National Research Tomsk State University
Национальный исследовательский Томский государственный университет
The first university in Asian Russia, opened in 1888, with a 128-hectare botanical garden and a 4-million-volume library.
- Students
- 16,000
- International
- 13%
- of students
- Tuition
- RUB 239K
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1878
About TSU
Tomsk State University was established by imperial decree in 1878 and opened in 1888 as the Siberian Imperial University, the first university between the Urals and the Pacific. Its first faculty was medicine, with 72 students; today it is a classical research university in the Siberian city of Tomsk, with 22 faculties and educational institutes and about 16,000 students, some 2,000 of them international.
TSU covers the full range of a classical university: mathematics and mechanics, physics, radiophysics, chemistry, biology, geology and geography, computer science, economics, law, psychology, history, philology, journalism and the arts. Most bachelor's programmes are taught in Russian, but the university also runs English-taught programmes such as Materials Engineering, the Tomsk International Science Program and Cultural, Language and Social Diversity, plus a larger set of English-taught master's programmes.
Its facilities reflect its age and its science tradition: a Research Library founded in 1880 with almost 4 million items, the 128-hectare Siberian Botanical Garden, ten museums and the SKIF Cyberia supercomputer. The university says two Nobel Prize winners studied or worked there. TSU suits students who want a traditional Russian university with strong natural sciences, are ready for long Siberian winters, and are willing to learn Russian.
Mens Mundo Aperiens
University motto
Why students choose TSU
TSU was the first university in the Asian part of Russia and is ranked joint 510th in the QS World University Rankings 2027.
Three English-taught bachelor's options (Materials Engineering, Tomsk International Science Program, and Cultural, Language and Social Diversity) let international students start without Russian.
International applicants on paid places can take TSU's own entrance tests for foreign citizens instead of the Russian Unified State Exam (EGE).
The Research Library (almost 4 million items) and the 128-hectare Siberian Botanical Garden are on or beside the historic campus in the city centre.
Admissions
2027-28 entry (2027 rules not yet published; facts below from the 2026-27 admission rules)
Selectivity
TSU does not publish an acceptance rate. Russian applicants compete for state-funded places on Unified State Exam (EGE) scores; international applicants can enter through the Russian government quota, through international agreements, or on paid places.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign secondary school certificate | Accepted if recognised in Russia at the level of secondary general education; it must be submitted with a certificate of recognition unless an international agreement or Russian law exempts it |
|---|---|
| Russian Unified State Exam (EGE) | Required subjects and minimum scores vary by programme and are set in the annual admission rules |
| Russian government quota | Places allocated on referral from Russia's Ministry of Science and Higher Education; enrolment under the quota is by separate order |
| English language | Most programmes are taught in Russian, and international applicants to Russian-taught bachelor's programmes take a Russian language entrance test or present a TORFL-1 certificate. TSU does not publish IELTS or TOEFL minimums for its English-taught bachelor's programmes. |
Deadlines
- State-funded (budget) places, bachelor's, 2026 intake Non-binding Passed20 June to 20 July 2026 (past)
20 July for applicants taking TSU entrance tests; 25 July for those applying on EGE results only.
- Paid (contract) places, bachelor's, 2026 intake Non-binding Passed20 June to 23 August 2026 (past)
Last day for applicants taking entrance tests; contracts had to be signed by 27 August 2026 and enrolment orders were issued on 29 August 2026.
These are the 2026 dates, now past. TSU publishes its admission rules and applicant calendar for the next year by 20 January, so 2027 dates should appear on abiturient.tsu.ru by 20 January 2027; expect a similar late-June to August window.
How to apply
Apply through TSU's online applicant account (postupitsu.ru / lk.abiturient.tsu.ru) or in person at the Admissions Committee, main building, 36 Lenin Avenue, Tomsk. Submit your passport, your school certificate with its Russian recognition certificate, and entrance test results; paid-place applicants sign an education contract before enrolment. Quota applicants apply through Russia's government quota system rather than directly.
What admissions looks for
- Entrance test results: EGE scores for Russian applicants, or TSU's tests for foreign citizens for international applicants on paid places.
- Russian language ability for Russian-taught programmes, tested or shown by a TORFL-1 certificate.
- A recognised secondary school certificate, with Russian recognition where required.
- Individual achievements, which TSU counts towards applicants' scores under a published appendix to its admission rules.
Tips for applying to TSU
- 1 Start the recognition of your school certificate early: TSU needs it at the time you apply, unless your country has an agreement with Russia.
- 2 If your Russian is not yet strong, look at the English-taught bachelor's options or TSU's Faculty of Pre-university Training before applying to a Russian-taught programme.
- 3 A TORFL-1 certificate can count as your Russian language entrance result, so taking it before applying can save a test.
