Petrozavodsk State University: MBBS Fees, Hostel, NEET Cut-Off and Admission for Indian Students
Petrozavodsk State University (PetrSU) in Karelia, in north-west Russia, charges foreign students 315,000 roubles a year (about ₹3.6 lakh) for General Medicine, and its hostel is listed at 600 roubles a month. FMGE evidence is almost empty: only four candidates appeared in 2022–2025 and none passed. Here is what the university publishes, what it does not, and what to ask before you pay.
In short: Petrozavodsk State University is a public university in Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia, founded in 1940. Its price page gives 315,000 roubles a year (about ₹3.6 lakh) for foreign citizens in General Medicine, one of the lowest fees in our list, and a hostel at 600 roubles a month. Only four FMGE candidates are recorded in 2022–2025 and none passed, so there is no FMGE record to judge the course by. The university lists "General Medicine English Medium" for 2026/27 but does not say that all six years are in English, so get that in writing.
Petrozavodsk State University at a glance
| Founded | 1940 |
|---|---|
| City | Petrozavodsk |
| Language of the programme | English groups exist; ask whether all six years are in English |
| Duration | 6 years |
| Tuition, first year | 315,000 ₽ per year ≈ ₹3.6 lakh (university price list) |
| Hostel | 7,200 ₽ per year |
| Official website | petrsu.ru |
Petrozavodsk State University (PetrSU) is a federal state budgetary institution under the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, so it is a public university. It was founded in 1940 as the Karelo-Finnish State University, kept that name until 1956, and was later called Petrozavodsk State University named after O.V. Kuusinen (1964–1991). The medical faculty opened in 1960 according to Russian Wikipedia. The Medical Institute, which teaches General Medicine, is one of the institutes within the university.
Many Indian families search for "Petrozavodsk State Medical University", the name that gets the most searches for this place. There is no separate medical university with that name: it means the Medical Institute of Petrozavodsk State University. The main address is Lenina Avenue 33, Petrozavodsk 185910, in the Republic of Karelia. The English-language site is petrsu.ru/en, and the international office email we found is [email protected]. The university published a news item in 2022 titled "Indian Students Study Medicine at PetrSU", but we could not read how many Indian students it meant.
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Petrozavodsk State University fees for Indian students
The Petrozavodsk State University tuition fees are set in roubles. The programme page for General Medicine (petrsu.ru/specialization/33) gives 315,000 roubles a year for foreign citizens, against 275,000 roubles for Russian citizens, for 2026. The page does not separate the English-medium track from the Russian-language one, so confirm in writing that 315,000 roubles is the fee for your English group. Payment can be made in full or in two instalments, on 1 September and 1 February.
Two other figures circulate and should not be confused with it. The official Study in Russia portal lists PetrSU General Medicine at 200,000 roubles a year, but with Russian as the language of instruction, not the English track. Agents quote a six-year total of about 20.3 lakh roubles and, on another site, USD 3,000–4,000 a year; these are unverified agent figures, undated, and the official page above is the one to use.
Petrozavodsk State University fee structure 2026-27
| Six years at today's fee (fees usually rise each year) | INR |
|---|---|
| Tuition, 6 years | ₹21.4 lakh |
| Hostel, 6 years | ₹0.5 lakh |
| Tuition and hostel, 6 years | ₹21.9 lakh |
At today's exchange rate 315,000 roubles is about ₹3.6 lakh a year, which would be about ₹21 lakh over six years if the fee never rose. Russian universities usually raise prices, so keep a reserve of 10–20% for increases and for the rouble-rupee rate. The page lists the entry-year price only; ask for the price order and whether the contract fixes the fee for the whole course. Older tables, such as fee structures for 2022 that still appear on some websites, are out of date and should not be used.
| Cost item | What we know for Petrozavodsk State University |
|---|---|
| Tuition, foreign citizens, 2026 | 315,000 RUB a year (official programme page; English track not separated) |
| Hostel | 600 RUB a month on the accommodation page; confirm the current rate |
| Medical insurance | Compulsory for foreign students; usually arranged through the university |
| Food | Most students cook in hostel kitchens; Petrozavodsk is far cheaper than Moscow |
| Flights | Kerala to Moscow via a Gulf hub or Delhi, then about 1.4 hours by air or an overnight train |
Compare Petrozavodsk with other universities on the MBBS in Russia fees page. At about ₹3.6 lakh a year it is among the lowest fees in our list. For a Kerala family the benchmark is the self-financing MBBS seat in Kerala at about ₹8.1 lakh a year: the whole PetrSU tuition for two years is roughly one year there. A low fee, however, only helps if the course meets the NMC rules and the graduate passes FMGE; see MBBS fees in Kerala vs Russia for the full comparison.
