By Zekeria Madadi | September 14, 2026 | 0 Comments

Russian Scholarships Without IELTS for International Students

1. Russian Government Scholarship

The Russian Government Scholarship is a major funding route for international students. Students can apply for government quota places through the official Russian selection system. The number of places is limited and selection is competitive. Students admitted under the government quota can receive a state scholarship during their studies.

Benefits:

Tuition-free study
State scholarship
Many universities
Different study fields
Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD options

Conditions:

Must be an international student
Must meet academic requirements
Must pass the selection process
Must provide required documents
Program language rules may apply

Official website:
Education in Russia – Official Portal

2. Open Doors Russian Scholarship Project

Open Doors is one of the best-known scholarship opportunities for international students who want to study in Russia. Winners of the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral tracks can receive the right to study in Russia under the government quota. The competition is online and is available in English and Russian.

Benefits:

Tuition-free education
Online competition
English option
Leading Russian universities
Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD tracks

Conditions:

Must be an eligible foreign applicant
Must choose a subject area
Must submit a portfolio
Must complete competition stages
Selection is competitive

Official website:
Open Doors Russian Scholarship Project

3. Open Doors Bachelor’s Scholarship

The Bachelor’s track of Open Doors gives international students a chance to compete for tuition-free study at leading Russian universities. The competition includes a portfolio stage and academic tasks. ITMO confirms that winners can receive free tuition for the duration of their studies.

Benefits:

Free tuition
Bachelor’s study
Online application
No need to travel for the competition
Many study fields

Conditions:

Must meet age and education rules
Must submit a portfolio
Must complete the tests
Must achieve a high competition result
University program rules may apply

Official website:
Open Doors Official Website

4. Open Doors Master’s Scholarship

The Open Doors Master’s track is designed for international students who already have or are completing a Bachelor’s-level qualification. Winners can receive free tuition at participating Russian universities. The competition can be completed online in English or Russian.

Benefits:

Free Master’s tuition
Online competition
English option
Many academic fields
Russian language preparation for some Russian-taught programs

Conditions:

Must meet Master’s eligibility rules
Must have a suitable degree
Must submit achievements
Must complete competition tests
Must obtain a strong result

Official website:
Open Doors Russian Scholarship Project

5. Open Doors PhD Scholarship

International students interested in doctoral study can apply through the Open Doors Doctoral track. The competition has three stages, including a portfolio, academic tasks and an interview with potential research supervisors. Winners can receive the right to study under the Russian Government quota.

Benefits:

Tuition-free PhD study
Leading Russian universities
Online competition
Research opportunities
Government quota route

Conditions:

Must meet PhD eligibility rules
Must have a suitable Master’s or Specialist degree
Must submit a portfolio
Must complete the required tests
Must pass the final selection

Official website:
Open Doors Official Website

6. ITMO University Government Scholarship

ITMO University offers international students tuition-free places through the Russian Government scholarship system. Foreign students can apply for Master’s programs through the Russian Government scholarship route.

Benefits:

Tuition-free study
Master’s programs
IT and technology fields
International study environment
Government scholarship route

Conditions:

Must be a foreign citizen
Must meet ITMO requirements
Must qualify for the government scholarship
Academic documents are required
Program language rules may apply

Official website:
ITMO University – International Admissions

7. ITMO Open Doors Scholarship

ITMO University participates in the Open Doors competition. Successful participants can receive free tuition at leading Russian universities. For some Russian-taught programs, winners may also receive free Russian language training through the Foundation program.

Benefits:

Free tuition
Online competition
English participation
Bachelor’s and Master’s opportunities
Russian language training for some programs

Conditions:

Must register for Open Doors
Must choose a subject area
Must submit academic achievements
Must complete competition tasks
Must meet program requirements

Official website:
ITMO University Open Doors

8. RUDN University Government Quota Scholarship

RUDN University accepts international students through the Russian Government quota. RUDN has reported that international students receive state-funded places under this government scholarship and quota system.

Benefits:

Tuition-free study
Government-funded places
Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD options
Many academic fields
State scholarship support

Conditions:

Must be an international applicant
Must qualify for the government quota
Must meet RUDN requirements
Must provide academic documents
Selection is competitive

Official website:
RUDN University – International Admissions

9. Northern (Arctic) Federal University Government Scholarship

Northern (Arctic) Federal University, or NArFU, offers international students a route through the Russian Government quota. Its official admission information states that students studying under the government quota receive a scholarship regardless of academic performance.

Benefits:

Tuition-free study
Government quota
Scholarship payment
Different study levels
Study in Russia

Conditions:

Must be an international student
Must pass the selection process
Must meet university requirements
Must provide required documents
Application is made through the official system

Official website:
Northern (Arctic) Federal University

10. Russian Government Quota at Other Russian Universities

International students can also apply for government-funded places at many other Russian universities through the Russian Government quota. The official Study in Russia website explains that foreign students can qualify for tuition-free education through the government quota or through Olympiad results.

Benefits: