The article analyses the key factors affecting the assessment of the quality of higher education by the state, the labor market and the individual based on the methodology of the subjective approach.

It shows the transformation of the requirements for job candidates that were traditional for the previous stages of reproduction of competent labor, the key ones becominginterdisciplinary competencies: creativity, speed of cognitive reactions, team work skills, result orientation, etc.

Expert opinions’ analysis is performed to identify the professions of the nearest future. This analysis is the basis for the study of the potential for training the specialists in the area of library and information activities. It is shown that in a broad sense, the library as the most important socio-cultural institution has no alternatives. It presents examples of job specifics that correspond with the realities of the IV Industrial revolution and are designed to form the information culture of the society and develop socio-cultural communications.

The specifics of personal preferences on the desired quality of education as a factor in achieving life goals are studied. There is a trend on a reduction of the number of people considering the higher education being a “social lift”. This fact strongly affects the subjective perception of the rating of the chosen higher education specializations and the corresponding higher educational institutions.