In Russia, international applicants can choose from:

• 950 universities in 85 regions of the country, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok;

• 205 fields, from mathematics and natural sciences to the dramatic arts;

• 657 subjects in Bachelor’s, Master’s, Specialist and Postgraduate Programmes (medical traineeships, postgraduate military courses), and internships and assistantships.

Russian universities also offer preparatory programmes (training for enrolment on Bachelor’s, Master’s and Specialist Degree courses), short courses (summer university, a single term in Russia, summer schools), Russian as a foreign language courses, professional development and additional vocational training.

• Optimum Ratio of Price and Quality of Education

Self-funded study is much cheaper at Russian universities than the equivalent in the USA, Canada and the UK, and in terms of the level of training provided, leading Russian universities compete on par with educational institutions in the West.

In 2014, the cost of studying at Russian universities in full-time Bachelor’s Degree Programmes started from 63,000 roubles a year (1,100 US dollars), depending on the subject studied (according to the standards established by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science). The maximum tuition fee at the most prestigious universities in the capital was as high as 344,000 roubles a year (6,100 US dollars).

If you are considering universities located outside Moscow or Saint Petersburg, tuition and accommodation costs will be lower: prices in the regions are much lower than in the capital (see university websites for more detailed information on the tuition fee).

• Funded Tuition

Russia is one of the few countries to offer foreign citizens the opportunity to receive free tuition. Every year, the Russian government awards several thousand scholarships (quotas) to international students. For example, in 2015 universities were allocated 15,000 quotas. In addition, some categories of foreign citizens, including compatriots, may apply for state-funded places on equal terms with Russians but outside the quotas. Another possibility is taking part in university academic competitions: the winners and laureates of these competitions are given preferential terms when enrolling at leading Russian universities (on a quota basis and for state-funded places).

• Opportunity to Learn Russian

Russian is spoken by about 260 million people worldwide and some 10.5 million foreigners are regularly learning Russian. Russian universities offer different Russian language programmes, including courses, summer schools, and distance learning. In preparatory courses, international students take a year-long course in the Russian language and, for students who are enrolled in state-funded places (government scholarships), it is provided free of charge.

• Dazzling Culture

Most people associate Russia with its culture, and Russians rightly take enormous pride in it. Russia has given the world many great writers, poets, philosophers, composers, artists and musicians: Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Feodor Dostoyevsky, Nikolai Rerikh, Sergey Rakhmaninov, Boris Pasternak, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergey Eisenstein, Mstislav Rostropovich... Literature, ballet, classical music, architecture, painting, theatre and cinema: this is how Russia wins the hearts of people the world over. Russian cities today are centres of cultural life, where exhibitions, festivals, concerts, shows, performances and other cultural and entertainment events take place on a national and international level.

• Sports

Russia is a nation of sports enthusiasts that has given the world some of its greatest athletes: Irina Rodnina, Vyacheslav Tretyak, Maria Sharapova, Evgeny Plushchenko, Alexander Ovechkin, Elena Isinbaeva, Alexander Povetkin, and others. More than 60% of residents and 71% of students in Russia are involved in sport. Sports facilities include 70,000 gyms, 140,000 sports pitches and fields, and 4,800 swimming pools, accessible to all.

Russian universities typically have their own sports facilities and are well placed to offer students excellent opportunities to get involved in sport. Sports teams are formed at universities, many of which win prestigious competitions, including Universiades.

The country has hosted international sporting events on many occasions; in 2014, it hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi and a Formula 1 race. The 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 Winter Universiade (2019) are the next major events on the calendar.

Find more at: http://studyinrussia.ru/en/