Russia is a transcontinental country located in Europe and Asia. It is the world’s largest nation by area and the 9th most populous one. This country is one of the least densely populated, with most of the population living in the more urbanized western part. The country’s capital is Moscow, one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas and the largest in Europe with a population of over 20 million.
After the catastrophic collapse of the Soviet Union, which left most of Russia’s population in poverty, the country has made significant economic progress in recent years and is now the 11th largest economy in the world.
Russian Universities are very well respected and popular, especially among students from other Eastern European countries. In today’s article, we will talk about cheap universities in Russia that provide excellent value for money.
Affordable Schools in Russia for International Students
1. Orel State University
Orel State University (OSU) is a comprehensive public university in the historic city of Oryol, around 350 km southwest of Moscow. The university offers a wide array of Russian‑taught programs across education, humanities, economics and management, natural sciences, and selected engineering areas. OSU’s regional location helps keep housing and daily expenses lower than in Russia’s largest cities, and the institution has a reputation for supportive student services and active community life. For applicants who prefer mid‑sized cities with lower costs but solid academic breadth, OSU is a strong value proposition.
Bachelor’s tuition typically spans about RUB 120,000–220,000 per year, with the most affordable options clustered in humanities, social sciences, and teacher education, and higher prices in design and applied engineering. Master’s programs often fall roughly in the RUB 140,000–230,000 per year band, where pedagogy and management are among the cheapest and design or advanced technical specialties are at the upper end.
2. Siberian Federal University
Siberian Federal University (SibFU) in Krasnoyarsk is one of the largest regional universities in Russia, formed by the merger of several institutions to create a broad, research‑active campus. SibFU covers engineering and technology, natural sciences, mathematics and computer science, as well as economics, humanities, arts, and design. The location gives students access to Siberia’s natural environment and industrial base, and the cost of living is generally lower than in the European part of Russia’s big cities.
Bachelor’s fees commonly cluster around RUB 175,000–230,000 per year. The most affordable tracks are often mathematics, physics, and humanities, while design/architecture trend higher. Master’s programs typically begin near RUB 155,000 and reach roughly RUB 220,000 per year, with education and humanities at the lower end and advanced engineering/IT at the upper.
3. Southern Federal University
Southern Federal University (SFedU) operates in Rostov‑on‑Don and Taganrog and is known for solid programs in engineering, natural sciences, pedagogy, economics, and the arts. The university has a long tradition of teacher training and applied research, and its master’s portfolio includes competitively priced options taught in Russian with growing offerings in English. The southern location provides a mild climate and relatively reasonable living costs compared to Moscow or St. Petersburg.
Bachelor’s tuition spans a broad band of about RUB 165,000–390,000 per year depending on faculty. Philosophical disciplines, philology, and some social sciences tend to be cheapest, while design and arts‑related programs are usually the most expensive. Master’s programs can be as low as RUB 150,000 per year in business/management and rise toward RUB 250,000+ for specialized engineering and creative fields. See SFedU’s official program listings for precise fees:
4. Baikal State University
Baikal State University (BSU) is based in Irkutsk near Lake Baikal and has a strong focus on economics, management, law, public administration, and related applied areas. The university offers clear English‑language information for international applicants and maintains transparent fee tables by program, which makes financial planning simpler. Irkutsk’s cost of living is generally moderate by Russian standards, and the city’s transport links make it a convenient base for exploring Eastern Siberia.
Bachelor’s programs typically fall in the RUB 190,000–230,000 per year range. Economics, management, and law tend to be at the lower‑to‑mid end, while design or specialized applied programs can be higher. Master’s fees generally start around RUB 145,000 and run toward about RUB 200,000 per year, with management and economics among the cheapest and data‑heavy or specialized programs costing more.
5. Lobachevsky University (UNN)
Lobachevsky University (UNN) in Nizhny Novgorod is a major regional university with strengths in mathematics, physics, information technology, and economics, complemented by international relations, linguistics, and a wide set of humanities and social science degrees. The campus is spread across several academic buildings in a student‑friendly city on the Volga River, and the university maintains an International Office support for visa, accommodation, and Russian language prep.
Tuition overview: Bachelor’s tuition commonly ranges around RUB 195,000–250,000 per year, with humanities and social sciences at the lower bound and engineering, IT, and design at the upper bound. Master’s programs generally mirror this band at roughly RUB 195,000–260,000 per year, with management, economics, and pedagogy among the cheapest, and advanced STEM or creative programs the most expensive.
6. National Research Tomsk State University (TSU)
TSU, widely recognized as the oldest university in Siberia, is a comprehensive research university with deep strengths in natural sciences, mathematics & computer science, engineering, the humanities and social sciences. Tomsk is one of Russia’s classic student cities, and TSU benefits from a dense ecosystem of labs, research institutes, and tech companies as well as a strong tradition of student clubs and international exchange. English‑language program pages and multiple intakes across fields make it friendly to first‑time applicants to Russia.
Bachelor’s tuition typically starts at around RUB 199,000/year (e.g., Chemistry) with many Russian‑taught tracks in the RUB 199,000–227,000/year band; English‑taught options and interdisciplinary programs (e.g., Tomsk International Science Program) can reach roughly RUB 300,000/year. Master’s fees vary by field: budget‑friendly programs appear near RUB 214,000/year, while data‑/AI‑oriented, bio‑, and engineering programs often range RUB 290,000–386,000/year.
7. Novosibirsk State University (NSU)
Located in Akademgorodok, the science campus of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, NSU is intensely research‑oriented with close ties to dozens of institutes in physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, geosciences, and the computing sciences. The university’s compact campus, strong English‑taught offerings, and vibrant international community make it attractive to applicants who want a high‑signal academic environment and direct exposure to Siberia’s flagship research hub.
NSU posts unified rates for many programs: bachelor’s degrees at about $4,500/year, specialist degrees around $6,500/year, and master’s programs generally within $3,600–$6,500/year. In practice, humanities and some social sciences anchor the lower end of the master’s range, while advanced STEM, applied computing, and business‑analytics‑style curricula tend toward the upper end.
FAQs: Studying in Russia
What are the General Requirements to Study in Russia?
There are no special requirements for studying in Russia, except for a certificate of secondary education and an appropriate level of knowledge of the language you will be studying. After getting accepted, you will also have to go through the process of obtaining a visa through your local Russian embassy.
Do Universities in Russia Offer English-Taught Programs?
Yes. There are plenty of programs in Russia that are taught in English; however, most of them are at the master’s level, but there are also some universities that offer bachelor’s degrees in English as well. For example, the Far Eastern Federal University offers three bachelor’s degrees in English, while Moscow State University offers many programs in English for both bachelor’s and master’s studies.
This article should be able to give you direction when choosing your preferred institution, because if it is a question of affordability, we have answered you. Consider Russia as a possible country for your studies! It not only offers quality education, but also universities that offer it at affordable rates.
We hope this article on the cheap universities in Russia was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Study in Russia and Available Programs for International Students pages for more informative articles on studying abroad.