Living cost in Petrozavodsk
Beyond tuition and hostel, a student's monthly budget in Petrozavodsk is made of food (mostly cooked in the hostel kitchen), a mobile plan and internet, local transport, study material and winter clothing in the first year. Petrozavodsk is a city of about 235,000 people and is cheaper to live in than Moscow or Saint Petersburg. We have no verified monthly figure, so ask senior Indian students for their real monthly spend before fixing the family budget.
Hostel and hostel fees at Petrozavodsk State University
The university's accommodation page lists 11 dormitories with two or three students per room, at 600 roubles a month (about ₹680). A page for exchange students quotes 500–1,000 roubles a month, so confirm the current rate for foreign degree students. This is very low next to tuition, and it is one reason the total cost of the course stays small. Ask the international office which dormitory is allocated to first-year foreign students, whether bedding is supplied, whether there is a deposit and whether a place is kept for all six years.
Families often ask about the girls hostel at Petrozavodsk State University and its fees. Russian dormitories are usually separated by rooms or floors with a pass system at the entrance. Ask how female students are placed, who is on duty at the entrance and how far the dormitory is from the Medical Institute's teaching buildings and hospital bases.
NEET cut-off and eligibility for Petrozavodsk State University
We found no NEET cut-off of the university's own above the national qualifying score. What you need is the NEET-UG qualifying score for your category, because without it an Indian graduate cannot sit FMGE:
- NEET-UG: qualified, result valid for three years. In NEET-UG 2026 the qualifying score was 213 out of 720 for general and EWS, 194 for general PwBD and 177 for SC, ST and OBC (the 3 May exam was cancelled after a paper leak and re-held on 21 June 2026; the result came on 16 July 2026). In 2025 it was 144, 127 and 113.
- Class 12: Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English, with at least 50% in PCB (40% for reserved categories).
- Age: 17 by 31 December of the admission year.
Ask the international office whether an entrance test or interview is held for foreign applicants and in which subjects. There is no published acceptance rate. In practice, students who meet the criteria and apply on time are usually admitted; the real filter is FMGE six years later. Because the university has almost no FMGE history, the student must carry more of the risk: plan your own FMGE preparation from year 3. See the full eligibility and documents list.
Check your eligibility for Petrozavodsk State University
Send your NEET score and Class 12 marks; we tell you if you can apply this year.
Admission process at Petrozavodsk State University
Apply online
Send scans of your passport, Class 10 and 12 mark sheets and NEET score card to the international office, directly or through us. Say that you want the General Medicine English Medium group.
Admission letter and contract
The university checks the documents and issues an admission letter. Read the contract for the fee, the language of instruction in each year and the internship.
Invitation and visa
The university applies for your study invitation from the Russian migration authorities. With it you apply for the student visa; the nearest Russian consulate to Kerala is in Chennai.
Travel to Petrozavodsk
Fly to Moscow through a Gulf hub or Delhi, then on to Petrozavodsk by air or an overnight train. The university completes your migration registration after arrival.
English-medium groups at Russian universities usually start between September and November. Apply soon after NEET results, because the invitation and visa take several weeks. The general admission process page explains documents, apostille through NORKA Roots and the visa in detail.
Petrozavodsk State University ranking and recognition
Families often search for a Petrozavodsk State Medical University ranking or "is Petrozavodsk State Medical University MCI approved". We did not find a verified ranking position for the university or its Medical Institute, so we do not quote one. On approval: the old MCI no longer exists, and the NMC keeps no list of approved universities. Three things matter more than rankings:
- NMC rules. The degree is valid in India only if the course meets the NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021: at least 54 months of study in English, a 12-month internship at the same university, and eligibility for a licence to practise in Russia. Ask PetrSU for written confirmation of each point. See NMC rules.
- World Directory of Medical Schools. Our search of the WDOMS directory did not surface a Petrozavodsk record. That is unconfirmed, so check the directory yourself before you apply; an Indian graduate needs a degree from a recognised medical school.
- FMGE results, below.
On language: the university's English pages list "General Medicine English Medium" among the specialist programmes available for 2026/27 and say that Russian and English are the languages of instruction for all programmes. They do not say that all six years of General Medicine are in English. Ask for a written statement for each year, and especially the clinical years.
