June 19, 2024

Competing for College Spots


Competing for College Spots
Places at Moscow State University are among the most difficult to attain.  The RussianLife files

Parts of Russia's higher education system may seem enviable to Americans, who have seen college tuition costs rise tens of thousands of dollars in the past few decades, but Russian students are facing similar challenges in university admissions. 

College admission and costs in Russia depend heavily on a student's scores on the national exam taken at the end of secondary school. High scores grant students a "budget" place at their chosen university, which means that tuition is either low or waived entirely. Some students also receive a monthly stipend.

But competition for "budget" spots at Russian universities has increased significantly in the last five years. In 2023, there were on average 14 applications for every budget spot, a thirty percent increase since 2018. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, where spots at the major universities are even more sought after, each budget spot had up to 28 applications.

Those students lucky enough to score a place at top universities have shifted their career interests in recent years. The number of students studying in IT faculties has increased, while enrollments in journalism, literature, and communications programs have slowly declined. 

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Some of our Books

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Faith & Humor
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A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Russian Rules
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Russian Rules

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The Little Humpbacked Horse
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The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Survival Russian
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Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

A Taste of Russia
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A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Fish
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Fish

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