RUDN University (Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia) in Moscow charges foreign students 12,000 USD a year for General Medicine in English in 2026/27. Fee-paying applications ran from 20 June to 10 August 2026, and hostel places cost about 1,500 to 19,000 RUB a month.
RUDN University is a large state university in south-west Moscow that was created in 1960 to teach students from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Its full name is the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. The name of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the independent Congo, was dropped in 1992 and returned by an order of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation on 23 March 2023, so you will see both "Peoples' Friendship University of Russia" and "RUDN" on documents.
International students are the core of the university, not an add-on. In its interim report on the 2026 admission campaign (August 2026), RUDN said it received fee-paying applicants from 136 countries. The most requested paid programmes were General Medicine, Economics, Linguistics, Management and Dentistry.
RUDN is among the top 10 universities in Russia in the Interfax 2026 National Ranking of Universities, where it took 10th place with 660 points. In the same July 2026 news item RUDN gave its QS World University Rankings position as 359th. For a medical student, the language of teaching and the licensing rules at home matter more than the exact number.
You can study General Medicine and Dentistry fully in English at RUDN, and almost every other programme in Russian. The English tracks of General Medicine and Dentistry are listed separately in the university fee order. Bachelor's programmes such as Linguistics, Psychology and Applied Mathematics are taught in Russian; some master's programmes are in English.
If you choose a Russian-taught programme and do not speak Russian, you first study at the preparatory faculty of the Institute of Russian Language. RUDN says you can apply to it at any time of the year and, depending on when you apply, you get two or three semesters of study before your degree starts.
Indian students who plan to practise at home should know that the National Medical Commission (NMC) Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 require the whole course in English, at least 54 months of study and a 12-month internship at the same foreign university. RUDN's English-taught General Medicine is the track that fits these rules; a Russian-taught course does not.
For applicants from countries outside the former USSR, RUDN fees in 2026/27 are set in US dollars by Order No. 33-r of 19 January 2026, which covers the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 academic years. Fees are per year and exclude the hostel and medical services.
| Programme (per year) | Fee a year |
|---|---|
| General Medicine, English | 12,000 USD |
| General Medicine, Russian | 10,500 USD |
| Dentistry, English | 12,500 USD |
| Dentistry, Russian | 11,000 USD |
| Pharmacy, Russian | 5,850 USD |
| Psychology or Applied Mathematics bachelor's, Russian | 5,100 USD |
| Preparatory faculty (medical track) | 4,900 USD |
| Preparatory faculty (general) | 4,300 USD |
Fees for foreign students depend on citizenship, so ask admissions in writing which price applies to you before you pay.
The six-year English-taught General Medicine course costs about 72,000 USD in tuition if the 2026/27 fee stays the same. Budget for possible increases and add hostel, food, insurance and visa costs.
RUDN admission for a fee-paying place has four steps: you submit documents, pass an interview and portfolio review, receive an invitation for the visa, and are enrolled after your tuition reaches the university account. For 2026 the window for full-time paid study ran from 20 June to 10 August 2026, and RUDN warns that the invitation takes 4 to 6 weeks, so the earlier you apply, the safer your September start.
The documents RUDN asks for in the first application are: your school-leaving certificate with a Russian translation where required, a scan of your passport, proof of achievements such as Olympiad results, consent to personal data processing, a medical certificate stating you have no contraindications to study and no HIV infection, and one photo. Admissions contact: intstudent@rudn.ru.
Yes, through two state-funded routes. The first is the Government of the Russian Federation quota, about 30,000 places a year across Russia, applied for only through the official portal education-in-russia.com; for the 2027/28 intake the deadline is 15 January 2027 for most countries. The second is the RUDN Open Olympiad: winners can study on quota places and prize-winners get a tuition discount. In 2026 RUDN admitted 610 Olympiad winners from more than 60 countries, led by Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Pakistan. Quota students still pay for travel, insurance and living costs.
A RUDN hostel place for a fee-paying student costs from about 1,500–19,000 RUB a month (≈ $19–$236), depending on the building and the comfort level. These prices come from RUDN Order No. 1351-r, in force since 1 August 2025; check whether a newer order has replaced it before you budget.
| Hostel and room (fee-paying student) | Fee a month |
|---|---|
| Hostels 2, 5, 6, 7, 8: basic 3 to 4-bed room | 1,511 RUB (≈ $19) |
| Hostels 9 and 11: 3-bed room, higher comfort | 7,676 RUB (≈ $95) |
| Hostels 9 and 11: 2-bed room, higher comfort | 10,626 RUB (≈ $132) |
| Hostels 9 and 11: top-level 2-bed room | 17,976 RUB (≈ $223) |
| Hostel 15: 2-bed room, higher comfort | 19,148 RUB (≈ $238) |
Most newer buildings use a block system: two rooms share a toilet and a shower, and each floor has a shared kitchen. Students in the videos describe loft beds over a desk, a fridge in the room, free bed linen exchanged weekly, washing machines on some floors and a rubbish chute in the corridor.
