Based on empirical data from selected public universities in Khabarovsk, Russia, this paper compares first- and fifth-year students regarding their attitudes towards corruption in general and university corruption in particular. Even after making both groups of students comparable with respect to a range of socio-economic characteristics by a matching approach, the results suggest that fifth-year students are more open to a range of informal and corrupt practices than first years. Our analysis therefore points to the possibility that the Russian higher education system might "favour" compliance with corruption and informal practices, with potentially detrimental consequences for the Russian society as a whole.