Study in Russia

Russia has recently devoted tremendous efforts to modernize its higher education system and open it up for foreign students to study in Russia's universities. At the same time the government-led "Project 5-100" aimed to bring at least 5 Russian universities into the top 100 most interested universities in world university rankings. The initiative’s efforts have begun to pay off as more than twelve Russian universities are now among the top 500 universities in the world and the results are improving every year.

Conditions for study and admission to universities in Russia:

Admission Requirements:

Russian universities offer a free admission system for international students, whereby all students with a public secondary certificate are entitled to enroll in Russian public universities.
Studying in Russia does not require any specific marks or grades for admission to any course or specialization. However, there are five steps to complete the admission process at any university of the Russian Federation:

Step 1: Application:

Students can apply online, after reading the full information on the website about tuition fees and courses; however, you must first choose the major or course you intend to belong to.
After selecting the course you should send the following documents via email:

1. Fill out the application form.
2. Copy of passport or international ID (minimum valid for two years).
3. A copy of your high school diploma (with subject details).
   After reviewing the above written documents you will be notified of acceptance or rejection, if you are accepted, your acceptance letter will be issued in one working day.

Step 2: Get a letter of invitation:

1. Fill out the application form
2. A copy of the international passport (minimum valid for two years)
3. A copy of the school certificate (with subject details)

The cost of the invitation letter is 500 USD.
You can send the documents via e-mail or fax, it is advised to make sure that the documents are scanned correctly and must be legible.
You can transfer the payment via Western Union or MoneyGram, and your payment receipt is sent for confirmation.

Invitations are issued by the Ministry of Interior office and it takes 35-40 days to issue the invitation letter. After receiving the documents and payment, the original invitation letter, acceptance confirmation letter and visa support letter are sent by mail.

Step 3: Visa:

After obtaining your invitation letter from the Russian Education Centre, the student should contact the nearest Russian Embassy or Consulate in their country.
The general visa requirements are as follows:

1. Original invitation letter.
2. Original international passport (minimum valid for two years).
3. Higher Secondary Certificate (must be certified).
4. Medical certificate showing the absence of AIDS/HIV (must be attested).
5. Two passport size photos (3.5 x 4.5).

Note: In some countries, the Embassy of the Russian Federation requires legalization of documents from specific departments or some additional documents.
For complete visa requirements, it is advised to contact the Embassy of the Russian Federation in your country.

Step 4: Arrival:

After obtaining an entry visa from the Russian embassy or consulate, students must inform the university of the flight details with the date and time of arrival. Consequently, one of its representatives will pick up the student at the airports. However, in case the student doesn't inform the university of his arrival, he will be deported back home by the immigration authorities of Russia.

Step 5: Accept and start classes:

Each student must come with a complete set of documents and a full first-year fee receipt.

Each student must also register at the university within the first three working days after his arrival in the territory of the Russian Federation.

After arriving in Russia, the student must submit the full package of documents and expenses for the first year as written in the acceptance confirmation letter. The staff of the university office will complete all the procedures, so that you can start your lessons in 4-5 working days. The international office will also extend the visa from the Ministry of interior.

Why you should choose to study in Russia:

1. A variety of study opportunities are available.
2. You can study in English or Russian
3. Tuition fees are affordable and sometimes completely free.
4. Living expenses are within everyone's reach.
5. Students can benefit from many scholarship programs.
6. A safe country with a wide culture.
7. The possibility of learning a new language can open many doors for you.

Study and living costs in Russia:

Study cost for international students:

Studying in Russian universities is a valuable opportunity for students, as it combines quality education and reasonable tuition fees compared to other countries. In addition, students get basic education and an internationally recognized university degree, all this along with affordable tuition fees.

The costs of studying in Russian universities may vary according to the curricula and specializations of each university.

Bachelor's degree:

After completing four years of study, a student obtains a bachelor's degree in one of the selected disciplines, students can then continue studies and take a master's program.

Studying a full bachelor's degree will cost you about 240,000-260,000 rubles ($3690-4000) per year, the minimum cost is 122,500 rubles ($1,880) and the maximum is 880,000 rubles ($13,540) per year.

Specialist degree:

Students must complete five years of study to obtain a specialist degree, which has more practical training than a bachelor's degree.
The cost of obtaining a specialist degree is on average 240,000-260,000 rubles ($3690-4000) per year.

Master's degree:

The master's degree is awarded after two years of training. You can apply for a master's degree if you hold a bachelor's degree or major.

A full-time master's degree program costs 260,000-280,000 rubles ($4,000-4,300) per year, with a minimum cost of 147,000 rubles ($2,260) and a maximum of 460,000 rubles ($7,000) per year.

PHD degree:

It may take at least three years to study for a PhD degree. Graduates with a master’s or specialist degree can apply to the postgraduate programmed, in case they are interested in research and teaching, after discussing their thesis, postgraduate students are awarded the degree of Candidate of Science (PhD).

