Analysis of social practices and factors influencing admission to high schools shows that the human resources risks for the implementation of the government’s modernization program for ”monocity” in the Kemerovo region emerge at the stage of admission to universities. Demographic processes of the 1990s and early 2000s cause shortage of candidates to regional universities and reduce the quality of their competition. The negative effects of the demographic factor is enhanced by educational migration, which includes mostly students with higher academic performance and stronger motivation for higher education. Steady growth of educational migration, which becomes a sort of intellectual migration, reduces the target segment of the regional universities and quality of students potential. Institutional factors, determined by the rules for admission to universities in the region, stimulate migration of talented applicants as well as admission to universities of all who want to receive higher education. These factors create a strong competition of higher schools for each applicant. In these circumstances there were formed social practices for admission procedures within existing regulations. These procedures provide budget and paid places at universities without competition. It means admission on the basis of internal exams of high school students who can enter universities without the unified state examination, admission through distance learning or other educational programs, price dumping, violation of the assessment of effectiveness of universities activity. These practices, which are used in universities in other regions, form an institutional trap. Providing the survival of universities, they create institutional problems for training specialists who are capable to solve strategic modernizing tasks of region’s economy. Strong competition of universities for applicants lowers admission requirements and stimulates migration of talented youth of regions. The competition has negative impact on reputation of universities and quality of education. At the same time due to the reduction and deterioration of the number of students, job opportunities of teachers diminishes as well as their motivation to scientific and pedagogical activity. In order to attract the best and most talented applicants we need to improve the competition of regional universities and implementation of institutional measures.