Belarusian National Technical University
Белорусский национальный технический университет
A large technical university in Minsk with published USD tuition for Russian- and English-taught degrees.
- Students
- 20,000
- International
- 15%
- of students
- Tuition
- $3,600
- From · 2026/27
- Founded
- 1920
About BNTU
The Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU) traces its history to 10 December 1920, when the Minsk Polytechnic School became the Belarusian State Polytechnic Institute. After later reorganisations it became the Belarusian State Polytechnic Academy in 1991 and received its current name and status by presidential decree in 2002. The university reports that it has trained more than 185,000 specialists, including more than 7,000 international graduates from 120 countries.
Its own admissions site describes about 20,000 students, of whom about 3,000 are international, 32 research laboratories, 35 sports facilities and 16 student hostels. Teaching is organised into faculties such as Automotive and Tractor Engineering, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Power Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, Information Technologies and Robotics, and Marketing, Management and Entrepreneurship, plus an International Institute of Distance Education.
For international applicants the route is practical and clearly priced. Bachelor's degrees are taught in Russian (annual tuition for 2026/27 from USD 3,600) with a smaller set taught in English (USD 4,800 to USD 6,050), and applicants who do not yet speak Russian can spend a year in a preparatory department first. Documents must be translated into Russian and notarised, and admission is confirmed after an interview rather than a national exam.
BNTU suits students who want a low-cost engineering, architecture or technical-economics degree in a large Russian-language university and are willing to learn Russian.
Why students choose BNTU
Published 2026/27 tuition in US dollars: USD 3,600 to USD 4,200 a year for most Russian-taught bachelor's degrees and USD 4,800 for most English-taught ones.
A one-year Preparatory Department (10 months, USD 2,400) teaches Russian plus subjects for engineering and economics, architecture, humanities or medicine, so no prior Russian is needed to start.
English-taught bachelor's and master's programmes, including Software Engineering, Robotic Systems and Economics and Management at bachelor's level.
Admission is by interview (in Russian or English) rather than a competitive exam, with the exception of an extra drawing and composition test for Architecture.
Admissions
2026/27 rules and fees; 2027 intake dates not separately published
Selectivity
BNTU does not publish an acceptance rate. Foreign applicants who need to pay fees are enrolled after an interview that checks their proficiency in the language of study (Russian or English); some applicants from partner countries can enter on the same terms as Belarusian citizens.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school certificate (bachelor's / integrated degree) | General secondary education equivalent to Belarus, with a transcript of subjects and marks, notarised and translated into Russian |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree (master's) | Four-year bachelor's degree with transcript; equivalence to a Belarusian bachelor's degree must be confirmed |
| Master's degree (postgraduate study) | Master's degree with confirmation of equivalence to the corresponding Belarusian education |
| English language | No IELTS or TOEFL score is listed. For English-taught programmes the applicant is interviewed in the subject English; for Russian-taught programmes the interview is in Russian. |
Deadlines
- Documents for bachelor's and master's study (foreign citizens) Non-binding Next deadline · In 13 days30 June to 15 October
BNTU's rules page gives the review period as 30 June to 15 October without naming the year; master's admission is offered in both autumn and spring semesters. The Preparatory Department accepts documents during the year.
The rules page states the review period (30 June to 15 October) without a year, and the applicant site says admission periods may be extended. Confirm exact 2027 dates by email to study@bntu.by before applying.
How to apply
Submit copies of your school certificate with subjects and marks, passport, medical certificate (including a negative HIV result) and birth certificate through the personal account on the applicant site study.bntu.by, or by mail to the International Cooperation Faculty; all documents must be translated into Russian and notarised. After approval BNTU sends an invitation to the Belarusian consulate (visa countries) or an information letter (visa-free countries). On arrival you submit the originals, take the interview, sign a contract and pay, take a medical check, register with the migration service and arrange medical insurance.
What admissions looks for
- A school certificate or degree at the level Belarus requires, with a full transcript.
- Enough Russian or English to follow teaching, as shown in the interview.
- For Architecture, a pass in drawing and composition.
- For master's study, confirmed equivalence of your bachelor's degree to a Belarusian one.
Tips for applying to BNTU
- 1 Have every document translated into Russian and notarised before you send copies; the applicant site stresses this in capitals.
- 2 If your Russian is weak, look at the Preparatory Department (10 months for USD 2,400 or 6 months for USD 1,900, or 10 months in English for USD 3,150), which admits applicants during the year.
- 3 Citizens of visa countries must wait for the invitation before applying for a study visa; citizens of visa-free countries can arrive and submit originals in person.
- 4 Register with the migration service within the stated window after arrival; the university's International Cooperation Faculty helps with the full procedure.
- 5 Fees on the older study.bntu.by programme pages (for example USD 4,150) differ from Order No. 241; use the fee tables on bntu.by for 2026/27 and confirm with the International Cooperation Faculty.
Costs & financial aid
2026/27 · figures in USD
BNTU does not list a general scholarship for self-funded foreign students. The Ministry of Education of Belarus selects students each year for study under international agreements, and BNTU posts these calls when it receives them. Citizens of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan can enter on the same terms as Belarusian citizens, and other foreign citizens may be admitted on budget or paid terms under international treaties.
