan. This indicates an increase in their attractiveness in general or more effective marketing and communication strategies implemented this year.

Large universities, such as KFU and Kazan National Research Technological University, showed an almost twofold increase in interest in June 2025 compared to June 2024, which indicates a strengthening of their positions and the ability to effectively attract the attention of applicants. Other large universities also demonstrated growth at the level of 70-80%. In turn, small universities also showed stable growth within 20-30%, which, despite smaller absolute volumes, indicates the preservation and increase of their relevance for a certain part of applicants.

Surge during the admissions campaign

Analysis of the dynamics of interest during the second quarter of 2025 (April, May, June) shows how search activity increases sharply as the peak of the admissions campaign approaches.

Interest in universities not only grows, but also accelerates as June approaches. For large universities, this growth is more pronounced, especially between April and June, when the number of requests increases 3-4 times. Small universities also show significant growth, but their growth rates in April-June are less dramatic than those of large ones, which may be due to a smaller marketing reach or a more niche audience, which makes decisions earlier.

Looking at the total volume of search queries for the entire active period of the admissions campaign (April — June) compared to last year, we can see the overall dynamics of the market. The data shows that large universities demonstrated an impressive increase in search queries by 78.2% in the quarter of the beginning of the admissions campaign compared to last year. This indicates a significant increase in their overall attractiveness and, possibly, successful strategies for attracting attention. Small universities also showed positive dynamics with an increase of 33.1%, which, although less than that of large ones, is still a significant indicator of the growing relevance of these institutions.

The stable growth throughout the quarter of the beginning of the admissions campaign for both categories indicates that the digital landscape of higher education is becoming increasingly dynamic and competitive.

Lessons from the admissions campaign

The search activity of applicants in Tatarstan in 2024-2025 clearly demonstrates the dynamic nature of online interaction with universities. The undisputed leader in terms of interest is Kazan Federal University, but the general trend towards a significant surge in search activity in June applies to all educational institutions. Both large and small universities demonstrated positive dynamics of interest growth in 2025 compared to 2024, which indicates a general increase in attention to higher education in the region.

The key period for all educational institutions without exception is June, when the active phase of the admissions campaign begins. It is during this month that a widespread and significant surge in search activity is observed, which confirms the status of June as the culmination point in the process of choosing a university by applicants.

The study also revealed a steady positive trend in the growth of interest in higher education in Tatarstan as a whole. Both large and small universities recorded an increase in search queries in 2025 compared to the previous year 2024. This indicates a general increase in attention to the opportunities for obtaining higher education in the republic.

Analysis of the depth of search queries indicates an evolution in the behaviour of applicants. As the admissions campaign approaches, interest shifts from general queries to more specific ones, such as “admissions committee”, “admission score” and “specialties”. This transition reflects the process of in-depth study and final decision-making by potential students.

Thus, the digital footprint of applicants provides valuable data that not only confirms the dominance of large players and the seasonality of interest, but also indicates the general dynamics of the development of the higher education market, where online presence and accessibility of information play an increasingly decisive role.