Creative vs Routine: The Potential Demand for Higher Education in Russia

The article presents an analysis of the demand for higher education in various fields of study in the context of public policy, the study is based on data from the HSE research “Monitoring of reception quality” for 2018–2024. The article proves that higher education in the creative industries sector directly depends on the income level of families, and it develops extremely unevenly, both across the regions of Russia and in areas of study. Promising creative competencies are mainly acquired through paid education. Thus, competencies for the development of qualitative characteristics of human capital are formed in the segment of market goods, the training of specialists at the expense of budgetary funds for the sectors of the innovative economy is limited and concentrated mainly in the sector of traditional creative specialties. The core of creative industries consists of creative people, whose shortage is becoming the main obstacle to the development of an innovative economy.