The relevance of the study is conditioned by the adverse dynamics of students' physical and mental health, which creates objective obstacles to the development of research universities. The article aims to find out particular health protection features of student youth in research universities. The leading approach of the study is the systematic approach that considers health as holistic, multidimensional dynamic state, evolving in the process of realization of genetic potential in terms of the specific social and ecological environment, and which leads to the implementation of human biological and social functions. The study involves 750 teachers, 2500 students who participated in the development and implementation of the project "University of health", with the aim to develop motivation to acquire knowledge, abilities and skills needed to understand the value of health's preserving and strengthening. Main results of the research consist in the characterization of health-forming education as a pedagogical process aimed at the formation of the ability for positive self-development in different life circumstances, stable orientation to a healthy lifestyle; development of mechanisms of health-forming education, including the creation of interagency of medical-psychological-pedagogical program, the formation of students' health culture, organization of medical-psychological-pedagogical monitoring of students' health. The significance of the results obtained lies in the fact that the organization of health-forming education provides for the development of needs in health as a condition for the successful social activity and a full professional activity; the implementation of mechanisms of health-forming education determines the education of the ability to organize life activity on the basis of a healthy lifestyle; mastery of the abilities and skills for enhancing of the adaptive reserves of the organism and strengthening of health; creating of psychological stability in difficult and extreme conditions.