Saint Petersburg State University
Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет
Russia's oldest university, founded in 1724, with its historic Twelve Collegia building on the Neva embankment.
- Tuition
- RUB 328.4K
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1724
- QS World Ranking
- #390
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Urban
About SPbU
Saint Petersburg State University was founded in 1724 and describes itself as Russia's first university. Its status, like that of Lomonosov Moscow State University, is set by a dedicated federal law, which lets it set its own academic standards and award its own Candidate and Doctor of Sciences degrees. It has more than 30,000 students from dozens of countries and more than 12,000 staff.
Teaching is organised into faculties, institutes and schools, including Mathematics and Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Control Processes, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Law, International Relations, Asian and African Studies, Philology and Medicine. The university says nine Nobel Prize laureates studied or worked there, and its alumni include Fields Medal winners such as Stanislav Smirnov as well as, by the university's count, six Russian prime ministers and two presidents. Its Research Park has 23 resource centres.
Most bachelor's and specialist programmes are taught in Russian, so many international students first take the university's ten-month preparatory course. International applicants either apply for fee-paying (contract) places or compete for state-funded places under the Russian government quota. SPbU suits students with strong subject preparation who are ready to study in Russian in a historic city centre setting.
Hic tuta perennat
“Here all in safety lasts” — university motto
Why students choose SPbU
SPbU is Russia's oldest university (1724), with its main building in the Twelve Collegia on Vasilievsky Island.
A very broad catalogue of bachelor's and specialist programmes, from AI360: Mathematics of Machine Learning to Egyptology, Korean history and General Medicine.
A ten-month preparatory course (since 2018) teaches Russian and subject vocabulary, and includes a TORFL test voucher.
The Russian Government Scholarship covers full tuition, a monthly allowance and reduced dormitory fees for selected international students.
Admissions
2027 entry (rules and dates shown are from the 2026 admission campaign)
Selectivity
SPbU does not publish an acceptance rate. International applicants compete for fee-paying places by programme, or for state-funded quota places through the Russian Government Scholarship or SPbU's Open International Olympiad; ranked lists were published by 14 August 2026.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign secondary school certificate | Completed secondary education, legalised (consular legalisation or apostille) and recognised in Russia at the corresponding level, with the required documents uploaded via the Gosuslugi 'University Admission Online' service |
|---|---|
| Russian language | Most programmes are taught in Russian; TORFL-I is the level targeted by SPbU's preparatory course and earns maximum admission points |
| Russian Government Scholarship (quota) | Application, scholarship form and a portfolio including a motivation letter via Gosuslugi; 2026 window 12 November 2025 to 6 February 2026 |
Deadlines
- Russian Government Scholarship (state-funded quota), 2026 reference Non-binding Passed6 February 2026
2026 window: 12 November 2025 to 6 February 2026, via Gosuslugi. The 2027 window had not been published.
- Fee-paying bachelor's and specialist programmes, 2026 reference Non-binding Passed10 July 2026, 6 pm Moscow time
2026 window: 20 June to 10 July 2026; lists of successful applicants published no later than 14 August 2026.
These are the 2026 admission dates published on SPbU's English site; 2027 dates had not been published on the pages checked. The preparatory course runs 1 September to 30 June and accepts documents from February.
How to apply
Register on the Gosuslugi portal's 'University Admission Online' service, complete the application and upload your documents. Fee-paying applicants wait for the competition results and then sign a student contract; quota applicants also submit a scholarship form and portfolio. Foreign education documents must be legalised and recognised. If you need a student visa, submit the visa invitation form through your Gosuslugi account.
What admissions looks for
- Recognised, correctly legalised secondary-school documents.
- Russian-language readiness, with TORFL-I earning maximum admission points.
- For the Government Scholarship, a portfolio and motivation letter that stand out in the competition.
- For state-funded quota places, strong results in SPbU's Open International Olympiad for foreign school students.
Tips for applying to SPbU
- 1 If your Russian is not yet at TORFL-I level, consider SPbU's ten-month preparatory course first; it includes a free TORFL-I attempt.
- 2 Start legalising (apostille or consular legalisation) and translating your school documents early: recognition is required before admission.
- 3 Apply for the Russian Government Scholarship in the November-February window if you need full funding; the fee-paying window only opens in late June.
- 4 Check the programme's tuition line in the 2026/2027 cost table: foreign-citizen fees are higher than those for Russian and Belarusian citizens.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in RUB
The Russian Government Scholarship, applied for through Gosuslugi, fully covers tuition and provides a monthly academic allowance and reduced dormitory fees. Fee-paying students sign a contract and pay per term (cash at the SPbU cashier's office, cash in roubles at a bank, or bank transfer).
