Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) is a state technical university in St. Petersburg, founded in 1899, with over 5,000 international students. For 2026/27, Russian-taught Bachelor's degrees cost from 354,000 RUB a year for applicants who need a visa and English-taught Master's from 476,000 RUB a year. Visa-country applicants must apply by 1 July.
Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU, often called Polytech) is a large state technical university in St. Petersburg. It opened in 1899 as the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute and today teaches engineering, IT, physics, energy, economics and humanities across 12 institutes.
The university lists itself as a National Research University and a participant of the Russian Priority 2030 programme. It has 18 dormitories, two of them for international students, and its main campus lies around the Politekhnicheskaya and Akademicheskaya metro stations (SPbPU, General information).
Most SPbPU degrees for international students are taught in Russian, and only a short list is taught in English. As of the 2026/27 intake, the university publishes these options:
Each programme asks for B1 in its teaching language. A certificate is not compulsory because the university tests you itself; IELTS or TOEFL can count for English and TORFL-I for Russian.
SPbPU fees depend on the programme and on whether your country needs a visa for Russia. Applicants from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria need one, so the "visa regime" fee applies. Published fees for 2026/27, as of November 2026:
| Programme (language) | Fee a year |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's, most engineering and science fields (Russian) | 354,000 RUB a year (≈ $4,330) |
| Bachelor's, Civil Engineering (Russian) | 370,000 RUB a year (≈ $4,530) |
| Bachelor's, Economics, Management, Law (Russian) | 424,000 RUB a year (≈ $5,190) |
| Bachelor's, Computer Science, Software Engineering (Russian) | 506,000 RUB a year (≈ $6,190) |
| Bachelor's, Digital Enterprise, International Business, International Trade (English) | 530,000 RUB a year (≈ $6,490) |
| Master's, most engineering and science fields (Russian) | 380,000 RUB a year (≈ $4,650) |
| Master's, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Power Plant Engineering (English) | 476,000 RUB a year (≈ $5,830) |
| Master's, Nuclear Power Engineering (English) | 536,000 RUB a year (≈ $6,560) |
| Master's, Quantitative Finance, International Business Development (English) | 530,000 RUB a year (≈ $6,490) |
| Master's, Intelligent Systems (English) | 614,000 RUB a year (≈ $7,520) |
Applicants from visa-free countries pay less for Russian-taught degrees, for example 322,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,940) for most Bachelor's fields. English-taught programmes have one fee for everyone, paid after arrival (Bachelor's fees, Master's fees).
The Russian government quota covers tuition but not the dormitory; you apply at education-in-russia.com. See our guide to the Russian government scholarship quota.
You apply online, take the tests remotely and travel only with a visa invitation. The 2026 steps were:
Deadlines for 2026 were 1 July for visa-regime countries and 7 August for visa-free countries, for both Bachelor's and Master's (Bachelor's admission, Master's admission, admission procedure). Univenter is an official partner of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and accepts applications to it.
An official SPbPU admissions tutorial flags two details: a photo on a light background up to 5 MB, and a generated form you must download, sign and upload again.
Yes. The SPbPU University Foundation Program teaches Russian plus subject courses in engineering, economics or humanities, and it is the usual route into a Russian-taught degree. The 2026/27 intakes (the first three end on 15 July 2027, the long one in July 2028):
| Intake | Fee for the course |
|---|---|
| Standard 1: 10 months from 15 September (apply by 1 July) | 275,000 RUB in total (≈ $3,370) |
| Standard 2: 9 months from 15 October (apply by 1 August) | 250,000 RUB in total (≈ $3,060) |
| Intensive: 8 months from 15 November (apply by 15 September) | 225,000 RUB in total (≈ $2,750) |
| One and a half years from 15 March 2027 (apply by 15 January 2027) | 410,000 RUB in total (≈ $5,020) |
A Russian-only course with the same dates and fees prepares for TORFL-I. The foundation year is a separate online application in which you name your future degree (University Foundation Programs). Read more in our guide to the preparatory faculty in Russia.
A bed in an SPbPU dormitory costs about 5,000–7,000 RUB a month (≈ $61–$86) according to the university's living-costs page, dated September 2022. International students usually share a room with 1 to 3 others in furnished two-room blocks. Tick the dormitory box in the application and email the dormitory office 7 days before arrival (Accommodation).
