Given the clear priorities underlying physical education of student youth, it is mandatory for them to mastering the system of applied skills. At the same time, the objectification of the orientation of content of the swimming instruction system for students of free higher education institution should be carried out taking into account the opinions of the subjects of this process, namely students.
 Addressing students of different courses, we tried to find ways to optimize swimming preparation of students of higher education institutions and to cover as large a contingent as possible.
 Purpose: to determine the subjective opinion of students of Kherson State University on the level of their own swimming preparation.
 Methods: theoretical analysis and generalization, study of documentary materials, sociological methods of survey (questionnaire), methods of mathematical statistics.
 Organization. There were involved in the survey (during September-October 2020) applicants of higher education of the first (bachelor's) and second (master's) degrees of Kherson State University. In total, there were 1513 respondents, including 646 of first- year students, 458 of second-year students, 164 of third-year students, 213 of fourth-year students, and only 32 of 5-6-year students (expressed a desire to participate in the survey).
 Results. The results of a student’s different courses survey on the subjective attitude to their own level of swimming skills points to gradual decrease of particles attributable to various answers, starting with the option "I cannot swim" and as swimming preparation requirements increase.
 It was revealed the necessity of the expressed pedagogical influences on a considerable quantity of students of higher education institutions concerning correction of abilities and skills of swimming. Despite a certain hierarchy of answers, for each of the options for the level of swimming skills, we provide a generalized goal and system of tasks for the educational process of swimming in physical education of higher education institution.
 It is worth emphasizing the need to differentiate the methodological and organizational parts of the swimming system, because, given the integrity of the student contingent, motivational priorities, the existing level of swimming skills, attracting students, joint involvement of even one academic group in swimming is a complicated process.