Address: 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics
Established in 1724 by Peter the Great, SPbU is one of Russia s oldest and leading universities, offering a broad spectrum of educational programs and renowned for its contributions to science and culture.
Saint Petersburg State University, SPbU, is one of the oldest universities in Russia. It dates its foundation to 1724, when Peter the Great decreed the creation of an academy of sciences with a university and a gymnasium, and it took its modern form in 1819. It has about 30,000 students and 12,000 staff, and around one student in five comes from abroad. The oldest buildings are the Twelve Collegia on Vasilyevsky Island, a long baroque building on the Universitetskaya Embankment, facing the Neva and the Hermitage.
The university is spread across the city, with faculties of mathematics and mechanics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, economics, law, philology, history, philosophy, sociology, journalism and international relations. Peterhof, outside the city, hosts the mathematics, chemistry and physics departments in a modern campus. The Scientific Library, named after Maxim Gorky, holds several million volumes, including rare manuscripts and books.
Dmitri Mendeleev taught chemistry at the university and formulated the periodic table here in 1869. Ivan Pavlov, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1904 for work on digestion, studied at the university, and Lev Landau and Leonid Kantorovich, Nobel laureates in physics and economics, were graduates of the Leningrad period. The mathematician Grigori Perelman graduated from the faculty of mathematics and mechanics.
Russian applicants enter by the Unified State Exam and the university’s own tests, 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 faculty, 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.
Saint Petersburg is cheaper than Moscow, with a large student population and long white nights in early summer.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Data Analytics, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Numerous partnerships with international universities for exchange programs and joint research; active member of global university networks.
Research:
Strong research focus in areas such as nanotechnology, biomedicine, information technology, and Arctic studies, with many research centers and laboratories.
Famous Alumnis:
Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Wassily Leontief, Ilia Groueznov
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
12000
Current students***:
30000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
400000
Pros
Historic and prestigious institution, strong international links, wide variety of programs, located in a culturally rich city.
Cons
Highly selective admissions, some older infrastructure, navigating a large institution can be challenging.
Where this university leans on nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics, Derzhavin Tambov State University does the same, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and is smaller, enrolling about 10,000 students against roughly 30,000 here.
Kazan Federal University works in much the same fields, chiefly chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
A good alternative in the same country is Lomonosov Moscow State University, which likewise covers chemistry, physics and mathematics; it covers geotechnics and computer vision as well, and is larger, enrolling about 45,000 students against roughly 30,000 here.
Belgorod State National Research University takes a similar route through nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics, and it is slightly smaller, at about 23,000 students against roughly 30,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of chemistry, physics and mathematics can consider Smolensk State University, and it covers ecology and sustainability as well, and is far smaller, with about 7,000 students against roughly 30,000 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Students considering a move abroad can look at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv in Ukraine, where nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics also form the core, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers ecology and sustainability as well.
Beyond national borders, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz stands out as a comparable school for chemistry, physics and mathematics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
For a study option in the Czech Republic with a comparable spread of chemistry, physics and mathematics, Charles University is the reference point: it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers microbiology and genetics as well.
On content, University of Regensburg in Germany and this institution are close, as both teach chemistry, physics and mathematics; it is slightly smaller, at about 21,088 students against roughly 30,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Masaryk University in the Czech Republic is the nearest foreign match on chemistry, physics and mathematics; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
*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 Saint Petersburg State University?
The main building is at 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, on Vasilyevsky Island in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
When was it founded?
It dates its foundation to 1724, under a decree of Peter the Great, and took its modern form in 1819.
How large is it?
About 30,000 students and 12,000 staff.
What are the Twelve Collegia?
A long baroque building on Vasilyevsky Island that is the historic home of the university.
Who is linked to the periodic table?
Dmitri Mendeleev, who taught chemistry at the university and formulated the table in 1869.
Which Nobel laureates studied there?
Ivan Pavlov, Lev Landau and Leonid Kantorovich.
What does SPbU teach?
Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, law, philology, history, philosophy and international relations.
How do foreign students enter?
Through the government quota scholarship system or by paying tuition, often after a preparatory year in Russian. Check the current tariff.
In which language are courses taught?
Mainly in Russian, with a number of programmes in English.
Is Saint Petersburg cheaper than Moscow?
Yes, generally.
Environmental Impact, Information Technology (IT), Innovation, Physics, Research and Development, Sustainable 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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