Founded in 1899, SPbPU is a major Russian technical university. It is a national research university with a focus on engineering, physics, economics, humanities and information technology.
Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, SPbPU, was founded in 1899 as the Saint Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, on the initiative of the finance minister Sergei Witte and with the support of the chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. It was one of the largest technical schools in Europe, with a campus built in a park in the north of the city. Today the university has about 33,000 students and 6,000 staff, and around one student in five comes from abroad. The main building is on Politekhnicheskaya Street.
The campus covers around 120 hectares of woods, ponds and historic buildings, with a main building of 1902 that has a colonnade and a large hall. Pyotr Kapitsa, who received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for low-temperature physics, studied at the institute, and Nikolay Semyonov, Nobel laureate in chemistry in 1956 for the theory of chain reactions, founded the physics and mechanics faculty. Many Soviet engineers in power and metallurgy trained here.
Today the university is organised in institutes of mechanical engineering, materials and transport, energy, civil engineering, computer science and cybersecurity, industrial management, physics and mechanics, and humanities. It is known for power engineering, metallurgy, nuclear physics, shipbuilding and digital manufacturing, and it takes part in the national initiative on advanced production technologies, with a Digital Factory research centre. Partnerships with industrial companies in Saint Petersburg give students projects and internships.
Russian applicants enter by the Unified State Exam, with state-funded places and paid places. Foreign students can come through the government quota scholarship system or pay tuition, and many begin with a preparatory year in Russian. Fees vary by programme, so check the current tariff. Teaching is in Russian, with a number of programmes in English. Since 2022, academic exchanges with institutions abroad have changed, so check the current status of agreements.
Students live in large dormitories on or near the campus, and the metro station of Politekhnicheskaya is a few minutes away. Saint Petersburg is cheaper than Moscow.
Ural Federal University follows much the same lines as this institution, with physics, mechanical engineering and electrical and electronics as common ground, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
The comparison with Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (SRSPU ) is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics and materials, and it covers chemical engineering and geotechnics as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 18,000 students against roughly 33,000 here.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of physics, mechanical engineering and electrical and electronics can consider Oryol State University, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Chuvash State University is the closest domestic counterpart for physics, mechanical engineering and electrical and electronics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Tula State University offers a comparable education in civil engineering, physics and mechanical engineering: it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers automation as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Lviv Polytechnic National University offers an international parallel to this institution, with civil engineering, mechanical engineering and electrical and electronics as common ground; it has almost the same size, at about 30,000 students, and is also a public institution.
For a study option in Austria with a comparable spread of civil engineering, physics and mechanical engineering, TU Wien is the reference point: it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Dresden University of Technology in Germany, where civil engineering, physics and electrical and electronics also form the core, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Odesa National Polytechnic University offers an international parallel to this university, with mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics and materials as common ground; it covers chemical engineering and automation as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 15,000 students against roughly 33,000 here.
University of Tehran, based in Iran, is built around civil engineering, physics and mechanical engineering much like this institution, and it covers agriculture and chemistry as well, and is slightly larger, at about 41,000 students against roughly 33,000 here.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is SPbPU?
At 29 Politekhnicheskaya Street in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
When was it founded?
In 1899, as the Saint Petersburg Polytechnic Institute.
Who started the project?
The finance minister Sergei Witte, with support from the chemist Dmitri Mendeleev.
How large is it?
About 33,000 students and 6,000 staff.
How big is the campus?
Around 120 hectares of woods, ponds and historic buildings.
Which Nobel laureates are linked to it?
Pyotr Kapitsa studied there, and Nikolay Semyonov founded the physics and mechanics faculty.
What is it known for?
Power engineering, metallurgy, nuclear physics, shipbuilding and digital manufacturing.
How do foreign students enter?
Through the government quota scholarship system or by paying tuition. Check the current tariff.
In which language are courses taught?
Mainly in Russian, with a number of programmes in English.
How do students get to the campus?
By metro, from the Politekhnicheskaya station, a few minutes away.
Additive Manufacturing, Civil Engineering, Energy, Environmental Engineering, Information Technology (IT), Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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