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.
Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University (SPbGAU) is a state university for agriculture, food production, veterinary medicine, engineering and land management, founded on 8 September 1904. Its founder is the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.
The main campus is in Pushkin, the historic town of Tsarskoye Selo, about 25 km south of central Saint Petersburg. Teaching buildings, laboratories, greenhouses and 11 hostels with about 3,500 places are in one student town within walking distance of each other, according to the university's campus page.
Most degree programmes at SPbGAU are taught in Russian, so a foreign applicant without Russian usually starts with the preparatory department. The exception is the master's track Integrated plant protection in Agronomy (35.04.04), listed on the official education page as a programme in English.
Standard full-time lengths under Russian federal standards are 4 years for a bachelor's, 2 years for a master's and 5 years for veterinary medicine. There are also postgraduate (aspirantura) programmes.
First-year full-time tuition for 2026/27 is set by order No. 283 of 19 May 2026 and covers 1 September 2026 to 30 June 2027. It applies to all foreign citizens except those of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
| Programme (full-time) | Fee a year |
|---|---|
| Most bachelor's programmes (Agronomy, Agroengineering, Animal science, Biology and others) | 290,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,550) |
| Bachelor's in Economics, Law, Service | 280,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,430) |
| Bachelor's in Land management and cadastres | 330,000 RUB a year (≈ $4,040) |
| Most master's programmes | 315,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,860) |
| Master's in Management, Law, State and municipal administration | 310,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,790) |
| Master's in Agronomy taught in English | 360,000 RUB a year (≈ $4,410) |
| Specialist degree in Veterinary medicine | 315,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,860) |
| Postgraduate (aspirantura) | from 365,000 RUB a year (≈ $4,470) to 395,000 RUB a year (≈ $4,840) |
Later years are priced by a separate yearly order in the paid education section. Part-time study is open only to CIS or visa-free citizens and residence permit holders.
Yes, through the Russian Government quota of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which covers tuition. You apply on education-in-russia.com from the autumn of the year before study, upload your passport, education documents, medical certificates and achievements, and the Ministry places you at a university. Your visa invitation number then appears in your account on the portal. See our guide to the Russian government scholarship for the full procedure.
The university's own budget places are open only to some CIS citizens and compatriots; everyone else studies on contract or through the quota.
Yes, if you plan a Russian-taught programme and do not speak Russian. Russian takes more than half the time, alongside the subjects of your future degree, according to the preparatory department page. You must be 18 or older with completed secondary education.
Quota students take it free. More in our article on the preparatory faculty in Russia.
You apply to Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University online, by post or in person; the visa invitation comes only after the contract, payment and enrolment order. Steps from the admission page for foreign citizens.
On arrival you show the original passport, a migration card marked for study, two 3x4 cm photos, an HIV certificate and a chest X-ray. Univenter is an official partner of Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University and accepts applications to it.
A standard hostel bed at SPbGAU costs 1,627 RUB a month (≈ $20) from 1 September 2026, the same for Russian and foreign full-time students, by order No. 429 of 17 August 2026. First-year students usually share rooms of three.
Upgraded rooms in hostels No. 8, 11 and 12 cost more: from 5,930 RUB a month (≈ $73) for a bed in a double room to 10,100 RUB a month (≈ $124) for a single room, under a separate order.
The university's page for foreign students also requires medical insurance, a medical check and fingerprinting within 90 days, and migration registration within three working days of arrival. Food and transport come on top; see cost of studying in Russia for a monthly budget.
As of November 2026, Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad do not work in Russia, so plan how to bring money and open a Russian account on arrival.
Pushkin is a quiet, green town around the Catherine Palace and the parks of Tsarskoye Selo. Suburban trains run to Vitebsky station in central Saint Petersburg.
Winters are long, wet and dark, with very short days in December; in June come the white nights. Buy winter clothes locally in October. On safety, read Is Russia safe for international students.
Your home country's authority decides, so check before you sign a contract.
In India, foreign degrees are checked for equivalence by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). Ask its Evaluation Division whether your SPbGAU degree would get an equivalence certificate; for veterinary medicine, also check the Veterinary Council of India.
In Pakistan, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) issues equivalence for foreign degrees. Check its rules on language and mode of study before you apply.
In Nigeria, foreign certificates are evaluated by the Federal Ministry of Education, Department of Education Support Services. Keep your admission letter, visa and transcripts for the evaluation.
A student points to how much practical work the courses include: laboratories, greenhouses and soil science classes, not just lectures.
— A student in the university's own video (video)
One student says the group works as a team: classmates explain difficult topics to each other and help each other finish assignments.
— A student in the university's own video (video)
A student admits he doubted studying on the edge of the city, in Pushkin, but came to prefer it for the clean air, the parks and the short walk from the hostel to lectures.
— A student in the university's own video (video)
International students describe settling in through sports, cultural festivals and teachers who are easy to approach.
— International students in the university's own video (video)
This is the university's own promotional film, so treat it as a picture of campus life, not an independent review.
Yes. Pushkin, where the campus and hostels are, is a district of the city of Saint Petersburg, about 25 km south of the centre.
Almost all programmes are in Russian. One master's track, Integrated plant protection in Agronomy, is listed as taught in English.
For the first year in 2026/27, most bachelor's programmes cost 290,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,550), most master's programmes 315,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,860) and veterinary medicine 315,000 RUB a year (≈ $3,860). Fees are set by a yearly university order.
Yes, SPbGAU has 11 hostels in its student town in Pushkin. A standard bed costs 1,627 RUB a month (≈ $20) from 1 September 2026, booked through inter@spbgau.ru after your visa.
Last updated: 3 November 2026. Fees and regulations change; check the official sources above before you apply.
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Create a free applicant account. We check your documents before submission, and a Univenter coordinator guides you to enrolment.