Why choose a Russian university: Prestige, accessibility & prospects
According to the ‘Project Atlas’ research initiative, Russia is among the leaders in the number of international students, behind only the U.S., the UK and Australia. By the end of 2024, 389,000 international students were studying at universities across Russia. According to the ‘Unified Plan for Achieving National Development Goals through 2030’, this figure is projected to rise to 410,000 in 2025. And, in the near future, it is projected to increase by 20,000 annually, reaching 500,000 by 2030.
Who chooses Russian universities?
Students from all over the world come to study in Russia, primarily from China, Iran, India, Egypt, Latin America and the CIS. Just over 40,000 students are studying on government scholarships. The rest are admitted as Russian citizens would be – either fee-paying or state-funded. In 2024, 2,900 international students were admitted to Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia's most renowned university, which is a record. Overall, over 11,000 international students are currently studying at the university.
International students make up 8% of the total enrollment in Russian universities. Most of them choose institutions in the Central Federal District, primarily Moscow, where more than a quarter of the student body lives and studies. They also choose St. Petersburg, Kazan, Tomsk and Omsk. The Far East is also often chosen by students from China, while the Volga Federal District is often chosen by students from Egypt.
Why they choose Russia
Russian universities are known for their strong academic traditions and research, as confirmed by international rankings. For example, Lomonosov Moscow State University ranks highest in the ‘Academic Ranking of World Universities’ (ARWU). Twenty-nine percent of students studying at this university are from abroad and the university itself is ranked in the world's top 100 in physics and mathematics. In addition, six other Russian higher education institutions are included in the ranking:
- Saint Petersburg State University (19.3% of students are international)
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (15%)
- Ural Federal University (17.7%)
- Higher School of Economics (12.1%)
- Novosibirsk State University (22.5%)
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology
In the 2024 ‘World University Rankings’, Moscow State University again ranks 95th. Moreover, the Russian university ranks 62nd among the top universities in both the physical sciences and business and economics.
What are people choosing?
Russia offers an extremely wide range of educational institutions – more than 700 universities and over 650 educational programs. Popular programs include mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, IT and medicine. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, nearly 90,000 foreign students chose technology programs in 2024.
According to ‘Rossotrudnichestvo’, the 2025/2026 academic year enrolled students from 177 countries within the Russian government's annual quota. And the total number of applications exceeded 78,000 this year. According to the agency, the most popular programs include ‘general medicine’, ‘dentistry’, ‘nursing’, ‘economics’, ‘computer science’ and ‘international relations’.
How much do they cost?
Tuition at Russian universities remains affordable. The minimum tuition is 105,000 rubles per year (approx. $1,250), but the final price varies by program and region.
Here are some examples of programs in popular fields and universities:
University | Program | Tuition fee per year |
SPbU | Big Data and Digital Distributed Platform | 368,000 rubles (approx. $4,380) |
Lomonosov Moscow State University | Fundamental Informatics and Information Technology | 449,960 rubles (approx. $5,350) |
Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod | Fundamental Informatics and Information Technology | 195,000 rubles (approx. $2,320) |
Grants available
International students have the opportunity to apply under a quota – the Russian government allocates 40,000 state-funded places per academic year. To be among the lucky ones, submit an application on education-in-russia.com, select your preferred universities and fields of study and complete the selection tests remotely.
International students are also eligible for grants. For example, grants are available to team members and winners of international competitions. One such program is ‘Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project’.
The annual ‘Volga Universe International Olympiad’ in six disciplines (‘Russian language’, ‘social science’, ‘mathematics’, ‘English’, ‘history’ and ‘biology’) is held by the Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University. Its winners and runners-up receive diplomas that give them an advantage in university admissions.
Meanwhile, the ‘International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad’ for schoolchildren is being held in Brazil. In 2025, representatives from 40 countries are participating.
The Ministry of Education allocated grants totaling over 1.1 billion rubles for 2,000 international students in 2025. These grants cover round-trip airfare to Russia, dormitory accommodation, as well as insurance. According to Education Minister Valery Falkov, international students will also receive monthly payments to help offset everyday expenses.
Mutual recognition of diplomas & obtaining two diplomas at once
Russia has agreements with many countries that allow for the mutual recognition of diplomas, such as Albania, Hungary, Venezuela, Vietnam, Cyprus, Mongolia and South Africa. Bachelor's, specialist's and master's degrees from these countries are valid for further education and employment in Russia. You can find out whether such an agreement exists on the ‘Rosaccreditation Agency’ website. Or, if necessary, submit your documents for a recognition of qualifications here. The service is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic.
Some universities issue dual degrees as part of their collaboration with foreign universities. For example, the Higher School of Economics has a bachelor's program with Kyung Hee University titled ‘Economics and Politics in Asia’: students in their third year of study can study in East and Southeast Asian countries and at Kyung Hee University. The Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, meanwhile, offers an International Business program with Jiangsu Normal University in China and a bachelor's degree program with the Zagreb School of Economics and Management.
You can also go on a student exchange program to another country while studying in Russia. For example, the Higher School of Economics has agreements with universities in Brazil, Hungary, Vietnam, Italy, India, Israel, Mexico, China, Malaysia, Korea, Oman, Morocco and Japan. To apply, you need to apply for the competition on the university’s website.
You can learn Russian
Many universities offer Russian language courses for international students. For example, pre-university Russian language training centers for foreigners are available at the Institute of Philology at Moscow State Pedagogical University, RUDN University, as well as others.
Therefore, studying in Russia not only offers a high-quality education, but also the opportunity to learn the language, earn an international diploma and open up new career prospects. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, 10% of all international students subsequently remain in Russia to work. Currently, according to a study by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, 45% of students (approximately half of the 3,300 respondents) are considering living permanently in Russia after completing their studies.
The shortest path to employment is working at the university where the international student is studying. Such programs are available at the Higher School of Economics, Moscow State University and others.
In Moscow, there is a special platform called ‘Start in Moscow’, which helps students find jobs or internships. The service's specialists also help create or improve resumes, select suitable vacancies and organize interviews. Eighty companies currently partner with ‘Start in Moscow’. According to the service, the most in-demand positions are business analysts, data analysts, IT specialists and engineers.
The list of specialties is extensive. The only exceptions are professions related to accounting, civil service and ensuring Russian security. According to current legislation, international students and graduates are not permitted to hold such positions.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Education and Science is developing a list of recruiting companies that recruit international students for positions in Russian companies. A special digital student profile will also be created, containing information about their place of study, academic performance, internships, employment with a particular company and place of registration. This will help facilitate the exchange of information between universities and students going forward.