United World Colleges is a global educational movement. Its mission is to make education a force that unites people, nations, and cultures for a peaceful and sustainable future.

UWC brings together 18 colleges on four continents and a system of national committees run by volunteers in more than 150 countries around the world.

More information is available below: 

Almost every country in the world has its own UWC National Committee, made up of UWC graduates. National committees hold annual selections of new members, distribute information about the movement, etc. We also support students currently studying and remain a platform for communication between program graduates.

Learn more about the Ukrainian National Committee below:

Each college has its own website, which details campus life, conditions, academic programs, and other useful information.

Links to colleges' websites and short profiles can be found here:

You can find more information here:

Practically all Ukrainian graduates continue their studies at universities in the USA or Europe. This year, for example, our students were admitted to Brown University (Ivy League), the University of Chicago (top 10 universities in the world), Yale-NUS, and others. Also, among the graduates are students of Oxford University, Yale University, University of Maastricht, etc.

The vast majority of UWC graduates receive scholarships covering up to 100% of their university tuition fees and other expenses.

In Ukraine, the IBDP diploma is not recognized, so candidates planning to return to Ukraine will have to take a ZNO exam.

However, our graduates usually continue their studies abroad and only then decide whether to return to Ukraine.

Students of the 10th and 11th grades, aged 15-17, can participate in the selection. We also accept applications from students in their 1st or 2nd years of professional college if they graduated after 9th grade, and from teenagers in a gap year. Applicants must be citizens of Ukraine. Detailed selection criteria are available here:

Yes, because studies at UWC are conducted entirely in English.

Our finalists usually speak at an above-average level (B2), but we also have B1-level finalists who are highly motivated to improve their language skills. Most colleges offer preparatory English language camps for students with a lower level of English, so don't worry if your English isn't at the desired level yet! Language skills are not the main selection criterion, so we invite everyone to apply.

Despite the fact that in some countries such tests are a part of the UWC selection, the Ukrainian committee does not include those in the application. We will assess your level of English during group tasks and interviews, and we will learn about your overall academic performance from your academic transcript.

No, the entire selection takes place online, so physical presence in Ukraine is not mandatory. However, all stages, including live interaction with the committee and other candidates, will be held according to Kyiv time, so it is important to consider the time difference.

Yes, if you meet the age criteria.

The selection consists of four stages. The first of them is an online application, and the rest consists of discussions, interviews, group tasks, etc. Each year the selection structure changes slightly depending on the number of applicants and other factors. We will send all important information to participants by email.

Group stages and interviews will be conducted in Ukrainian or English, depending on the task.

Selection usually starts in September-October and ends in February-March. Each year, the exact dates of the stages change depending on the number of applicants, the capacity of National Committee volunteers, etc. We will send participants all important information about the timeline via email.

No, finalists do not have the opportunity to choose a college. During the selection process, we will ask participants to provide us with a list of priorities, though the national committee will decide independently which college is the best fit for the finalist. When making a decision, we consider a list of priorities, but there is no guarantee that the decision will coincide with the wishes of the finalist.

The essay and short answers can take between 3-4 hours to complete, but the application also consists of other components, such as letters of recommendation and transcripts, which will take longer to obtain. These two components can take up to 2 weeks, so it is worth doing them as soon as possible.

We also ask you to take into account the technical difficulties that candidates sometimes have when they try to send the completed application, so we do NOT advise you to leave it for the last days before the deadline.

The application is filled out in English, with the exception of questions that have additional language instructions.

Teachers can write recommendations in Ukrainian. However, if they are fluent in English, please send the recommendations in English for a better understanding of your application by future UWC college representatives.

The candidate cannot attach a letter of recommendation on their own, so they must indicate the email address and name of the person who will write the recommendation in the appropriate field in the application form. After that, the recommender will receive a letter with an invitation to register on the portal and fill in information about the candidate. When everything is ready, it is important to press "Submit" so that the information that this section is filled with appears in the candidate's application form.

Instructions will be available in both English and Ukrainian, and the recommender can write the letter in Ukrainian if he does not speak English.

