RUDN University Reports Interim Results of International Admission Campaign: Growing Interest and Expanding Geography

Record number of fee-paying applications

As of the end of last week, 2,289 international applicants had applied to RUDN’s fee-paying programs across all levels of higher education. The total number of applications submitted for fee-paying study has reached 4,291, significantly exceeding the university’s planned enrollment target of 1,878 students.

The trend over the past three years illustrates steady growth in the number of international students choosing fee-paying programs at RUDN:

• 2024 — 1,244 students;
• 2025 — 1,140 students;
• 2026 — 2,289 students.

Therefore, the number of international applicants wishing to study at RUDN on a fee-paying basis has nearly doubled compared with last year.

Geographical scope and most popular programs

This year, applicants come from 136 countries around the world. The top five countries by the number of applications for fee-paying programs are China, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan.

International applicants enrolling on a fee-paying basis show the strongest interest in medical and economics-related programs. “General Medicine” remains the most popular program, followed by “Economics”, “Linguistics”, “Management”, and “Dentistry”.

Special attention should also be given to the results of RUDN Open Olympiad for Foreign Citizens. This year, 610 winners and prize-winners from more than 60 countries have been admitted to the university. Most of them come from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

Among these students, “General Medicine”, “Economics”, and “Linguistics” remain the leading fields of study, however, “International Relations” and “Fundamental Informatics and Information Technologies” have also entered the top five most popular programs.

A total of 1,714 international students have been allocated state-funded places at RUDN under the scholarship program/quota of the Government of the Russian Federation across all levels of study. Of these, 1,323 students have been enrolled in the first year of degree programs, while 391 students will study at the Pre-University Faculty.

The geographical diversity of students admitted has expanded considerably this year. New Zealand and the Maldives have joined the list of countries. The university has also received applicants from 22 countries designated as unfriendly, further demonstrating the continued attractiveness of Russian higher education.

The largest numbers of students admitted under the Government quota come from Belarus, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, and Tajikistan. Their most frequently chosen programs are “General Medicine”, “International Relations”, “Management”, “Economics”, and “Law”.

Higher level of preparation

RUDN Admissions Office notes a steady improvement in the academic preparedness of international applicants. This year, admission procedures vary according to the level of study:

• Bachelor’s and Specialist’s programs: an online interview in Russian or a foreign language, combined with a portfolio competition;
• Master’s and PhD programs: competitive selection based on portfolio evaluation;
• Medical Residency programs: computer-based testing.

The average portfolio score exceeds 70 points, while the average entrance examination score is above 60 points. The number of international applicants admitted based on the results of Russia’s Unified State Examination is also increasing. The final results of the 2026 admission campaign will be announced later.