One of the oldest higher educational institutions in Russia is the St. Petersburg Polytechnic. Student reviews confirm that the university is considered prestigious not only from a historical point of view, but also due to the ability to combine traditions with modernity.
Brief historical background
The Polytechnic University was founded in 1899 by three prominent figures of Russia: Minister S. Yu. Witte, V. I. Kovalevsky and a world-renowned chemist D. I. Mendeleev. The architect of the campus development project was the architect Wierrich E.F., he included educational and residential buildings, farm buildings in the ensemble.
Classes began in 1902 in the most promising areas for Russia - shipbuilding, electrical engineering, metallurgy and several others. The university quickly gained popularity, the teaching was conducted by eminent scientists of his time. In 1914, the number of students was more than 6 thousand people.
After the revolution, in 1918, all the activities of the institute were minimized - most of the teachers left Russia, and by 1919 no more than 500 students remained students. It is during this period that the revival of the university begins. On its basis, for the first time in the country, a physical and mechanical faculty was created, where the training of physicists and researchers began, and a chemical faculty was also established. The number of teachers and students grew, by the end of the 20s about 8 thousand people had already studied at the polytechnic.
In the prewar years, the Polytechnic Institute of Leningrad became the leader among the technical universities of the USSR. Teaching is conducted for 10 thousand students, 940 professors and teachers take part in the pedagogical and scientific process.
During the Great Patriotic War, the institute was evacuated, some students and teachers went to the front. The return took place immediately after the lifting of the siege of Leningrad. In the future, the higher educational institution was constantly expanding, new areas of study and scientific activity appeared. By the beginning of the 90s, the Polytechnic University was accepting 2100 freshmen, seeking to get education at 11 faculties.
Modernity
At the present stage, the Polytechnic University of St. Petersburg includes 20 main faculties and 6 faculties of additional education, evening classes, a scientific complex, courses in different areas of study, a branch in Sosnovy Bor, a dispensary, and recreation facilities.
SPbPU training areas have 101 specialties. Bachelor's and master's programs are implemented in 34 directions, graduate school has 90 specialties.
Education is conditionally divided into main groups:
- Humanitarian.
- Engineering and economic.
- Physics and Mathematics.
- Information and computer.
- Engineering and technological.
- Biotechnological.
Eleven basic institutes form the backbone of the educational structure, which the Polytechnic University of St. Petersburg is famous for. Faculties of technical direction are traditionally higher valued among students and teachers. One of the promising areas of training in recent years has become the military faculty.
Student Reviews
More than 30 thousand students visit the Polytechnic University annually. The reviews are dedicated to study, teachers and the learning system. High standards of teaching and the quality of knowledge that students receive are appreciated. It is noted that the glory of the university is not far-fetched and is not based on past achievements, but is a continuation of the best traditions of higher education, taking into account modern technologies, achievements of scientific and technical thought.
Most of the positive reviews tell about interesting and rich curricula, in which subjects are studied fundamentally, with a full volume of lecture hours, a large number of laboratory work, homework requiring additional literature. This approach to learning lasts until the end of the master's program.
Students share their impressions of their studies and report that deductions after the first and any other session occur quite often, and sometimes only a third sometimes remain for the release of thirty people in a group. The graduates who managed to complete the full course of training are valuable working personnel, to whom the line of specialists in personnel of domestic and foreign companies is often lined up.
The Polytechnic University (St. Petersburg) remains prestigious due to the system of training and quality control of knowledge, giving students the maximum opportunity to cover the largest possible amount of information and practice for each subject of the course. Many graduates gratefully recall their years of study, indicating that all difficulties are surmountable, and the obtained knowledge base helped to find a decent job, establish their own business or build a brilliant career. Everyone notes that the ability to study each new task in vividly, instilled in a university, makes it possible not to give in to difficulties and to easily learn new skills.
Negative reviews of students about SPbPU are also sometimes found. Basically, they were left by those who undergo training in humanitarian areas. They say that the desire to get an education in a prestigious university was realized only nominally - there is a diploma with the name of one of the best educational institutions, but the quality and completeness of knowledge leave much to be desired. It is noted that in many subjects the lecture material is outdated, relates more to the era of late socialism and has little in common with modern realities.
Some expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that lectures are given by very distinguished professors, but their age has long crossed the retirement age. They are poorly oriented in modern technologies, methods and are not always up to date with the latest achievements in the field in which they are engaged. But along with this, it is noted that laboratory and practical classes are conducted by young teachers, with whom you can always discuss complex or obscure issues. From their submission, it is possible to supplement the fundamental lecture material with knowledge of modern research, achievements and directions of development of science.
Accommodation
The campus accommodates more than 10 thousand students who have arrived to study from all cities of Russia and abroad. The complex of residential buildings is divided into territorial parts:
- Forest.
- Courage Square.
- Civil Prospect.
All dormitories are located near metro stations, in close proximity to transport interchanges and within walking distance to educational buildings. All nonresident students are entitled to settle. Citizens of other countries are accommodated in rooms designed for two residents. The buildings are equipped with kitchens, sanitary and domestic premises. For the organization of leisure in many dormitories, there are common rooms for spending time together, sports halls, rooms for hobby groups and master classes.
The largest number of reviews on the issue of accommodation, settlement and leisure were left by freshmen who entered the polytechnic. The reviews say that all nonresident students, albeit not immediately, will necessarily be provided with housing in the campus. The reviews for 2017 indicate that many buildings have undergone high-quality repairs, the rooms have acquired a modern look and design. And older students noted that even the shower rooms located in the basements were thoroughly and thoroughly renovated.
The cost of living is quite acceptable for everyone (800 rubles) and is deducted from the scholarship. The latter is credited to the card that is issued to freshmen by Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University . The hostel of each complex is quite comfortable for living and preparing for classes.
Students say that no one experienced nutrition problems. If there is no desire to cook, then in any hostel there is a dining room where you can always get a full meal, the price of which varies between 250-300 rubles. As students note, breakfasts are always free for polytech students.
Admission
As students note, entering SPbPU is not an easy task. In almost all areas of education, high passing scores, and after the introduction of the exam system, the number of people wishing to study at a prestigious university increased several times. The first thing an applicant faces at any university, including SPbPU, is the selection committee.
Most freshmen recall their visit to the Admissions Committee as their first adventure at the university and believe that with such an influx of people who want to submit documents, it’s quite difficult to keep calm and adequacy. They are sympathetic to the manifestations of some nervousness on the part of commission members.
Those who have joined the chain of the continuous process of obtaining knowledge introduced by the Polytechnic University have high chances of admission. The reviews say that graduates of the Lyceum and College at SPbPU received targeted secondary education, focused on further education at one of the institutes of the Polytechnic. Many recommend thinking about further higher education and graduating from the last two classes of the school at an educational institution at the university.
Training courses
Considerable opportunities are provided by numerous preparation courses for admission, the start of which begins almost at the beginning of the school year at the Polytechnic. Preparatory courses (SPb) are designed for students with different levels of training, the duration of training is from 7 months to 2 weeks. According to reviews, the courses do their job well, most of the diligent students successfully pass the exam and go to the chosen institute.
It is noted that a big plus of the preparatory process is the opportunity to obtain knowledge from teachers of the polytechnic and simultaneously learn the intricacies of studying at the university, join the higher education system and finally make a choice in favor of a particular specialty.
Students also share the following observations: not everyone who enters the first year of full-time study successfully overcomes even the first session. The educational process is difficult for many, part-time students can apply for vacant places.
On-the-job
Correspondence studies at SPbPU are carried out in 35 areas at the main institutes of the university. For the majority of those who choose this form of training, there is an equal sign between study and work, these people do not want to miss a single opportunity.
According to students, distance learning is only good if there is work in the same specialty, otherwise time will be wasted. Full-time education provides a more in-depth study of each subject, teachers are more demanding on the quality of knowledge, and the program is much more saturated.
