The article explores the constructive possibilities of developing theories and approaches in the field of higher school pedagogy based on the use of a system of concepts and methods of analytical philosophy. The methodological functions of analytical philosophy in relation to educational programs in higher education manifested themselves in the form of a fundamental focus on conceptual analysis, revealing substantial and variational aspects of the meaning of terms used for theoretical description and modeling of the educational process. The specifics of the methodology and the thematic profile of the analytical philosophy of education are revealed through the analysis of the concepts of R. Peters and P. Hirst, representative for this direction, which consist in certain continuity and reflect both positive heuristics and limitations of the analytical approaches used in educational theory. Russian higher education paradigms cover the stages of formation in general, which are indicated in the analytical philosophy of education. However, the epistemological similarity is accompanied by an ontological difference in the basis for the development of programs, which in Russian schools are more relevant to the specifics of the socioeconomic and cultural context.