- The applicant site says to sign a contract and pay 50% of the annual tuition fee at enrolment
- Contract payment
- USD 1,800 a year (fee table 2026/27)
- Part-time Russian-taught bachelor's
- Priced in USD on BNTU's services page, paid through its online payment form; migration fees can be paid through the ERIP system
- Administrative services
Academics
Academic calendar: Academic year starts 1 September; master's admission is offered in both autumn and spring semesters
Software Engineering (bachelor's)
Taught in Russian at USD 3,600 a year and in English at USD 4,800 (2026/27).
Automotive Vehicles, Tractors, Mobile and Technological Complexes
Offered by the Automotive and Tractor Engineering Faculty, in Russian (USD 3,600) and English (USD 4,800).
Architecture
A six-year programme with an additional drawing and composition exam at admission; USD 4,200 a year in Russian.
Design and Operation of Nuclear Power Plants
A five-year programme in the Faculty of Power Engineering, USD 3,600 a year.
Biomedical Engineering
Offered by the Instrumentation Engineering Faculty; USD 4,000 in Russian and USD 6,050 in English.
Master's degrees in English
English-taught master's options include Economics, Management, Ecology, Applied Mathematics and Informatics, Construction and Automation, at USD 4,900 a year.
Research
- The applicant site reports 32 research laboratories for practice-oriented research.
- BNTU hosts the Confucius Institute for Science and Technology.
- It describes a 'University 3.0' model linking education, science and innovative entrepreneurship.
Schools & faculties
- Automotive and Tractor Engineering Faculty
- Faculty of Architecture
- Faculty of Civil Engineering
- Faculty of Energy Construction
- Faculty of Information Technologies and Robotics
- Faculty of Marketing, Management and Entrepreneurship
- Faculty of Mining and Environmental Engineering
- Faculty of Transport Communications
- Instrumentation Engineering Faculty
- Mechanical Engineering Faculty
- Faculty of Power Engineering
- International Institute of Distance Education
BNTU says students may work formally while studying. It does not publish graduate employment rates on the pages checked.
Student life
BNTU is a city-centre university in Minsk. The applicant site reports 16 student hostels, 100% dormitory provision for students and 35 sports facilities including a swimming pool and clubs for football, volleyball, boxing and handball. The university runs national cultural and scientific centres for students from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other countries, and offers Russian-language courses. Part-time students receive a hostel room only during exam periods.
- 16 student hostels in Minsk, with hostel places quoted at about USD 60 per month on BNTU's preparatory-department page.
- 35 sports facilities, including a swimming pool.
- National cultural and scientific centres, including for Kazakh, Tajik, Uzbek and Belarusian language and culture.
- A student health centre where international students have a medical check on arrival.
Housing. BNTU's preparatory-department page lists hostel living at about USD 60 per month; ask the International Cooperation Faculty to reserve a place before you arrive.
Location
BNTU's main buildings are on Nezavisimosti Avenue in Minsk, the capital, which the university says has about 1.99 million people. Winters are cold: the average January temperature runs from -4.5 to -8 degrees Celsius, so warm clothing is essential. The university says living costs are considerably lower than in Western Europe, North America or Russia, with minimum living expenses of USD 300 a month. Visa and MasterCard are described as the most common payment systems.
Nearest airport: Minsk National Airport (MSQ)
Notable alumni
- VK Vyacheslav KebichBelarus's first Prime Minister (1991 to 1994); graduated in 1958 from the engineering department of the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute, BNTU's predecessor
- GG Gennadi GaguliaFormer Prime Minister of Abkhazia; graduated in civil engineering from the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute in 1972
- GN Gennady NovitskyPrime Minister of Belarus from 2001 to 2003; listed as a BNTU alumnus on the university's Wikipedia page
- PM Pavel MarievAutomotive engineer and general manager of the BelAZ plant; Hero of Belarus (2001); listed as a graduate of the Belarusian Polytechnic Institute
Frequently asked questions
How do international students apply to BNTU?
Upload copies of your school certificate with marks, passport, medical certificate and birth certificate (translated into Russian and notarised) through the applicant site study.bntu.by. After approval BNTU sends an invitation for a study visa, and you take an interview in Russian or English on arrival.
How much are BNTU tuition fees for international students in 2026/27?
Russian-taught bachelor's degrees cost USD 3,600 to USD 4,200 a year for most programmes; English-taught bachelor's degrees cost USD 4,800 (USD 6,050 for Biomedical Engineering); English-taught master's degrees cost USD 4,900. The Preparatory Department costs USD 2,400 for 10 months.
How is tuition paid at BNTU?
Fees are set in US dollars in the university's fee tables. You sign a contract after arriving and, according to the applicant site, pay 50% of the annual fee at that point; administrative services are also priced in dollars and paid through BNTU's online payment form. Ask the International Cooperation Faculty for current bank details.
Do I need to speak Russian to study at BNTU?
Not necessarily. A limited number of bachelor's and master's programmes are taught in English, and applicants without Russian can study for a year in the Preparatory Department, which teaches Russian plus subjects for their intended degree.
What is the application deadline for BNTU?
BNTU accepts foreign applicants' documents from 30 June to 15 October (year not stated on the page) for bachelor's and master's study, and says periods may be extended. The Preparatory Department accepts documents during the year.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- BNTU: Rules and procedure for admission (foreign citizens)
- BNTU: Tuition fees for international students (English)
- BNTU: Tuition fees for 2026/2027 (Russian, includes English-taught and preparatory tables)
- BNTU: Payment procedure for administrative procedures and services
- BNTU: Services payment form
- BNTU: Preparatory Department
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