Rostov State Medical University and Rostov-on-Don: MBBS Fees, FMGE, Closed Airport and Safety for Indian Students
Rostov-on-Don is a city of 1.1 million people in the south of Russia, about 960 km from Moscow, in a region that borders Ukraine. Platov airport has been closed to civil flights since 24 February 2022, and Ukrainian drones killed civilians in the city on 27 July 2026. Rostov State Medical University lists its English-medium fee for 2026-27 at 373,900 roubles. This page sets out the fee, FMGE, travel routes and a detailed safety review.
In short: Rostov State Medical University is a public university with the 2026-27 first-year fee for General Medicine in English listed at 373,900 roubles, about ₹4.2 lakh. In 2022–2025 only 14.5% of its candidates passed FMGE (62 of 427), twenty-first of 24 ranked universities, although December 2025 was a better 34.0%. Platov airport has been closed since 24 February 2022, so you reach the city by train or bus from Krasnodar or Mineralnye Vody. The Rostov region borders Ukraine, and drone attacks hit the city in 2026. Families should read the safety section before paying anything.
Medical universities in Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Rostov State Medical University (RostSMU, also searched as Rostov Medical University or RSMU) is a federal public university under the Russian Ministry of Health. Russian Wikipedia traces it to 1915, when the medical faculty of Warsaw University was evacuated to Rostov; English Wikipedia gives 1918, and it became a medical institute in 1930. The address is Nakhichevansky Lane 29, Rostov-on-Don 344022. English Wikipedia says it has about 7,000 students in all. We could not confirm its World Directory of Medical Schools record, so check it before you apply.
Fee. The university's international applicants page lists, for 2026-27, General Medicine (English Medium) at 373,900 roubles for the first year, Russian-medium General Medicine at 257,900 roubles and the Preparatory Faculty at 212,300 roubles. At the Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026 that is about ₹4.2 lakh, ₹2.9 lakh and ₹2.4 lakh. We read the page through a search excerpt, so confirm the figures with the university. The university's pages put dormitory No. 5 at 28,709 roubles a year for contract students in 2026-27 (about ₹32,500), stated for Preparatory Faculty students; the rate for degree students is not separately confirmed. An agent quotes 22,000 roubles a year. Ask for the fees of years two to six in the contract.
Language. The English Medium line is a separate contract programme of six years. The page does not say whether all years are in English, and agent pages claiming "English throughout" are not evidence. The NMC rules need at least 54 months in English and a 12-month internship at the same university; see the NMC rules and ask for the English share of each year in writing.
FMGE. NBEMS reports show 5 of 96 passing in 2022 (5.2%), 5 of 89 in 2023 (5.6%), 11 of 87 in 2024 (12.6%), 5 of 49 in June 2025 (10.2%) and 36 of 106 in December 2025 (34.0%). In total 62 of 427 passed in 2022–2025, which is 14.5%, twenty-first of 24 universities in our FMGE pass rate ranking and well below the Russian average of about 25%. In 2020 and 2021 the rates were 7.4% and 5.1%. December 2025 was above the Russian average of 30.9% for that session. One good session after four poor ones is not a trend; ask what changed and what the next report shows.
Ask about MBBS in Rostov-on-Don
We send the 2026-27 fee, explain the travel route and give you the safety facts before you decide.
Rostov-on-Don weather for Kerala students
Rostov is milder than the cities of central Russia. The mean temperature is −3.0 °C in January and 24.0 °C in July (1991–2020, Wikipedia). Winters are shorter and milder than in central Russia, but frost, wind and slush are normal, and summer is hot.
- Winter: a proper coat, waterproof boots with grip and thermal wear are still necessary. Buy them in Rostov.
- Summer: light cotton clothes, a hat and sunscreen.
- Time: Moscow time, 2.5 hours behind India.
The winter packing list sets out the clothing.
How to reach Rostov-on-Don from Kerala
Platov International Airport (ROV) has had no civil flights since 24 February 2022. In October 2025 Rosaviatsia denied reports that it would reopen, and sources in August and September 2026 still describe it as closed. Do not book a flight to Rostov. The options are these:
- Train from Moscow: about 15 hours. Fly from Kerala to Moscow via a Gulf hub or Delhi, then go by train.
- Krasnodar (KRR): reopened on 11 September 2025, but with daytime-only limits and frequent restrictions. It is about 250 km from Rostov in a straight line, and you continue by road or rail.
- Mineralnye Vody (MRV): open, about 430 km in a straight line, with a long road or rail connection.
Rostov is about 960 km from Moscow in a straight line. A 15-hour train in a region with drone alerts is not a light matter for a first-year student alone. Ask the university whether it sends someone to meet arrivals and whether students travel as a group.