Life at RUDN is compact: the main building, the Medical Institute, the hostels and shops on Miklukho-Maklaya Street are minutes apart, and the campus has its own centre for visa extensions and migration registration. A student budget in Moscow is about 30,000 RUB a month (≈ $372) for food, transport and daily needs, on top of tuition and the hostel, based on a 2026 estimate by NUST MISIS, another Moscow university.
Money is the main practical problem. Visa and Mastercard cards issued outside Russia do not work there, and international transfer services have been restricted since 2022. Most students bring enough cash for the first weeks and open a Russian bank card after arrival.
Paperwork continues after you land. Your first study visa is a single-entry visa, and the university then extends it. Under Federal Law No. 162-FZ of 10 June 2026, in force since 1 September 2026, foreign citizens who stay more than 90 days must pass a medical examination within 30 calendar days of entry and repeat it every year. Missing a visa extension can mean a fine of 2,000–5,000 RUB (≈ $25–$62).
Students interviewed on campus say they feel safe at RUDN, but several governments advise against travel to Russia, and there are reports of foreign students being pressured to sign military contracts. Read our safety guide before you decide.
In spring 2022, international students on the RUDN campus from Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Zambia, Haiti and Uzbekistan said classes went on as normal and they felt safe. Their common problem was getting money from home after transfers and foreign cards stopped working; a stipend alone covered only the basics.
— a Nigerian vlogger and doctor in Russia, interviewing RUDN students in 2022 (video)
Hostel No. 11, a 16-storey building opposite the medical faculty, has face-recognition turnstiles, a shop on the ground floor, an ironing room on every floor and blocks with their own shower and toilet. It is one of the newest and most expensive hostels, places are limited, and you have to apply early to get one.
— an Indian medical student at RUDN (video)
In Hostel No. 9 she shares a block of two rooms with a shower and a separate toilet. The floor kitchen serves about 60 residents with three stoves and three ovens. Bed linen is free and changed every week, and she buys bottled drinking water instead of drinking from the tap.
— an Indonesian student living in a RUDN hostel (video)
Bedsheets were given on arrival, six students share one kitchen, and she lives with a Russian roommate, which helps with the language. In December 2021 one wash in the hostel laundry cost 150 RUB (≈ $2), paid in cash at a machine terminal.
— a Nigerian student at RUDN (video)
The 150 RUB (≈ $2) laundry price is from 2021 and has likely changed.
RUDN is one of the best-known universities in Russia, in the national top 10 in 2026, and it teaches General Medicine fully in English. Whether it is good for you depends on the fee (12,000 USD a year in 2026/27), your budget for Moscow, and whether your home regulator accepts the course.
RUDN is a state university licensed in Russia, and its degrees are used by graduates abroad. Recognition at home depends on your regulator: India's NMC sets conditions such as English medium, 54 months of study and a 12-month internship at the same university; Nigerian and Pakistani students should check the rules of their own medical council before enrolling.
Not for the English-taught General Medicine and Dentistry tracks or English master's programmes. For Russian-taught programmes you need a B1 level (TORFL-1) or a pass in the remote interview, and most students reach it through a year at the preparatory faculty.
For fee-paying full-time study in 2026 the window ran from 20 June to 10 August 2026. For a state-funded quota place in 2027/28, the deadline on education-in-russia.com is 15 January 2027 for most countries (15 December 2026 for CIS countries).
Yes, RUDN has 15 hostels on and near Miklukho-Maklaya Street, but the newer buildings such as No. 9 and No. 11 fill quickly. Ask for accommodation as soon as you receive your invitation.
Last updated: 1 November 2026. Fees and regulations change; check the official sources above before you apply.
Kursk State Medical University (KSMU) is a state medical university in Kursk, Russia, that has taught General Medicine (MBBS) to international students in English since 1994 through its International Medical Institute. The course lasts 6 years; fees are set in roubles each year, so get the 2026/27 price list in writing and read the current travel advice for Kursk Oblast before you apply.
Kazan State Medical University (KSMU) is a state medical university in Kazan, Russia, dating from 1814 and teaching more than 2,200 international students. For 2026/27 General Medicine costs 636,000 RUB a year in English or Russian. You apply between 20 June and 15 July and pass online tests in Chemistry and English or Russian, with at least 65 points in each.
Kazan Federal University (KFU) is a large state university in Kazan, Russia, founded in 1804 and teaching about 11,500 international students. For 2026/27 General Medicine costs 653,400 RUB a year in English and 524,628 RUB in Russian; you apply online, pass entrance tests (in person for medicine) and pay the first year in full before the visa invitation.
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