Introduction. In the context of the digitalisation of all aspects of life, the personnel training system in universities is no exception. Digitalisation in higher education offers a range of new vocational training technologies, the success of which is associated with the development of a digital culture. This culture will be an important element of the professional culture of future specialists, based on the values and semantic orientations of the younger generation. The purpose of the study is an empirical substantiation of the value and semantic determination of university students’ digital culture. Methodology and methods. The research is based on the application of a set of theoretical (analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison) and empirical (psychodiagnostic testing, mathematical and statistical processing of the results) methods. The study sample consisted of university students from the Siberian Federal District (N = 498, of whom 50.21% were male; 49.79% were female). Results. The author's definition of the concept of “digital culture” is formulated as a value and semantic relationship to online resources, which determines the direction of self-development and self-affirmation of an individual in the modern digital space. It is proved that university students consider sociability and intelligence to be an important component of digital culture, and goals, emotional saturation, self-realization, self-control, responsibility and the ability to manage the process of virtual interaction have been identified as semantic elements. Conclusion. The scientific significance of the research lies in the systematization of ideas about digital culture. The practical significance lies in the fact that the results obtained serve as the basis for the creation of educational programs for the formation of a digital culture among university students based on their existing value and semantic orientations. The prospects for further research on this issue are determined in the development of a valid and reliable methodology for diagnosing the level and type of university students’ digital culture, as well as the development and testing of specific psychological and pedagogical technologies, methods and forms of educational activities that ensure the effective formation and subsequent development of students’ digital culture within the framework of the axiological paradigm.