The paper analyzes the results of sociological study of opinions, preferences and attitudes of students, applicants, their parents and teachers based on the results of focus group interviews on the role of universities in Moscow and the Moscow region as an educational platform for discovering the abilities and fostering personal potential of young people aged 14–35. Regional and territorial differences were recorded during the survey that also helped to identify and reveal future professional expectations of students, their personal preferences and their image of an interesting student’s life.