The dynamics of investment in pre-entry coaching and the returns from private tutoring among university applicants in Russia

This paper examines the dynamics of the prevalence of pre-entry coaching and corresponding investment in private tutoring before and after the introduction of the Unified State Exam (the USE). Besides, we estimate the effectiveness of private tutoring in 2012, i. e. a few years after the USE has become a prerequisite for admission to university. Data from the Monitoring of Education Markets and Organizations show that the main types of pre-entry coaching are still in demand despite the unification of admission requirements, although the popularity of paid courses at a particular university has declined, and the prevalence of classes with tutors who are not related to university has risen. Within a few years after the introduction of the USE the level of investment in pre-entry coaching in real terms almost has not changed, however the returns from such an investment (expressed in the USE scores) are positive but moderate.