Many observers have noted that corruption in higher education is widespread in the states of the former Soviet Union. Little empirical evidence is available, however. This article examines some theoretical approaches to the study of corruption, and presents empirical data on corruption in higher education from Russia and Azerbaijan, collected by the authors, in the light of these theoretical positions. While both states examined here have a common political heritage, higher education corruption appears to be of a diverging character in the two states. We suggest that social capital offers a helpful theory in understanding the varying levels of corruption encountered in the two states. Social capital theory also perhaps suggests that significant reductions in the extent of corruption will not be achieved by purely technical means (such as changes in organisational arrangements), but require a broader approach to achieve a strengthened civil society.