Photo credit: nsu.ru
The number of applications from foreigners for higher education in Russia submitted through the Russia.Study digital platform increased in 2019 by 20%. About 115 thousand foreigners took advantage of the remote filing of applications, the Russia.Study website reports.
St. Petersburg State University (SPbU), Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (PFUR) and Kazan Federal University (KFU) were the most popular among foreign applicants. In addition to universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the top ten most popular universities include educational institutions from Yekaterinburg and Rostov-on-Don.
Lomonosov Moscow State University is not on the list because it selects foreign applicants independently, the Executive Director of Russia.Study Anton Kobzarev said.
According to statistics, foreigners most often enter the medical, economic, legal and engineering specialties. However, the top ten popular areas include computer science, oil and gas business and linguistics.
Among foreign applications, only a third belongs to applicants from neighboring countries. Among non-CIS countries, Algeria, Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria and Morocco became leaders in terms of the number of people wishing to study in Russia. The largest growth compared to 2018 is observed in Morocco (almost three times) and Algeria (more than double).
Uzbekistan is the leader among the countries of the near abroad; high demand for admission to a Russian university remains in Ukraine. In 2019, through the Russia.Study platform, more than two thousand Ukrainians announced their desire to study in Russia, which exceeded last year's figures.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Russia ranks sixth in the world in attractiveness to international students. By 2024, the number of students from abroad should reach 435 thousand people in Russian universities.
Russkiy Mir