The cost of studying a PhD in Russia ranges from 280,000-300,000 rubles ($4,300-4.615) per year, the minimum cost is 79,300 rubles ($1,220) and the maximum is 413,000 rubles ($6,350) per year.

Application service fee:

Application fee is another cost that you need to include in your study expenses in Russia, it is basically the service fee you pay to get full support service for admission to Russian universities for paid education under contract.
The amount of the fee for this service depends on the current visa system in your country or competition for admission to the university you want to apply to. Moreover, students from countries that do not require a visa have to pay $490 in service fees, while students from countries who need a visa have to pay $590 for an entry visa to Russia.

Cost of Living in Russia for International Students:

Accommodation:

The types of student housing available in Russia vary, each one has many benefits.
The cost of accommodation in student residences ranges from 500 to 5,000 rubles per month, while staying off campus can cost you around 15,000 to 20,000 rubles per month.

food:

The cost of food varies depending on the needs of the person and the location in which the student lives.
In general, you can spend between $130 and $330 per month.
Moreover if you live in major cities like Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, etc. the food portion of your cost of living will be around $400 per month.

Transportation:

One trip in Moscow using the subway can cost about $1, but with the “student discount” you can get a Moscow metro card for $6 for one month, this cost may be much lower in other cities.

Health insurance fees:

Every international student studying in Russia needs health insurance, as they need to apply for it before or when they arrive in Russia, this will ensure that they get treatment in government hospitals, health centers and student clinics in Russia.

Cost of health insurance for international students in Russia ranges from 6000 to 7000 rubles annually, this cost depends on the range of services the student receives, but the routine treatment covered includes examinations, tests, prescriptions and specialist consultations, the cost of coverage usually ranges from 90 to 310 US dollars.

The Best Ten Russian Universities to Study in according to QS Ranking:

The University	The University Ranking Worldwide	The University Assessment according to QS Ranking
Lomonosov Moscow State University	78	65.6%
Saint Petersburg State University	242	39.2%
Novosibirsk State University	246	38.8%
Tomsk State University	272	36.6%
Bauman Moscow State Technical University	281	36.2%
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology	290	35.1%
HSE. University	305	34.1%
RUDN University	317	33.4%
National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute)	319	33.1%
Kazan Federal University	347	31.4%

The most important specialisations to study at universities in Russia:

1. Engineering.
2. Medicine.
3. chemistry.
4. astronomy.
5. Aviation.

Most important postgraduate majors to study at Russian universities:

1. Bachelor of Laws in Law.
2. Masters in Psychology (BPS).
3. Master of Project Management.
4. MSc Strategic Digital Marketing.
5. Master in Strategic Human Resource Management.
6. MSc Visual Communication Design (Management).
7. MSc Supply Chain Management and Logistics.
8. Masters in Public Health (MPH).
9. Masters in Information Technology Security Management.
10. Master of Engineering Management (CMI).
11. Masters in Global Health Management.
12. MSc Data Analytics and Marketing.
13. MSc Data Analytics and Project Management
14. Executive MBA.

The best scholarships available for students to study in Russia:

Russian government scholarships:

Scholarship Amount: Full tuition fees for the entire duration of the programme.

Eligible Degree: Bachelor's or Master's degree in universities with state-funded places.

The Russian government scholarship is the best scholarship in Russia for international students and it awards 18,000 scholarships to deserving international students.

Open international competitions in mathematics and computer science for school students:

Scholarship Amount: Tuition fees for the entire duration of the program
Eligible Degree: Bachelor's Degree in ITMO
Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in the international open competition, sponsored by the Ministry of Education and consisting of three times.

HSE Global Scholarship:

Scholarship Amount: Partial to full tuition fees for the entire duration of the program
Eligible Degree: Bachelor's degree at HSE
Sponsored by the Russian Government The HSE Global Scholarship offers partial/full awards to many competition winners This Russian scholarship is open to all foreigners (under 30 years of age) who wish to study at HSE for free, there are 17 available pathways or majors available within the official and natural science categories Social Sciences, Communication, Politics or Law.

Phystech International Competition:

Scholarship Amount: Full tuition fees for the entire duration of the program
Eligible Degree: Bachelor's Degree in MIPT.
MIPT, one of the most prestigious universities in Russia, hosts the annual International Phystech Competition. So far it has hosted more than 12,000 participants from over 100 countries. The competition is open to all international undergraduate and graduate students. Those who wish to participate can showcase their skills in the fields of Biology, Physics or Mathematics.

Major League Olympiad Scholarship:

Scholarship Amount: Full tuition fees for the entire duration of the program
Eligible degree: Master's degree at HSE
HSE also offers Olympiad Scholarships for postgraduate students. Dubbed the "Major League", and consisting of 38 competition tracks, participants can choose to join in as many fields and disciplines as they want.

Educational Olympiad "I am a professional":

Scholarship Amount: Undisclosed (plus cash award)
Eligible Degree: Master's Degree
Advantages of admission and cash prizes awaiting foreign winners of the educational Olympiad "I am a professional", the competition is open to students who are experts in the field of technical studies, humanities and natural sciences.