Novosibirsk State University
Новосибирский государственный университет
A science university inside Akademgorodok, Siberia's research town, where many lecturers are working researchers.
- Students
- 7,300
- International
- 23%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 6.6:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- RUB 650K
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1958
About NSU
Novosibirsk State University was created in 1958 alongside the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, to train scientists for the research institutes being built at Akademgorodok, about 30 km from central Novosibirsk. The academic-town model, with a university at its core surrounded by research institutes, was exhibited at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal.
That link still defines NSU. Most faculty members are scientists at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and dormitories, the sports centre, 35 research institutes and the Academpark technopark are all within a ten-minute walk. Its faculties include physics, mechanics and mathematics, natural sciences, information technologies, geology and geophysics, economics, humanities, philosophy and law, and an Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies.
About 1,000 new international students start at NSU every year. Most bachelor's programmes are taught in Russian and require at least B2 Russian, while General Medicine is taught in English for its first three years. NSU suits strong students in mathematics, physics, computing and the natural sciences who want to learn close to working research labs.
The Real Science
University motto
Why students choose NSU
Most NSU lecturers are researchers at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; NSU points out that many are the authors of the textbooks students use.
Everything is walkable: dormitories, the stadium, 35 research institutes and the Academpark technopark are within ten minutes of campus.
Dormitory rooms cost 1,200 roubles a month, and NSU says living costs are much lower than in Moscow or St Petersburg.
Mechanics and mathematics graduate Efim Zelmanov won the Fields Medal in 1994, and NSU counts 38 Academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences among its alumni.
Admissions
Entry in September 2027
Selectivity
NSU does not publish an admit rate for international students. A selection committee reviews each application within two weeks, and applicants then sit the entrance exams for their programme.
Typical entry requirements
| Russian-taught bachelor's programmes | Secondary school certificate (legalised or apostilled, translated into Russian and notarised) plus entrance exams in Russian; Russian level of at least B2 |
|---|---|
| General Medicine (specialist degree, taught in English for the first three years) | Secondary school certificate listing subjects and grades, plus NSU qualifying exams in chemistry and English |
| English language | No TOEFL or IELTS score is published. General Medicine applicants take NSU's own English qualifying exam; Russian-taught programmes require B2 Russian instead. |
Deadlines
- General Medicine (taught in English) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~9 months15 July
NSU lists 15 July as the deadline to submit the application form and a full set of scanned documents; no year is given, so confirm it for 2027.
NSU asks applicants to check the deadline of each programme. Leave time for document legalisation (up to a month) and the visa invitation (about a month) before the September start. Russian Government Scholarship applications open in January, with country-specific deadlines between March and June.
How to apply
Apply online with a copy of your school certificate and transcript (translated into Russian or English) and your passport. If accepted, legalise your school documents (apostille or consular legalisation), have them translated into Russian and notarised, and send copies to NSU's International Student Recruitment Office, which then issues a study contract and a visa invitation (about one month). Tuition must be paid before arrival.
What admissions looks for
- A strong secondary school record in the subjects your programme examines.
- Russian at B2 level or above for Russian-taught bachelor's programmes.
- For General Medicine, a pass in NSU's chemistry and English qualifying exams.
- Correctly legalised and translated education documents.
Tips for applying to NSU
- 1 Start document legalisation early: NSU warns the apostille or consular stamp can take up to a month.
- 2 Your passport must be valid for 1.5 years from the date you enter Russia.
- 3 If your Russian is below B2, consider NSU's preparatory and Russian language courses before a Russian-taught degree.
- 4 General Medicine students switch to Russian-taught modules from the fourth year, so start learning Russian from the first year.
- 5 Apply for the Russian Government Scholarship through the Education in Russia website from January, choosing NSU as your first choice.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in RUB
International students can apply for the Russian Government Scholarship, which covers full tuition and a monthly allowance but not travel, living costs or health insurance; it is competitive and allocated by country. Students from NSU partner universities can attend some programmes free of charge, and DAAD and Fulbright fund some German and US students.
- Full tuition plus monthly allowance (applications open in January)
- Russian Government Scholarship
- USD 130
- Registration fee (visa invitation and migration registration)
- RUB 150-200
- Lunch in the NSU canteen
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Physics
175 state-funded bachelor's places for 2026-27; NSU cites QS subject rankings placing physics and astronomy in the global top 100.
Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
The Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics produced Fields Medallist Efim Zelmanov.
Information Technologies
185 state-funded bachelor's places for 2026-27; NSU reports its IT graduates rank 5th in Russia for young professionals' salaries.
General Medicine
Six-year specialist degree taught in English for the first three years, then in Russian with patients; RUB 650,000 a year.
Biology and Natural Sciences
228 state-funded bachelor's places for 2026-27, close to Akademgorodok's biology institutes such as the Institute of Cytology and Genetics.
Research
- Akademgorodok's Institute of Cytology and Genetics bred genetically tamed domestic foxes, a well-known long-term experiment.
- NSU's Interdisciplinary Centre for Elementary Particle Physics and Astrophysics links 13 laboratories working on collider and astrophysics experiments.
- NSU runs a Mathematical Center and a Climate Center, including work on validating greenhouse gas measurements.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Information Technologies
- Faculty of Geology and Geophysics
- Faculty of Economics
- Institute for the Humanities
- Institute of Philosophy and Law
- Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies
- Engineering School
NSU reports ranking 5th among Russian universities for salaries of young IT professionals and 9th in economics and finance.
Student life
Life centres on Akademgorodok, a leafy academic town on the shore of the Novosibirsk reservoir, known locally as the Ob Sea. More than a quarter of the area is pine and birch forest, and students ski, hike, mountain bike, windsurf and kite-surf through the year. International students usually live in block-style dormitories a five-minute walk from the university, with shared kitchens, free laundry rooms and bedding changed weekly. An International Student Support Center helps with check-in, visas and migration registration.
- Dormitories five minutes' walk from campus at RUB 1,200 a month.
- More than 30 sports on offer across the year, plus the NSU sports complex.
- The Ob Sea (Novosibirsk reservoir), with an area of more than 1,000 km², on Akademgorodok's doorstep.
- An International Student Support Center and an airport and train station pick-up service.
Housing. Most international students live in shared rooms in NSU's block-type dormitories for RUB 1,200 a month; renting a flat nearby costs about RUB 20,000 to 35,000 a month.
Location
NSU is in Akademgorodok, about 30 km from the centre of Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city and Siberia's main transport hub. Winters are long and cold, but the town is green and quiet, with forest trails and the Ob Sea nearby. Novosibirsk has a metro, and city bus fares run at about 26 to 30 roubles.
Nearest airport: Tolmachevo Airport, Novosibirsk (OVB)
Notable alumni
- EZ Efim ZelmanovMathematician, Fields Medal 1994; graduated from NSU's Department of Mechanics and Mathematics
- VE Vladimir E. ZakharovPhysicist, Dirac Medal 2003
- AV Arkady VainshteinTheoretical physicist, Dirac Medal 2016
- RB Raissa BergGeneticist and evolutionary biologist
- VK Viktor KharitoninBusinessman, co-founder of the drugmaker Pharmstandard
- MK Mikhail KokorichEntrepreneur, co-founder of Dauria Aerospace
- AP Aleksandr PushnoyActor, songwriter and TV host
Frequently asked questions
Can I study at Novosibirsk State University in English?
For undergraduates, only General Medicine is taught in English, and only for the first three years. Bachelor's programmes are taught in Russian and need at least B2 Russian; several master's programmes are taught in English.
How much does NSU cost for international students?
General Medicine costs RUB 650,000 a year. NSU's 2024-25 international fee list gives USD 4,500 a year for bachelor's programmes. A dormitory bed costs RUB 1,200 a month.
What is the deadline to apply to NSU's General Medicine programme?
15 July: fill in the application form and upload a full set of scanned documents by then. You then take qualifying exams in chemistry and English.
Are there scholarships for international students at NSU?
Yes. The Russian Government Scholarship covers full tuition and a monthly allowance; applications open in January on the Education in Russia website, with country-specific deadlines from March to June.
Where is NSU located?
In Akademgorodok, a research town about 30 km from the centre of Novosibirsk in Siberia, surrounded by forest and near the Novosibirsk reservoir.
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.
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