MBBS in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia: Privolzhsky Research Medical University, Fees, FMGE and Life for Indian Students
Nizhny Novgorod is a Volga city of 1.2 million people, 400 km east of Moscow in a straight line and under four hours away by fast train. It is the home of Privolzhsky Research Medical University, whose graduates passed FMGE at 36.9% in 2022–2025, second among 24 universities with at least 300 candidates. This page gives the fee, entrance test, weather, route from Kochi, costs and safety.
In short: Nizhny Novgorod is a large, well-connected city with one medical university for Indian students, Privolzhsky Research Medical University (PRMU), founded in 1920. Its fee table for foreign citizens from far abroad lists 470,100 roubles (about ₹5.3 lakh) for the first year in English and 439,400 roubles in Russian, but tuition was changed for 2026-27, so confirm it. PRMU graduates passed FMGE at 36.9% in 2022–2025, above the Russian average of about 25% in all five reports. Winters are cold, with a January mean of −8.6 °C.
Medical universities in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Privolzhsky Research Medical University is the name under which the former Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy now works. People still search for Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy, NizhGMA or Nizhny Novgorod Medical University, and the Russian-language sites may use either name. The university is a federal institution under the Russian Ministry of Health. Russian Wikipedia gives 20 March 1920 as the start, as the medical faculty of Nizhny Novgorod State University. The legal address is Minin and Pozharsky Square 10/1, Nizhny Novgorod 603005. Another well-known university in the city, Lobachevsky University, has an Institute of Clinical Medicine, but our fee and FMGE figures here are for PRMU only.
Fee. PRMU's admission page for General Medicine has a fee table for foreign citizens from far abroad. It lists 439,400 roubles for Russian-language study and 470,100 roubles for English-language study in the first year. At the Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026 that is about ₹5.0 lakh and ₹5.3 lakh. The excerpt we read was not labelled with an academic year, and the student office has said that tuition was changed for 2026-27 through additional agreements. The university's own list of price orders on its site shows only old orders from 2024. Ask the admissions office for the order that applies to your intake and whether the English fee is the same for all six years.
Entrance test and language. The university says it teaches full medical specialist programmes in English, including General Medicine. For applicants paying fees from far-abroad countries, it holds a remote entrance test in biology and chemistry in English, with a minimum of 42 points. The pages we read do not say whether Russian is introduced in later years. The NMC rules require at least 54 months in English; see NMC rules and ask PRMU for a written statement on each year. We could not confirm its World Directory of Medical Schools record, so check it yourself.
FMGE. NBEMS reports show 52 of 129 PRMU graduates passing in 2022 (40.3%), 35 of 124 in 2023 (28.2%), 95 of 213 in 2024 (44.6%), 19 of 81 in June 2025 (23.5%) and 45 of 120 in December 2025 (37.5%). That totals 246 of 667, or 36.9%, in 2022–2025, second among the 24 universities in our FMGE pass rate ranking, behind Orenburg. In every session it beat the Russian average of the same period. Even so, more than six in ten of its candidates failed; there is no university where FMGE is easy.
Ask about MBBS in Nizhny Novgorod
We send the fee for the English track, the entrance test details and the intake dates.
Nizhny Novgorod weather for Kerala students
Nizhny Novgorod is cold in winter and mild in summer. The mean temperature is −8.6 °C in January and 19.7 °C in July (1991–2020, Wikipedia). It is among the colder cities in our list, colder than Saratov or Voronezh, with long frost and snow cover.
- Winter kit: a down or insulated coat, waterproof boots with grip, thermal underwear, gloves, a hat and a scarf. Buy after you arrive and ask a senior for the best local shop.
- Summer: light clothes and a rain jacket; July is mild, not hot.
- Time: Moscow time, 2.5 hours behind India.
Check our winter packing list before you shop in Kerala.
How to reach Nizhny Novgorod from Kerala
There is no direct flight from Kerala to Russia. Fly from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram or Kozhikode to Moscow via Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha or Delhi. From Moscow, the Strizh fast train to Nizhny Novgorod takes about 3 hours 35 to 3 hours 50 minutes, and the Lastochka about 4 hours. Strigino International Airport (GOJ) is open, and the Moscow flight takes about 1.3 hours. For a first-year student with several bags the train from Moscow is the easier option, because the ride is short.
