Under the new higher education reform, Ilia State University will offer admissions exclusively for pedagogy programs and STEM programs with international ABET accreditation. This decision follows the “one city – one faculty” principle, which strictly allocates programs across state universities.
Education Minister Givi Mikanadze announced the decision at a briefing at the Government Administration. According to him, quotas at state universities were distributed based on each institution’s “traditional profile.” For Ilia State University, the priority areas are:
Pedagogy programs
STEM specialties with ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) international accreditation
The reform does not affect joint or dual-degree programs with international accreditation, which will remain unchanged across all state universities.
Mikanadze also noted that despite the faculty restructuring, the total number of students admitted to state universities in the 2026-2027 academic year will increase by 2,000 to reach 21,300. Additionally, 10,000 places will be allocated for professional programs, where tuition will be free.
