Study in Russia

Russia is a highly educated country with over half of its residents holding a university degree. Russians have rich, centuries-old educational traditions. Russian universities provide their students with comfortable studying and living conditions and help them adapt to the country. Russian universities train a wide variety of specialists, both in engineering and the humanities, and regularly place in the top of international rankings. Education in Russia is much more affordable than in the USA or UK. Moreover, international students have the opportunity to study for free at the expense of the Government budget. Each year Russia accepts students from all over the world, from nearly 170 countries, and you can join them.

Universities in Russia

Russia is a large country; it has 766 universities located in 82 regions from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. There are classical universities which provide training for various professions, from engineer to philologist, and specialised universities focused on technology, humanities or medicine. The map shows the best universities in Russia participating in Project 5-100 to bolster Russia’s competitiveness on the global education market; you can choose the one whose location suits you best. See more information for international students at universities websites. Each university website describes its Preparatory Department, Faculties, Education Programmes and posts international students’ testimonials, news, photos, videos etc.

General Information

Russian universities offer several types of education. Firstly, there is full-time attendance, when you need to be present at the university classes during the day. Secondly, there is the evening option, when you attend classes in weekday evenings and weekend days. Thirdly, you may choose part-time enrolment, where students listen to introductory lectures and subsequently study at home in accordance with a specially developed curriculum, and then come to the university to pass tests and exams. There are several levels of higher education: You can study in programme that award a Bachelor's, Specialist, Master's, or Postgraduate Degree as well as professional training programme or career advancement programme, or you can simply come to study Russian language.

Learning Russian in Russia

If you want to study in Russia, you do not have to know the language: you can find a programme which is taught in English, or learn Russian on preparatory or language courses.

Preparatory Courses at Russian Universities

The duration of a preparatory course for international students in Russia is one academic year. The course normally includes Russian lessons (4 to 6 academic hours per day) and other subjects: Mathematics, Chemistry and other Sciences (depending on the chosen subject of study). For English-speaking students, the first lessons on general subjects could be conducted in English and later switch to Russian.

The majority of teachers of Russian as a foreign language claim that most students develop a good command of the language within a year.

Preparatory courses are fee-based. They are only free for those who enrol under government scholarships.

Such Russian language courses are available at Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, V. V. Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Higher School of Economics, Far Eastern Federal University, Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Novosibirsk State University, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Ural Federal University and many others.