- Full tuition, monthly allowance and reduced dormitory fees
- Russian Government Scholarship
- 10 months, 1,152 hours, full-time or online, with a TORFL voucher
- Preparatory course
Academics
AI360: Mathematics of Machine Learning (bachelor's)
A mathematics and computer science programme; 730,800 roubles a year for foreign citizens in 2026/27.
Mathematics and Computer Science (bachelor's)
Taught in the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science; SPbU's mathematics alumni include Fields Medallist Stanislav Smirnov and Grigori Perelman.
International Relations (bachelor's)
From the School of International Relations; 525,000 roubles a year for foreign citizens in 2026/27.
General Medicine (specialist)
Specialist-level medical degree from the Institute of Medicine; 577,200 roubles a year for foreign citizens in 2026/27.
Oriental studies (e.g. History of China, Japan, Korea, India; Egyptology)
The Faculty of Asian and African Studies offers an unusually wide range of regional and language programmes.
Law (bachelor's)
Also offered with advanced studies in Chinese language and PRC law.
Research
- The SPbU Research Park comprises 23 resource centres with equipment worth more than 7 billion roubles and is open to external researchers.
- The university reports nine Nobel Prize laureates who studied or worked there, including physiologist Ivan Pavlov.
- SPbU runs a competitive grant programme that has brought more than 300 international educators and 130 postdoctoral researchers to its teams.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
- Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes
- Faculty of Physics
- Institute of Chemistry
- Faculty of Biology
- Institute of Earth Sciences
- Faculty of Economics
- School of International Relations
- Faculty of Asian and African Studies
- Faculty of Philology
- Institute of History
- Institute of Medicine
Student life
SPbU's historic core is on Vasilievsky Island along the University Embankment, centred on the eighteenth-century Twelve Collegia building, with other faculties and institutes elsewhere in the city. International students are supported by the International Admissions Office, a student guide, an International Student Club and the university's medical services, and must hold voluntary medical insurance. Student accommodation is provided in university dormitories, with reduced fees for Russian Government Scholarship holders. Students also use the M. Gorky Scientific Library and the university's museums and collections.
- Main building in the Twelve Collegia on the University Embankment.
- International Student Club for students from abroad.
- M. Gorky Scientific Library.
- University museums and collections.
Housing. SPbU provides dormitory accommodation; Russian Government Scholarship holders pay reduced dormitory fees.
Location
Saint Petersburg is Russia's second-largest city, built on the Neva delta, and the university's main buildings stand on the University Embankment of Vasilievsky Island, facing the historic centre across the Neva. The city centre is dense with museums and theatres. International students need a Russian student visa (invited through the university) and must complete migration registration on arrival.
Nearest airport: Pulkovo Airport (LED)
Notable alumni
- IP Ivan PavlovPhysiologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1904; studied natural sciences at the University of Saint Petersburg
- LK Leonid KantorovichMathematician and economist, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences 1975; graduated from Leningrad State University
- LL Lev LandauTheoretical physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 1962; studied physics at Leningrad State University
- GP Grigori PerelmanMathematician who proved the Poincaré conjecture; studied at the School of Mathematics and Mechanics
- SS Stanislav SmirnovMathematician, Fields Medal 2010; undergraduate and master's degrees from SPbU
- VP Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia; studied law at Leningrad State University
Frequently asked questions
Can I study at Saint Petersburg State University in English?
Most bachelor's and specialist programmes are taught in Russian. SPbU offers a ten-month preparatory course for international students that prepares them to study entirely in Russian and includes a TORFL-I test.
How much is tuition at SPbU for international students?
For 2026/27, full-time bachelor's and specialist programmes cost foreign citizens between 328,400 and 814,500 roubles a year, for example 525,000 for International Relations and 577,200 for General Medicine.
When is the application deadline for SPbU?
In 2026, fee-paying applications for bachelor's and specialist programmes ran from 20 June to 10 July, and Russian Government Scholarship applications from 12 November 2025 to 6 February 2026. 2027 dates were not yet published.
Does SPbU offer scholarships for international students?
Yes: the Russian Government Scholarship covers full tuition, a monthly allowance and reduced dormitory fees. Applicants apply through Gosuslugi and submit a portfolio with a motivation letter.
How do I apply to SPbU as a foreign student?
Through the 'University Admission Online' service on the Gosuslugi portal, uploading legalised and recognised education documents; successful fee-paying applicants then sign a student contract.
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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