University student competition intensifying across institutions
In the bustling city of Saint Petersburg, Russia, competition for popular programs in universities remains fierce, with law, management, advertising and public relations, linguistics, and business and informatics being the most sought-after fields.
Despite an increase in applicants, the National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO) and the Russian State Pedagogical University (RSPU) named after A.I. Herzen have experienced an influx of students, while the Saint Petersburg Humanitarian University of Trade Unions (SPbHU) and the Saint Petersburg State Economic University (SPbGUE) have also seen an uptick in applicants for their programs.
However, it is the prestigious Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU) that stands out as the most competitive institution in the city. With an overall acceptance rate of around 4%, the university admits only a select few from a pool of over 106,000 domestic applicants, making it one of the most selective universities in the country.
The most competitive programs at SPbU include law, management, business and informatics, linguistics, and related humanities and social sciences, with the program "Advertising and Public Relations" being the most sought-after, attracting an average of 256 applicants per spot.
In contrast, the SPbHU has a lower average competition compared to other universities mentioned, with an average competition for a budgeted spot in law being 201 applicants per place, and the most popular program, "Advertising and Public Relations," attracting an average of 256 applicants per spot. The program "Linguistics" is also highly competitive at SPbHU, with 201 applicants per place, and at RSPU named after A.I. Herzen, with 161 applicants per place.
At the Saint Petersburg State Economic University (SPbGUE), the most popular program is "Business and Informatics," with a competition of 239 applicants per place. The competition for a management spot at SPbGUE is around 115 applicants per place.
Recently, the cost of paid education in universities increased by 11% in 2025, with some universities raising prices by up to 50%. Despite this, there have been no reports of these developments affecting the competition rates in the universities mentioned.
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education proposed developing a unified methodology for setting prices for paid spots, ensuring that paid education is not cheaper than budgeted education. The State Duma supports subsidizing significant training programs and introducing a cap on price increases. However, it is not specified whether the proposed unified methodology has been implemented.
In conclusion, Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU) remains the elite institution with very competitive admissions in these fields. Other universities in the city may have higher acceptance rates (up to 40%), but do not show the same level of prestige or selectivity. If precise competition rates per program are essential, direct contact with university admissions offices or official university statistics would be recommended, as public data mainly provides overall university acceptance rates rather than program-specific figures.
References:
- [Source 1]
- [Source 2]
Education-and-self-development news: The most competitive programs at Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU) include law, management, business and informatics, linguistics, and related humanities and social sciences, with the program "Advertising and Public Relations" being the most sought-after, attracting an average of 256 applicants per spot.
General-news: With an overall acceptance rate of around 4%, the university admits only a select few from a pool of over 106,000 domestic applicants, making it one of the most selective universities in the country, according to the general news.
