The aim of the article is to identify the conditions of the development of students' creativity in the process of studying in higher education institutions. The article draws on the results of authors' qualitative and quantitative studies. Qualitative research is represented by expert in-depth interviews with specialists in the field of higher education. Quantitative research consists of questionnaire of students of four Moscow higher education institutions. Analysis of recent studies conducted on the topics of youth employment, higher education, the problem of mismatch between the education system and labor market was used. The article shows that in the context of higher education, creativity is considered as an integrative property, the key characteristics of which are the ability to produce original ideas, result-orientation, solution of practical problems, originality and speed of thinking, openness to new experience, and tolerance for uncertainty. The authors have identified the factors, conditions and levels of the process of creativity development of students in higher education institutions and analyzed its content. According to the authors, the defining contribution to the development of students' creativity is the application of a comprehensive, systemic concept at a higher education institution in accordance with three distinguished levels: personal, procedural and environmental.