The HSE Master's Olympiad «Высшая лига»
The Master's track of HSE University's international olympiad — «Высшая лига» ("Higher League"): dozens of fields matching HSE's Master's programs, open free of charge to international students and graduates — winners and prize-winners join state-funded (budget) places without entrance exams.
An extra benefit for the Master's track: winners and prize-winners may apply through the Russian Government quota path for Master's programs 2026/27 — subject to the list's and the quota's conditions
Official file (PDF) ↗The published 2026/27 calendar on the official website: registration runs from late November 2026 to mid-January 2027, the qualifying round is late January – early February 2027, the final is mid-March 2027, and results come in mid-May 2027. The exact day and time for each field is published on the site closer to each stage.
International students are eligible according to the official list (the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education's 2026/27 Master's list). Admission benefits themselves vary by programme, track and admission rules.
What is the «Высшая лига» olympiad?
HSE's international olympiad, Master's track — dozens of fields and tracks (economics, management, law, linguistics, IT, mathematics...) matching the Master's programs of HSE University.
Open to international students and graduates living abroad or inside Russia, free of charge — in two online stages: a qualifying round (tests), then a final with mandatory proctoring in the personal account. The official page for international applicants also describes it as a "compatibility test" with HSE's Master's programs — meaning even participation itself shows you which program you're suited for.
What could you gain?
Don't confuse it with the «МОМ» olympiad for young people (Bachelor's level) — this one is specifically the Master's track. And joining state-funded (budget) places is subject to results and procedures, and not guaranteed. Covering tuition ≠ covering living costs.
The stages
Per the official page: participation starts with registering for one of the fields — all the information about fields and tracks is in the participant's personal account on olymp.hse.ru/ma.
Tests in your field — review the task format on the website and try any available demos.
Mandatory, in the personal account — set up a computer, camera, microphone and stable internet.
Per the official page: international winners and prize-winners continue through the «personal account of the international Master's applicant» to join the programs matching their fields.
The core documents for most Master's olympiads: proof of a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Russian or English, or with a certified translation — the exact list comes from the official website.
The fields
Dozens of fields matching HSE's Master's programs — the main areas:
Who can take part?
International students and graduates — living abroad or inside Russia — applying to HSE's Master's programs, free of charge per the official source.
Tap any question to open the answer ▾
💬In which language is the test?
Mostly Russian, with some olympiads in English — check the official website for your field before building your study plan.
💬How is it different from the HSE olympiad for young people?
«МОМ» is aimed at school students (Bachelor's level), while «Высшая лига» is the Master's track — for Bachelor's students and graduates. We have a page for each.
💬I'm inside Russia — can I take part?
Yes — the official page is explicit: open to international students living in foreign countries or inside the Russian Federation.
💬How is it different from the regular quota?
Here international winners and prize-winners get the chance to join state-funded (budget) places at HSE without entrance exams — a direct university path, not the federal portal's selection. The two don't cancel each other out.
The opportunity is competitive and not guaranteed — the new season's dates are published on the official website, so follow it and follow us.
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