FMGE passing percentage of Petrozavodsk State University
NBEMS publishes FMGE results for every foreign university. For Petrozavodsk State University the reports show one candidate per exam in 2022, 2023, 2024 and June 2025, and none of them passed: 0.0% each time, against Russian averages of 26.0%, 19.4%, 29.5% and 18.1%. No December 2025 candidate appears in the NBEMS report.
| Session | Appeared | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
Four candidates in total tell you very little, and it would be wrong to say the course fails its students on this evidence. It does mean there is no proof either way: we cannot show you a pass rate, and the university is not ranked in our ranking by FMGE results, which needs at least 300 candidates in 2022–2025. One possible reason is that few Indian students have graduated from the English track so far, but we cannot confirm it. If you choose PetrSU, ask for the number of Indian graduates, the number who sat FMGE and how many passed. The older "MCI passing ratio" is the same exam. Compare other universities on the FMGE pass rate page.
Safety in Petrozavodsk for Indian students
Petrozavodsk is in Karelia, in the north-west, about 700 km in a straight line from Moscow and far from the Ukrainian border. It is not among the regions for which the Indian Embassy in Moscow issued a precaution advisory in August 2024 (Bryansk, Belgorod, Kursk). We found no published report of an incident involving Indian students of PetrSU. As in any city, keep your passport copy with you, avoid isolated areas at night and use official taxi apps.
- Register with the Indian Embassy in Moscow after arrival and save its emergency numbers.
- Check the current advisory at mea.gov.in before you travel; it can change.
- Ask the university about security at the dormitory and the entrance control.
- Never accept a job or "contract" offer that involves the Russian military.
Get the Petrozavodsk State University fee structure
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Life in Petrozavodsk for Kerala students
Petrozavodsk is a small, quiet city of about 235,000 people (2021 census), the capital of the Republic of Karelia. It suits a student who wants to study with few distractions and a low budget; it does not suit one who wants a big Indian community. We found no verified count of Indian or Malayali students, so ask the international office to put you in touch with current students before you pay.
The winters are long. The January mean is −8.4 °C and the July mean 17.1 °C by Wikipedia's climate tables, so summers are cool, not hot. Plan for a proper winter jacket, boots, thermal wear, gloves and a hat from the first October; buy them in Russia after you arrive, where you can try them on.
On food: Indian students in small Russian cities typically cook in the dormitory kitchen and buy rice, lentils, spices and tea at supermarkets or order them online. We have no verified list of Indian restaurants in Petrozavodsk. Cooking in a group keeps the monthly cost low. See our guide to Indian food in Russia.
Where Petrozavodsk State University is: distance to Moscow and how to get there from Kerala
Petrozavodsk State University is in Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia. The distance from Petrozavodsk to Moscow is about 700 km in a straight line. The flight takes around 1.4 hours and the overnight train 12–15 hours. The nearest airport is Petrozavodsk Airport (Besovets, PES), which is operating according to Wikipedia. The time zone is Moscow time, 2.5 hours behind India.
From Kerala there is no direct flight to Russia. The usual route is Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram or Kozhikode to Moscow through Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha or Delhi, then a domestic flight or an overnight train to Petrozavodsk. Ask the university whether it arranges airport pick-up for first-year students. Read more on the universities page and the map of all cities.
Scholarships, syllabus and courses
We found no PetrSU scholarship that cuts tuition for Indian students as a rule. The Russian government offers a limited number of state-funded places to foreign citizens each year through its quota programme, applied for on the official education-in-russia.com portal; competition is high and places in medicine are few. Indian families should plan to pay the full fee.
The General Medicine syllabus follows the Russian federal standard for specialty 31.05.01. A typical six-year plan looks like this; ask the university for its own curriculum before you sign:
| Years | Main subjects |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry, biology, Latin, Russian language |
| 3 | Pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, propaedeutics of internal diseases, general surgery |
| 4–5 | Internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, pediatrics, neurology, infectious diseases, psychiatry |
| 6 | Clinical rotations in hospitals and the state final examinations |
The first years cover the basic sciences, then clinical subjects follow, with hospital practice in the senior years. Clinical training means talking to Russian-speaking patients, so students who learn basic Russian in the first two years cope much better. We use only General Medicine as the course for a new MBBS student.