Nizhny Novgorod is about 400 km from Moscow in a straight line. Ask whether the university sends someone to the Moscow airport or to the station in Nizhny, and keep a spare day for delays.
Cost of living in Nizhny Novgorod
We found no verified monthly cost figure for the city. The university charges we could document are these:
| Item | What we found |
|---|---|
| Tuition, General Medicine in English | 470,100 RUB first year, about ₹5.3 lakh (admission page; changed for 2026-27) |
| Tuition, in Russian | 439,400 RUB first year, about ₹5.0 lakh |
| Hostel | No price found for degree students; the foundation course hostel is listed at 160,000 RUB for 9 months from 1 September 2026 |
| Food, phone, transport | No verified figure; ask seniors |
| Local transport | The city has a metro, opened in 1985 |
An agent page lists a hostel at 90,000 roubles a year, but it may refer to another university, so we do not rely on it. Keep a reserve of 10–20% over tuition. The fees page compares all universities.
Indian students and food in Nizhny Novgorod
We found no published count of Indian or Malayali students at PRMU. Over 2022–2025, 667 PRMU graduates sat FMGE, so Indian graduates are a regular group, but that is an indirect sign only. Nizhny is a city of 1.2 million, so shops and food options should be wider than in smaller towns, yet we have no verified list of Indian restaurants. Ask seniors, and read Indian food in Russia. Before paying, ask PRMU to connect you with two Indian students, preferably from Kerala.
Is Nizhny Novgorod safe for Indian students?
Nizhny Novgorod is not in the North Caucasus and not in a border region. We found no published incident involving Indian students in the city and no verified 2026 report of drone damage there. The UK Foreign Office still advises against all travel to Russia, citing drone attacks, airspace closures and the risk of detention, so airport delays are possible anywhere. India's Ministry of External Affairs also warns Indians against offers of work in the Russian armed forces.
Racist attacks on foreign students are rare but have happened: in February 2026 a teenager injured four Indian students in a Bashkir State Medical University hostel in Ufa, another city of the Volga–Urals region. Practical steps: do not walk alone late at night, ask what controls the hostel entrance has, carry copies of your passport and registration, and register with the Indian Embassy in Moscow. Read Is MBBS in Russia safe? for more.
Check Privolzhsky entrance test and fee
Send your NEET score; we explain the biology and chemistry test and the fee for your intake.
MBBS in Nizhny Novgorod: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MBBS fee at Privolzhsky Research Medical University?
The admission page lists 470,100 roubles for the first year in English and 439,400 in Russian, about ₹5.3 lakh and ₹5.0 lakh. The year is not labelled and the university says tuition was changed for 2026-27, so get the current figure in writing.
What is the FMGE result of PRMU, Nizhny Novgorod?
PRMU graduates passed FMGE at 36.9% in 2022–2025 (246 of 667), second among 24 universities with at least 300 candidates. The rate beat the Russian average in all five reports. Over six in ten candidates still failed.
Is there an entrance test for MBBS in Nizhny Novgorod?
For far-abroad applicants who pay fees and study in English, PRMU says it holds a remote test in biology and chemistry in English, with a minimum of 42 points. Ask the admissions office for the dates and for sample papers.
How far is Nizhny Novgorod from Moscow, and how do I get there from Kerala?
About 400 km in a straight line. Fly from Kochi to Moscow through a Gulf hub or Delhi, then take the Strizh train of about 3.5 to 4 hours or a flight of about 1.3 hours.
Is Nizhny Novgorod cold and safe?
The January mean is −8.6 °C, so expect long frost and snow. The city is not in a border or North Caucasus region, and we found no incident involving Indian students there. Follow the usual precautions and check mea.gov.in before travel.
Sources: Wikipedia (Nizhny Novgorod, climate 1991–2020; Strigino Airport; Strizh train; 2021 census); pimunn.ru (Privolzhsky Research Medical University, admission page and news, via search excerpts); World Directory of Medical Schools (search for PRMU not confirmed); NBEMS FMGE reports 2022–2025; NMC FMGL Regulations 2021; gov.uk Foreign Office travel advice for Russia; Wikipedia, Bashkir State Medical University attack; Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026.