- 4 Check whether you can apply through the Russian government quota, which covers tuition, before committing to a paid place.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in RUB
International students can study free of tuition through the Russian government quota, allocated on referral from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, or through international agreements. On paid places, TSU sets separate lower fees for citizens of CIS countries than for other foreign citizens and has approved fee reductions for some first-year entrants in 2026-27.
- RUB 211,000-435,000 per year
- Citizens of CIS countries (first-year, Russian-taught bachelor's, 2026-27)
- Tuition-free, by referral from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
- Russian government quota places
Academics
Materials Engineering (Applied Mechanics, BSc, in English)
An English-taught bachelor's programme; RUB 502,000 a year for 2026-27 entrants.
Tomsk International Science Program (Innovation, BSc, in English)
English-taught bachelor's route for international students; RUB 427,000 a year for 2026-27 entrants.
Physics and Radiophysics
Taught by dedicated faculties of Physics, Radiophysics and Physics and Engineering, linked to the Siberian Physical-Technical Institute.
Biology
Supported by the Biological Institute and the 128-hectare Siberian Botanical Garden, founded in 1880.
Applied Mathematics and Computer Science
Offered by the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science and the Higher IT School.
Research
- The SKIF Cyberia supercomputer, completed in 2007, was ranked the most powerful in the former Soviet Union in the June 2007 TOP500 list.
- TSU research institutes include the Siberian Physical-Technical Institute, the Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics and the Research Institute of Biology and Biophysics.
- The university reports 42 leading scientific schools and 66 laboratories.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Radiophysics
- Faculty of Physics and Engineering
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Biological Institute
- Faculty of Geology and Geography
- Institute of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science
- Institute of Economics and Management
- Institute of Law
- Faculty of Psychology
- Faculty of History and Political Studies
Student life
TSU's historic main building on Lenin Avenue sits in the University Grove, a park at the centre of the campus, with the Research Library and the Siberian Botanical Garden close by. New international students are housed in a modern residence hall with study rooms, a gym, a laundry and a cafeteria, and an International Student Services Centre on the ground floor. The university has ten museums, a swimming pool, a Centre of Culture, a student union and a volunteering centre (Univol). Winters are long and cold, with January averages around minus 20°C.
- The Siberian Botanical Garden: 128 hectares with more than 6,000 living plant species.
- The Research Library, founded in 1880, with almost 4 million catalogued items and rare 14th-20th century books.
- Ten museums and a herbarium on campus.
- An International Student Services Centre in the residence hall.
Housing. TSU says new international students are housed in its Students' Residence Hall, which provides furnished rooms, bedding and shared kitchens.
Location
Tomsk is a historic university city in Western Siberia, in the taiga zone of the West Siberian plain. Buses, trolleybuses, trams and minibuses reach most of the city within an hour, though there are no English announcements. Winters are severe and snowy (January averages about minus 19 to minus 21°C), while summers are short, with July averages around 17-18°C.
Nearest airport: Tomsk Bogashevo Airport (TOF)
Notable alumni
- GS Grigory ShajnAstronomer, director of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (1945-1952); TSU graduate
- SP Sergey PsakhiePhysicist, chairman of the Presidium of the Tomsk Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences; TSU graduate and professor
- AK Aleksey KulyabkoPhysiologist who founded TSU's school of physiology; doctor of medicine from Tomsk, 1893
- AP Antonina PolozhyBotanist; graduated 1939 and became a TSU professor
- AD Alexei DidenkoPolitician, member of the State Duma for Tomsk and chair of its committee on regional policy and local self-government; TSU law graduate (2005)
Frequently asked questions
Can international students study in English at Tomsk State University?
Yes, in a small number of bachelor's programmes: Materials Engineering, the Tomsk International Science Program and Cultural, Language and Social Diversity are taught in English, and there are more English-taught master's programmes. Most bachelor's programmes are in Russian.
How much does Tomsk State University cost for international students?
For 2026-27 first-year students from outside the CIS, full-time Russian-taught bachelor's programmes cost RUB 239,000-494,000 a year, and English-taught bachelor's programmes RUB 387,000-502,000 a year.
Do international students need the EGE to enter TSU?
Not necessarily. On paid bachelor's places, foreign citizens can take TSU's own entrance tests for foreign citizens, including a Russian language test for Russian-taught programmes, instead of the EGE.
When is the TSU application deadline for 2027?
The 2027 calendar is not out yet; TSU publishes it by 20 January. In 2026, paid bachelor's applications ran from 20 June to 23 August, with contracts due by 27 August.
Can I study at TSU for free?
International students can receive tuition-free places through the Russian government quota, allocated by referral from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, or under international agreements.
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.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to TSU in the QS World University Rankings 2027.