Университеты Поволжья

Student cities along the Volga

The cities around the Volga River offer strong alternatives for those who want to study in Russia at a calmer pace and on a lower budget, away from the hustle of the two big metropolises. On this page we look at Kazan, Saratov, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd and Astrakhan together. The leading fields in these cities are generally medicine, engineering and the basic sciences, and the language of instruction is mostly Russian. For this reason, a one-year Russian preparatory course becomes part of the plan for many students.

Kazan

Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, is a modern city with a metro where Russian and Tatar cultures live side by side. Sources describe the city as more economical than Moscow but somewhat more expensive than smaller cities. Winter temperatures of –15°C are said to be considered normal.

Kazan Federal University

Founded in 1804, the university is the most long-established institution in the region. Its leading programmes include General Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and earth sciences, with Russian and English options. The annual fee stated in the source is 1,750 – 6,350 USD for Russian-taught programmes and 8,750 USD for the English-taught programme. The monthly dormitory fee is 50 – 150 USD, and the monthly budget including personal expenses is shown in the source as 350 – 600 USD.

Kazan National Research Technical University

This technical university was founded in 1932 and is known for its electrical, mechanical, nuclear, biomedical and chemical engineering programmes. The record lists Russian as the language of instruction; the source states the monthly dormitory fee as 50 – 120 USD.

Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering

Founded in 1930, the university specialises in architecture, urban planning and civil engineering. It teaches in Russian. The annual fee stated in the source is 1,850 – 1,920 USD for undergraduate and 1,650 – 3,200 USD for master’s programmes; the monthly dormitory fee is 50 – 130 USD. Other options in the city include Kazan State Power Engineering University, founded in 1968, and, in medicine, Kazan State Medical Academy.

Life in Kazan: According to the city page, total monthly expenses are 320 – 550 USD; of this, 70 – 200 USD goes on accommodation, 180 – 250 USD on food and 10 – 20 USD on public transport. University dormitories are given at 30 – 90 USD.

Saratov

Founded in 1590, Saratov is a quiet city on the banks of the Volga with a large student population. Sources count it among Russia’s most economical cities for education.

Saratov State University

Founded in 1909, the university offers a wide range of programmes such as law, psychology, international relations, software engineering and biology; instruction is in Russian and a Russian preparatory programme is available. The annual fee stated in the source is 2,300 – 3,750 USD for undergraduate and 2,500 – 4,100 USD for master’s programmes; the monthly dormitory fee is 40 – 100 USD.

Saratov State Medical University

Listed in the records with a founding year of 1909, the university offers General Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Clinical Psychology programmes, and a bilingual option is also listed for General Medicine. The source gives average annual ranges of 3,500 – 6,500 USD for medicine, 4,000 – 7,500 USD for dentistry, 2,500 – 5,000 USD for pharmacy and 1,500 – 3,000 USD for the preparatory course. The monthly dormitory fee is 40 – 120 USD.

Saratov State Technical University

With faculties of civil, mechanical, electrical and computer engineering, it appeals to students heading towards technical fields; instruction is in Russian. The source states an annual range of 2,000 – 3,800 USD for engineering programmes and 2,200 – 4,000 USD for IT programmes, and a monthly dormitory fee of 40 – 120 USD. The city is also home to Saratov State Agrarian University, with programmes in agriculture, veterinary medicine and food technology.

Life in Saratov: The city page projects total monthly expenses of 300 – 500 USD and the university pages 300 – 550 USD. University dormitories are listed at 20 – 60 USD and room rental at 150 – 250 USD.

Nizhny Novgorod

Located where the Volga and Oka rivers meet and founded in 1221, the city has for centuries been one of the important hubs of trade and production. It is about 4 hours from Moscow by train.

Lobachevsky State University (UNN)

Founded in 1916, UNN offers General Medicine, Dentistry, Law, International Relations, Software Engineering and Radiophysics programmes. Alongside Russian-taught programmes, some English-taught programmes are also available. The annual fee stated in the source is 2,000 – 4,000 USD at undergraduate level and 2,500 – 4,500 USD at postgraduate level. Other options mentioned in the city include Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University and, in medicine, Privolzhsky Research Medical University.

Life in Nizhny Novgorod: Sources cite different ranges for monthly living costs, such as 270 – 480 USD, 300 – 500 USD and 350 – 550 USD. The dormitory fee is given as 25 – 70 USD on the city page and 30 – 120 USD in the other source.

Volgograd

Founded in 1589 and known for the Battle of Stalingrad, Volgograd stands out for its compact layout and quiet way of life. The leading institutions in the city are Volgograd State University, Volgograd State Medical University and Volgograd State Technical University.

State universities in Volgograd

Volgograd State University offers programmes in engineering, IT, physics and economics; the Medical University in medicine, dentistry and nursing; and the Technical University in mechanical engineering, energy and construction. As there are no separate university records for these institutions, we use city-wide data: the source states an annual fee of 2,500 – 3,800 USD for undergraduate programmes and 4,000 – 5,500 USD for the medical faculty, monthly living costs of 270 – 490 USD and a dormitory fee of 25 – 70 USD.

Astrakhan

Founded in 1558, Astrakhan is a quiet city close to the Caspian Sea and the Volga delta. Sources describe it as an easy-to-adapt-to starting point for students going abroad for the first time.

Astrakhan State University

Founded in 1932, the university offers a wide range of programmes such as law, economics, psychology, tourism, architecture and engineering; instruction is in Russian. The annual fee stated in the source is 144,000 – 282,000 RUB; it is shown in the 401–450 band of the QS EECA ranking.

Astrakhan State Technical University

Founded in 1930, the university provides Russian-taught education in fields tied to the region’s economy, such as oil and gas, maritime and ship technologies, energy, fisheries and food technology.

Life in Astrakhan: The city page states total monthly expenses of 240 – 420 USD, 20 – 60 USD for university dormitories and 120 – 220 USD for room rental; these are among the lowest ranges in the region.

Who is the Volga region suitable for?

• Those who want to study medicine or engineering while aiming for a lower overall budget
• Those looking for a quiet environment where they can focus on their studies rather than big-city crowds
• Those prepared to complete a Russian preparatory course and study in Russian-taught programmes
• In Kazan’s case, those who want a modern city life at an affordable cost

Fee and living cost figures are reported as stated in the source, and current amounts may change from term to term. To see which of these cities suits you, you can have a short preliminary assessment with the Weroglobal Student team.