Within the framework of the cultural sociological approach, the article studies the cultural narratives that justify the educational choice of students studying in higher education programs in Russian singleindustry towns, as well as the institutional conditions that lead to these choices. The research was carried out in a qualitative strategy based on the results of 70 semistructured biographical and expert interviews with students and representatives of universities and enterprises of singleindustry towns in the Sverdlovsk region. The field materials were interpreted using grounded theory and discourse analysis procedures. The study allowed to identify eight key narratives, namely: the narrative of danger avoidance the narrative of being trapped and liberated; the narrative of destiny and duty to the city and industry; the narrative of free time; the narrative of irreversible randomness; the narrative of continuing the family legacy; the narrative of pride in engineering; and the narrative of reliability and care. The author describes the practices of interaction between universities and enterprises that determine the educational choice and include basic departments, organization of student internships, joint career guidance activities for schoolchildren, and special scholarships with the obligation to work them out afterwards. © 2024 Russian Public Opinion Research Center, VCIOM. All rights reserved.
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