Belarus has as many as 48 universities, a growing number of which are offering academic programs in English. Tuitions for international students in Belarusian universities are a lot less than what universities in most other European countries are charging. The cost of living here is also amongst the lowest on the continent. As a result, more than 6,000 international students are coming to the Eastern European country every year in pursuit of higher education.
Many of these universities offer English-taught degrees, and if English-taught degrees are available, we’ve used the tuition figures for English-taught degrees. The Russian-taught degrees are cheaper than English-taught degrees, so if you want to study in Russian, your tuition will be cheaper than the tuition fee posted here. Now, let’s go over the cheapest universities in Belarus for international students.
Affordable Schools in Belarus for International Students
1. Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov (VSU)
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: from $2,400 per year (Bachelor’s) | from $3,300 per year (Master’s)
VSU in the northern city of Vitebsk is a comprehensive public university offering degrees across sciences, education, humanities, IT, and the arts. The campus features an active Faculty of Foreign Citizens Training and a preparatory department for Russian, plus summer schools and exchange projects. With a mid‑sized student body and tight connections to regional schools and businesses, VSU is popular with students who want a quieter city and smaller class sizes.
International fees are simple: most bachelor’s programs cost $2,400/year, with Law and International Law priced at $2,600/year; part‑time options are lower. A master’s in English is typically $3,300/year. Russian‑medium study in the sciences and education sits at the lower bound; English‑medium and law‑related programs cost more. With the starting tuition of $2,400 per year for English-taught Bachelor’s, VSU is the cheapest university in Belarus for international Bachelor’s students.
2. Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: from $2,500 (Bachelor’s) | from $3,500 (Master’s) | from $3,100 (PhD)
Named after the celebrated Soviet aerospace engineer Pavel Sukhoi, Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel (GSTU) has been around since 1968. It is positioned in Gomel, the second-most populous Belarusian city. Through 28 departments under its seven faculties, the public university offers 21 bachelor’s programs, eight master’s programs, and nine PhD programs. It has a student population of over 9,000, while the number of academic staff is about 400.
All English-taught bachelor’s programs at GSTU cost USD 2,500 per year, Master’s tuition varies from USD 3,500 to USD 4,500, and all PhD programs costs USD 3,100 per year.
3. Belarusian State University (BSU)
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: from $2,600 per year (Bachelor’s) | from $2,800 per year (Master’s)
Established in 1921, Belarusian State University (BSU) is a public university situated in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. With a teaching body of more than 3,000, it currently offers higher education to 30,000-plus students. Of them, over 2,000 are international students hailing from 53 countries. The university is organized into 27 faculties, training institutions, and educational institutions that house a total of 191 departments. It claims 351st spot globally in the QS World University Rankings 2020, ahead of any other Belarusian university.
Official tuition schedules (by faculty) indicate substantial variation. Russian‑taught programs in the humanities and basic sciences usually anchor the lower bound around the high‑$2,000s, while English‑medium options, business, economics, and computer science push into the $3,500–$4,500+ range at bachelor’s and master’s levels. Applicants should consult the faculty‑specific lines in the official PDF before applying.
With the starting tuition of $2,800 per year for English-taught Master’s, BSU is the cheapest university in Belarus for international Master’s students.
4. Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno
Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (YKSUG) began its journey in 1940. It is sited in the western Belarusian city of Hrodna, which is also known as Grodno. It consists of four colleges, 15 faculties, and 63 departments, through which it facilitates over 140 academic programs. It has over 12,200 students enrolled at present, including 700-plus international students. In QS’s Emerging Europe and Central Asia (EECA) University Rankings 2020, this university claims the 195th spot.
Annual tuition for the academic programs at this affordable university in Belarus that are taught in the Russian language ranges between USD 1,600 and USD 2,500. The English-language programs, meanwhile, are a tad more expensive here, costing USD 3,500 per year.
5. Brest State Technical University
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: $3,500 (Bachelor’s) | $3,700 (Master’s)
What was founded in 1966 as an engineering institute went on to become an independent university named Brest State Technical University (BrSTU) in 2000. Lying in the heart of Brest, the cheap university in Belarus is organized into six faculties. It facilitates 28 bachelor’s programs, six of which are available in English, as well as 13 master’s programs, seven of which are available in English.
Annual tuition for Russian-language programs at BrSTU ranges between USD 2,200 and USD 2,600 at the undergraduate level and is USD 3,000 at the graduate level. However, the English-language programs have annual tuition of USD 3,500 at the undergraduate level and USD 3,700 at the graduate level.
6. Belarusian National Technical University
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: from $4,150 per year (Bachelor’s) | from $4,500 per year (Master’s)
According to the QS World University Rankings 2020, the second-best university in the country is Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU). It is a public technical university that came into being in 1920. Its student population is north of 35,000. Its 16 faculties house a total of 119 departments, employing nearly 2,200 academic staff. This university is located in Minsk, too.
Annual tuition at BNTU starts at USD 4,100 and goes up to USD 6,050 per year for Bachelor’s, and for Master’s, the tuition is $4,500 USD per year for most programs.
7. Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics
- Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: $5,000 (Bachelor’s) | $4,350 (Master’s)
The Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (BSUIR) is another Minsk-based public university. Beginning its journey in 1964, it is now home to over 16,000 students, including around 600 international students from 45 countries. It is made up of nine faculties that house a total of 37 departments. Among the academic programs offered here, 10 are available in English. This university ranks 158th in the QS EECA University Rankings 2020.
If you are willing to study in Russian, BSUIR tuition will be USD 3,150 to USD 3,350 per year, depending on the faculty and the level of education. But if you want to study English here, the annual tuition is USD 5,000 for Bachelor’s and USD 4,350 for Master’s.
We hope that this article on cheap universities in Belarus was helpful. If you are interested in studying in Europe, check out the Available Programs in Europe for International Students!
