The article is devoted to the problem of awareness of modern students of higher educational institutions about such a socially destructive phenomenon as extremism and its consequences. The authors note that today the problem is gaining high relevance, especially in view of the frequent cases of manipulation of young people minds in order to incite them to extremist activities. The article presents the results of the questionnaire of Moscow Automobile and Road State Technical University students on the topic “The attitude of MADI students to the manifestations of extremism”. The respondents were asked the following issues: what is extremism, the level of relevance of the problem in modern Russia, effective ways to counteract extremist activities. The survey also established the respondents’ attitude to extremist groups, as well as their own experience of encounters with extremism.