Preparing for university entrance exams in Azerbaijan has become a serious financial challenge for many families. Initial preparation costs can exceed 500 manats, with an additional 150 manats or more per month spent on transportation – not to mention expenses for study materials, food, and clothing.
Parents say the process has turned into a long-term strain on the household budget. When they calculate the total annual spending, the numbers are often “shocking,” as one parent described.
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“It has become extremely difficult financially to prepare a student for admission,” said one Baku parent. “Each subject tutor costs at least 80-100 manats a month.”
Another parent shared a similar experience:
“We pay about 500 manats per month just for private tutors. Over the ten-month academic year, that’s around 5,000 manats – and that’s only for lessons.”
In regional cities like Sheki and Tovuz, parents face comparable challenges. Private tutoring remains the largest expense, often more costly than preparatory courses, while transportation and materials add significantly to overall spending.
Education experts note that the cost difference between the regions and the capital has narrowed, as prices for textbooks and supplies remain high across the country.
Education analyst Elvin Aleskerov attributes the growing financial pressure to several factors – from the reputation of specific preparatory programs to the qualifications of tutors and geographic location.
“Prices in this sector are shaped entirely by market forces, and we are seeing steady annual increases,” Aleskerov said.
He added that a common trend is for parents to send students to multiple tutors for the same subject, hoping to maximize results – but this approach multiplies the costs.
Experts estimate that total annual expenses for university preparation average around 2,500 manats in the regions, while in Baku they can reach 8,000–12,000 manats per student – a sum that, for many families, rivals the cost of an entire year of university tuition.
