The Territorial Factor of Admission to a Regional University in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic (On the Example the Teacher Training Program)

The territorial differences are seen as one of the reasons for unequal access to quality education. Students living in large cities have better opportunities for higher education than those living in small urban and rural settlements. The conditions of school graduations during the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbate these differences. As a result of a survey and diagnostic test of 97 first-year undergraduate students at the Smolensk State University studying in the teacher training program, it was found that there are differences between students who came from the regional center and small settlements. A smaller number of the latter confirms the territorial inequality of higher education opportunities. However, these students have a higher motivation for the teaching profession, showed high activity in the implementation of their career plans, despite the difficulties of adapting to the educational process in the COVID-19 pandemic.