Cost of living in Rostov-on-Don
We found no verified monthly cost figure for Rostov. What exists:
| Item | What we found |
|---|---|
| Tuition, General Medicine (English Medium), first year | 373,900 RUB, about ₹4.2 lakh (2026-27) |
| Tuition, in Russian | 257,900 RUB, about ₹2.9 lakh |
| Hostel | Dormitory No. 5: 28,709 RUB a year for contract students (preparatory faculty); agent 22,000 RUB |
| Food, phone, transport | No verified figure; ask seniors |
| Travel | Kerala to Moscow, then a train of about 15 h; add the train cost and a buffer night for each trip home |
The extra days and cost of the closed airport matter every year when you go home. See the fees page for comparison.
Indian students and food in Rostov-on-Don
We found no count of Indian or Malayali students at RostSMU. Indian students are an established group: 427 graduates sat FMGE in 2022–2025. The city has 1.1 million people, which usually means a wider range of shops than in a small town, but we have no verified list of Indian restaurants or grocers. Ask seniors, and read Indian food in Russia.
Is Rostov-on-Don safe for Indian students?
Rostov-on-Don is in a region that borders Ukraine, and this is the most important fact on the page. It is not a North Caucasus city, and the Indian Embassy's notice of August 2024 asked Indians to take precautions or relocate from Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions only; Rostov was not named and we found no newer notice. The UK Foreign Office, however, advises against all travel to Russia and warns of drone attacks, air-defence activity and the closure of airports. Facts we found:
- 27 July 2026: Meduza reported that Ukrainian drones struck Rostov-on-Don overnight, killing two people, a husband and wife, and damaging an apartment building, warehouses and homes. The reports differ on the number injured (five or eight). Governor Yuri Slyusar said air defences shot down about 50 drones over the region.
- Taganrog, in the same region: drone attacks in January and March 2026 damaged residential buildings; a state of emergency was declared after the March attack.
- Platov airport has been closed since February 2022, so evacuation by air from Rostov is not possible, and the nearest working airports are 250 and 430 km away.
- June 2023: the Wagner group briefly took control of military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, an unrelated event that showed how quickly the situation can change.
What this means for a family: the reported damage is to apartment blocks, warehouses and homes, so the risks for a student are debris and strikes in the city, disrupted travel and the difficulty of leaving. Before paying, ask RostSMU in writing: what the shelter and alert procedure is for the hostel and the clinical sites; what the university does with teaching during attacks; whether it has a plan to help foreign students leave; and what happens to fees if the Indian government advises leaving the region. Register with the Embassy of India in Moscow on arrival and check mea.gov.in before each trip.
Other risks are the same as in the rest of Russia. India's Ministry of External Affairs warns Indians not to accept offers of service in the Russian armed forces. In February 2026 a teenager injured four Indian students in a hostel at Bashkir State Medical University in Ufa. Avoid walking alone at night and ask about hostel entry control. If this risk is not acceptable, universities in Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod or Penza are far from the Ukrainian border; read Is MBBS in Russia safe?.
Weigh Rostov with your family
We give you the facts on Rostov, the closed airport and the fee, and compare it with universities in safer locations.
MBBS in Rostov-on-Don: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MBBS fee at Rostov State Medical University?
The university's page lists General Medicine (English Medium) at 373,900 roubles for the first year of 2026-27, about ₹4.2 lakh, and Russian-medium at 257,900. We read it through a search excerpt, so confirm it and ask for the fees of years two to six.
Is Rostov airport open?
No. Platov airport has had no civil flights since 24 February 2022, and Rosaviatsia denied reopening reports in October 2025. Travel by train from Moscow of about 15 hours, or via Krasnodar or Mineralnye Vody.
Is Rostov-on-Don safe for Indian students?
Rostov is in a region that borders Ukraine. Ukrainian drones killed two people in the city on 27 July 2026 and hit Taganrog earlier in the year. The Indian Embassy's 2024 notice did not name Rostov, but the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia. Ask the university about shelters and an exit plan.
What is the FMGE pass rate of Rostov State Medical University?
62 of 427 graduates passed in 2022–2025, which is 14.5%, twenty-first of 24 ranked universities. December 2025 was 34.0%, but earlier sessions were between 5% and 13%.
Is MBBS at RostSMU taught in English?
The university lists an English Medium General Medicine programme of six years as a separate contract line. It does not say that all years are in English, so ask for the plan in writing.
Sources: Wikipedia (Rostov-on-Don, climate 1991–2020; Platov International Airport; 2021 census); russiantrain.com for the train; rostgmu.ru international applicants page (via search excerpt); Meduza, 27 July 2026; Caucasian Knot reports on Taganrog; reports on the Platov and Krasnodar airports (Rosaviatsia statements, 2025–2026); World Directory of Medical Schools (not confirmed); NBEMS FMGE reports 2020–2025; NMC FMGL Regulations 2021; gov.uk Foreign Office travel advice for Russia; Embassy of India Moscow advisory of 14 August 2024; Wikipedia, Bashkir State Medical University attack; Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026.