One Bengali student on campus says his block costs about 4,200 RUB a month (≈ $51) and a neighbouring dormitory about 2,600 RUB a month (≈ $32). Ask the dormitory office for the current price of your building.
Other costs on the same university page: a canteen lunch about 200–300 RUB one-off (≈ $2–$4), a metro ride 65 RUB one-off (≈ $1), and a one-room flat in the city 20,000–25,000 RUB a month (≈ $245–$306) plus utilities (Living costs). Treat these 2022 prices as a minimum. Our cost of studying in Russia guide has a full monthly budget.
St. Petersburg is a large city of canals and museums, and the Polytech campus is a green district about 40 to 50 minutes by metro from the centre. Winters are long, grey and wet with very short days, while June brings the "white nights". Budget for a winter coat and boots in your first month.
Two country-level issues to plan for: foreign bank cards do not work in Russia because of sanctions, so students open a Russian account after arrival, and racist incidents do happen, as in many big cities. Our guide Is Russia safe for international students covers both in detail.
Recognition is decided by your home country, so check its rule before you pay the first fee, and keep your syllabus, transcripts and visa pages.
In India, equivalence of a foreign degree is now granted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the UGC (Recognition and Grant of Equivalence to Qualifications obtained from Foreign Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2025. You apply on the UGC equivalence portal at equivalence.ugc.ac.in (UGC public notice, 4 April 2025). Check the regulations before you choose an online or part-time format.
In Bangladesh, the University Grants Commission (UGC) evaluates foreign Bachelor's and Master's degrees. You book an appointment on the UGC website, bring all originals and pay 2,500 BDT one-off (≈ $20) per degree. Processing takes at least 90 to 120 working days, and UGC asks for passports with visas, proof of on-campus study and syllabuses (UGC Bangladesh notice, 30 October 2024).
He came to the Polytechnic after a preparatory Russian year at another university, as his ministry placement allowed. With all his luggage a car was far easier than the metro, and Uzbek and Bangladeshi students helped him settle in.
— A Bangladeshi student starting his degree at SPbPU in late August (video)
His English-taught Civil Engineering Master's mixes lectures, AutoCAD Civil 3D and lab work on modern tensile-testing machines. In his semester classes ran three days a week, with classmates from Asia, Africa, Russia and Europe.
— A Bangladeshi Master's student in Civil Engineering (video)
He shares his dormitory with students from Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey and Arab countries. There is no prayer room in his building, but students pray in their rooms freely.
— A Bengali international student living on campus (video)
Yes, at Master's level: Civil, Electrical, Power Plant and Nuclear Power Engineering, New Materials and Intelligent Systems are taught in English. English-taught Bachelor's degrees are only in business fields.
No. The university asks for English at B1 and tests applicants itself. An IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge certificate can count towards the English score.
No. The dormitory is paid separately and is not covered by the Russian government quota either. The university's cost page gives about 5,000–7,000 RUB a month (≈ $61–$86) for a bed, and the price depends on the building.
Last updated: 3 November 2026. Fees and regulations change; check the official sources above before you apply.
Dagestan State Medical University (DSMU) in Makhachkala teaches General Medicine in English and Russian over 6 years, and its other degrees in Russian. As of November 2026 the first year in English costs 420,000 RUB a year, the hostel is 2,500 RUB a month, and you sit chemistry and biology exams in Makhachkala in July or October.
International Black Sea University (IBSU) is a private university in Tbilisi, Georgia, founded in 1995, teaching in English and Georgian. As of November 2026 international students pay 4,900 USD for most English-taught bachelor's programmes and 5,900 USD for Medicine, before scholarships. You apply by email with notarised documents, and the Georgian Ministry of Education confirms your enrolment before you get a D3 visa.
Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University (SPbGAU) is a state agricultural university in Pushkin, Saint Petersburg, founded in 1904. Foreign students pay from 280,000 RUB a year for a bachelor's degree in 2026/27, most programmes are taught in Russian after a preparatory year, and a hostel bed costs 1,627 RUB a month.
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