A non-academic reference can be written by a mentor or a leader of a group or organization to which the candidate is a part of, a coach, a religious leader, a head of the National Academy of Sciences section, a mentor, or anyone from an extracurricular context who knows the candidate well.

An academic reference should be written by a school teacher who can tell us more about your academic achievements.

We expect candidates to be proactive and independent, so first of all, we expect that the candidate will do everything possible to get a transcript: contact the school, the class teacher, or a relative to get a transcript. In the event that this is not possible, we are willing to accept a transcript from the previous semester (fall semester 2021) or grades from the institution where you graduated last year. Please let us know in advance via email at admissions@ua.uwc.org.

Answer “No” to the question, “Do you have two (or more) legal parents/guardians?” This should automatically close the section for the second parent.

Depending on the college, two years of study cost between $30,000 and $120,000.

However, at UWC, we believe that a first-class education should be available to all students, regardless of their financial needs. That is why, thanks to the help of our generous donors and partners, almost all Ukrainian students studying under the IB Diploma program receive financial assistance that covers up to 100% of their expenses. This assistance depends on the needs of the family and is distributed on the basis of a financial assessment.

No! Students are awarded places at a UWC school or college based solely on how well they meet the selection criteria. If they are selected, parents or guardians must complete a financial assessment that is completely separate from the selection process. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need. This helps ensure that scholarships go to students who need them most.

Full - Covers the full cost of studying at UWC, excluding additional costs, if required.

Partial - can cover a certain part of the cost, for example, 90%. For the rest, a donor must be found and/or the sum must be covered by family efforts.

School/college fees generally do not include travel to the respective location, pocket money, vacation travel etc. There may also be additional fees in the form of deposits and to cover visa processes/vaccinations.

However, if the family is not able to pay these costs, we will help find an additional source of funding so that the student has a chance to receive a quality education.

All scholarships are need-based. This means that funds are provided according to the family's financial situation. We do not have separate scholarships for certain groups.

We invite Ukrainian refugees to apply through the Ukrainian National Committee. The selection process will take place entirely online, so temporary residence abroad will not be an obstacle. At the same time, if the applicant has a permanent residence permit in another country and falls under the selection criteria of the national committee of that country, they can apply in the country of residence. It is important to remember that applicants can only apply through one national committee.

All citizens of Ukraine, regardless of their current location, can apply through the Ukrainian National Committee.

Applicants must prove their citizenship with the passport of a citizen of Ukraine. If it is impossible to obtain a passport, citizenship can be confirmed by a birth certificate on the territory of Ukraine within the borders of 1991 (at the time of the declaration of independence). Thus, applicants have the opportunity to take part in the selection even if they were forced to obtain a passport of the occupying state. 

All Ukrainian citizens who are currently enrolled in grades 11 or 12 and are 16-17 years old are welcome to apply. Follow the link to read our detailed criteria list:

Applications should be filled out in English, unless other is specified for a specific question.

Teachers may write their recommendation letters in Ukrainian. However, if they are fluent in English we ask that they submit their letters in this language as this will help colleges get a more holistic view of the finalist.

Interviews and group tasks may be conducted in either Ukrainian or English, depending on the activity.

We invite refugees to submit their applications though our national committee. This year, the selection process will be conducted fully online, so the physical location should not be a constraint. At the same time, if a candidate has a residency permit in another state and fits the criteria of his host country's national committee, he or she may choose to apply in the country of residence. It is worth noting that the applicants may only apply in one country.

All citizens of Ukraine regardless of their current location can apply through the Ukrainian national committee.

Candidates will have to prove their citizenship with their Ukrainian passport. If that is not an option, we will also accept a birth certificate which shows that the applicant was born on Ukrainian territory as of 1991 (upon the declaration of independence). Thus, even the applicants who were forced to obtain the passport of the occupant will have a chance to participate.

No, the finalists do not have an ability to choose their colleges. During the selection we will ask the candidates to rank their preferences, but the national committee is responsible to decide what college would be the best fit for the finalist. We will consider finalists' preferences in the process, but we cannot guarantee that our decision will reflect finalists' desires.