Belarusian State University

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 8 November 2026.

About Belarusian State University

Belarusian State University was opened in Minsk on 30 October 1921, with three faculties, after a decision to found it in 1919.^[7] Today it describes itself as the country’s flagship higher education institution and its largest research and industrial conglomerate, with 16 faculties, 10 institutes and educational institutions, 6 research institutes and 10 dormitories.^[6]

BSU counts more than 25,066 students, undergraduates, postgraduates and doctoral students, of which 5,430 are foreign students.^[1] Wikipedia gives a higher total (44,877 students, 2,365 of them international), but it does not date the figure, so we use the university’s own count.^[7]

How is Belarusian State University ranked?

BSU’s page “BSU in global rankings” lists 533 in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings. The page does not name the edition.^[2] Xuanxiao, an aggregator that names the edition, lists BSU at =533 in QS 2027, published on 18 June 2026.^[3] The QS website itself blocks automated access, so we could not read the table there.

Other positions differ by source. BSU’s page lists the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings at 1500+, while Xuanxiao shows 2001+ for the 2027 edition; the BSU page does not give an edition for its figure.^[2][3] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings. For the national picture, see universities in Belarus.

What can you study at Belarusian State University?

BSU offers bachelor’s programmes (usually 4 years) in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, economics, philosophy and social studies, journalism, international relations, law, philology and other fields.^[4] The international office describes a bachelor’s degree as usually lasting four years and a master’s as one to two years.^[4][9]

The 2026–2027 lists show that most programmes run in Russian. Some are marked “in English”, among them Economics, International Relations, World Economy, International Logistics and Geoinformation Systems at bachelor’s level, and programmes such as Computer Data Analysis, Laser Physics and International Commercial Law at master’s level.^[4][9] The International Sakharov Environmental Institute is part of BSU and lists its own bachelor’s programmes.^[4] Master’s and doctoral studies are described on the international office’s programmes page.^[8]

How much does Belarusian State University cost in 2026–2027?

These are the figures BSU’s international office publishes for foreign citizens for 2026–2027. Across the bachelor’s list the Russian-taught fees range from $3,365 to $4,575 and English-taught programmes are $5,000.^[4] In the master’s list, fees range from $3,250 to $5,800 in the programmes shown, and one Business Administration programme is priced at $9,500 for two years of study.^[9] Fees depend on the programme and the language, so check your own programme in the lists.

How is tuition paid?

Tuition is paid in Belarusian rubles under the learning contract, at the exchange rate of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus on the date of payment, at a bank branch named on the university’s page. After the enrolment order is issued and the fee is paid, the applicant becomes a student.^[5]

Other costs

Health insurance is required in the document list, except for citizens of ten countries named on the university’s page; it can be arranged through the Department of International Relations.^[5] For living costs, see our Belarus guide. We found no page on BSU’s international site that states scholarships for fee-paying foreign students, so we make no claim about them.

How do you apply to Belarusian State University?

BSU’s international office describes five steps: how to apply, choosing a specialty, applying for an invitation and study visa, submitting documents, and the steps after admission.^[8]

• Invitation and visa: citizens of countries with a visa regime for entry to Belarus need an invitation to study and a study visa. For citizens of visa-free countries, neither is necessary. The list of visa-free countries is kept by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.^[5]
• Documents: an application form, a passport with a notarised Russian translation, legalised and recognised education documents, a medical certificate, an HIV certificate, photographs and health insurance (some nationalities are exempt from the insurance).^[5]
• Medical examination and interview: enrolment includes a medical examination in Minsk and an interview on the language of instruction (Russian or English). Master’s applicants are also interviewed on their major subject.^[5]
• Contract and payment: you sign a learning contract and pay the tuition fee.^[5]

Applicants who fail the Russian interview can be enrolled in the preparatory department and, after completing it, continue at BSU or other Belarusian universities.^[5] Applicants use the personal account at abit.bsu.by.^[8] Questions can go to apply@bsu.by.^[9] We give no deadlines here because they change every year; check the current interview schedule with the university.

Which language level do you need?

BSU does not name a language certificate or a CEFR level (the European scale from A1 to C2) on the pages we read. Instead, applicants take an interview that tests the language of instruction: Russian for Russian-taught specialties and English for English-taught ones.^[5]

Applicants who do not pass the Russian interview can enrol in the preparatory department following the standard procedure. After the preparatory course they receive a certificate that entitles them to enrol on their chosen specialty at BSU or at other Belarusian universities.^[5] Education is provided in Russian and in English.^[8]

More about studying in Belarus

• Belarus: best universities
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

More university profiles in Belarus

• Belarusian National Technical University
• Belarusian State Medical University
• Grodno State Medical University