Petrozavodsk State University compared with similar universities
Families shortlisting PetrSU usually compare it with other universities at a low fee. The table uses first-year tuition and the combined FMGE pass rate for 2022–2025 from the NBEMS reports.
| University | City | Tuition per year | FMGE 2022–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrozavodsk State University | Petrozavodsk | ₹3.6 lakh | 0 of 4 candidates, not ranked |
| Altai State Medical University | Barnaul | ₹4.0 lakh (university table, 2025) | 23.7% (rank 13) |
| Voronezh State Medical University | Voronezh | ₹4.9 lakh (2026/27 price list, English elements) | 19.1% (rank 17) |
| Tver State Medical University | Tver | ₹4.9 lakh (2026/27 order) | 17.2% (rank 19) |
At a higher fee (₹4.0 to ₹4.9 lakh against PetrSU's ₹3.6 lakh), Altai, Voronezh and Tver have a measurable FMGE record, from 17.2% to 23.7%, all below the Russian average of about 25%. PetrSU has the lowest fee here and a very cheap hostel, but nothing to show for FMGE. Voronezh is also in a region with a closed airport. See the full ranking by FMGE results.
After graduation: FMGE, internship and registration in Kerala
PetrSU awards the Russian specialist diploma in General Medicine after six years. To practise in India, a graduate then needs to:
- Pass FMGE, held by NBEMS three times a year since 2026 (the NMC plans to replace it with NExT, with no date yet).
- Complete a 12-month supervised internship in India, as the NMC requires for foreign graduates.
- Register with the Travancore-Cochin Medical Council to practise in Kerala.
After registration, graduates can take NEET-PG for postgraduate seats in India like any other doctor. Practising in Russia is also possible but needs Russian accreditation and fluent Russian. Plan for a year or more between the diploma and the first salary in India. Our after MBBS in Russia guide explains each step.
Pros and cons for a student from Kerala
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Official tuition of about ₹3.6 lakh a year, among the lowest in our list | The programme page does not separate the English track from the Russian one |
| Hostel at 600 RUB (about ₹680) a month on the university's page | No FMGE record: 0 of 4 candidates passed in 2022–2025, so there is no evidence of results |
| Public university founded in 1940, with a medical faculty since 1960 | WDOMS listing not confirmed; all six years in English not stated |
| Quiet, low-cost northern city; flight from Moscow 1.4 hours | Small Indian community; no verified count of Kerala students |
| Cool summers and a milder winter than Siberia (January mean −8.4 °C) | Long winters; no direct flight from Kerala |
Talk to us about Petrozavodsk State University
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Petrozavodsk State University: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MBBS fee at Petrozavodsk State University for Indian students?
The university's programme page gives 315,000 roubles a year for foreign citizens in General Medicine in 2026, about ₹3.6 lakh at the Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026. The page does not separate the English-medium track, so confirm the line in writing. Hostel, food, insurance and flights are extra.
What are the hostel facilities and hostel fees at Petrozavodsk State University?
The accommodation page lists 11 dormitories with two or three students per room at 600 roubles a month, while an exchange-student page quotes 500–1,000 roubles. Confirm the current rate, the dormitory allocated to foreign first-year students and the arrangements for female students.
What NEET score is required for admission to Petrozavodsk State University?
You need the NEET-UG qualifying score for your category: for the 2026 intake that is 213 out of 720 for general and EWS candidates and 177 for SC, ST and OBC (in 2025 it was 144 and 113; the marks rose in 2026 after the exam was re-held). We found no higher cut-off of the university's own; ask whether an entrance test or interview is held.
Does MBBS at Petrozavodsk State University meet NMC rules and is it taught in English?
The university lists General Medicine English Medium for 2026/27 but does not say that all six years are in English. The NMC requires at least 54 months in English and a 12-month internship at the same university. Ask for written confirmation of each condition; the NMC keeps no list of approved universities.
Are there students from Kerala at Petrozavodsk State University, and is Indian food available in Petrozavodsk?
The university has reported Indian students studying medicine (a 2022 news item), but we found no count and no figure for Kerala students. Indian food in a city of 235,000 mostly means cooking in the dormitory kitchen; ask current students where they buy ingredients.
Sources: Petrozavodsk State University programme page (petrsu.ru/specialization/33), English site (petrsu.ru/en: specialist programmes, accommodation page, 2022 news item on Indian students); Study in Russia portal listing; Russian Wikipedia (founding and medical faculty dates); NBEMS FMGE reports 2020–2025; NMC FMGL Regulations 2021; Voronezh State Medical University price list of 29 May 2026; city climate, airport and rail notes from Wikipedia (Petrozavodsk, Petrozavodsk Airport); Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026.