There are neutral reviews from former students in absentia who graduated from the Polytechnic University (St. Petersburg). Faculties of this form of training fully reflect the needs of the economy in certain categories of specialists. The University provides everyone with the opportunity to gain theoretical knowledge and at the same time rely on their work experience, applying knowledge directly in the production environment.
Most of the students say that the choice in favor of a particular direction of study was related to the desire to accelerate career growth or the lack of a specific knowledge base for full-fledged activities. After graduating from the Polytechnic, the correspondence students received general diplomas, and the quality of knowledge, as many noted, depends only on their own desire to study, because the university provides a lot of opportunities.
Financial issue: scholarships
Most young people often have to combine study and work, no exception and full-time students of SPbPU. University scholarships smooth out the acuteness of the financial issue. The basic academic scholarship is awarded to all freshmen before the first session and amounts to 2000 rubles. Based on the results of the exams passed, the situation is changing, those who have shown excellent and good results will continue to receive financial support at the same level. If the session is excellent, that is, there is every chance of receiving increased payments - the honors scholarship is twice as much (4000 rubles). Studying with excellent results over three sessions guarantees a student a scholarship of the Academic Council (6,000 rubles).
In addition to standard and incentive payments, other forms of financial interest are also practiced at the university. For example, those who write articles in scientific journals, conduct research, achieve high results in sports, and make a significant contribution to the cultural and social life of the university, are awarded state scholarships (8,000 rubles, valid for 6 months).

Also, active participants in scientific activities can try their hand at contests for scholarships and grants from foundations. Typically, such payments involve certain obligations, but the level of the scholarship is about 15,000 rubles for 2 years. There are options to receive financial support from the Ministry of Education and Science to those who devote their time not only to mastering the basic knowledge of their course, but also engaged in active research. The level of financial incentives ranges from 2200 to 5000 rubles. for students, and for graduate students, the amount of payments is 4,500 to 14,000 rubles. monthly.
Opportunities are not exhausted by this list, scholarships can be obtained from various interested organizations - the Government of St. Petersburg, Alfa Bank and VTB banks, grants for studying abroad are also allocated on a competitive basis, etc. The Polytechnic University provides all the detailed information about the opportunities .
Student reviews say that the standard scholarship is small and helps little to live without the help of relatives or without additional work. Nevertheless, many are happy with her, especially those from other cities, because they do not have to look for additional funds to pay for the hostel. In St. Petersburg Polytechnic University of Peter the Great, scholarships are not paid to students studying on a contract basis.
Paid training
The top ten most prestigious universities in Russia includes the Polytechnic University (St. Petersburg). The cost of training, according to student reviews, is high, many believe that it is not justified. But hardly anyone will dispute the university’s right to set prices. The number of applicants for all forms of education is growing from year to year not only at the expense of foreign citizens, compatriots are also actively striving to get into the polytechnic.
The cost of undergraduate studies starts at 50 thousand rubles and reaches 116 thousand rubles in one year of study. Qualification of a specialist in training on a commercial basis will cost from 85 to 120 thousand rubles per academic year.
The level of knowledge and the requirements of the educational process qualitatively manifests itself in the future fate of graduates: almost everyone who gave time to study found prestigious jobs and gained progressive career growth, founded their own business, and many became politicians or statesmen. Reviews of graduates confirm the general postulate: who wants to study, he will be able to get knowledge, respect of teachers, recommendations, an excellent portfolio for final exams and a warm welcome in domestic or foreign companies.
Helpful information
Peter the Great Polytechnic University in St. Petersburg is a multidisciplinary higher education institution, where educational traditions have been formed for more than a hundred years. Today everyone has a path to the Polytechnic University (St. Petersburg). The faculties of the institutes open up broad prospects for students and graduates, and the possibilities are almost unlimited - several forms of obtaining knowledge, in-depth study of subjects and sciences, active student social life, obtaining education abroad and much more.
In general, students praise the university in reviews. The general idea is expressed that the education received at the polytechnic is a great opportunity to start a future career. Over the years of study, the horizon broadens significantly, fundamental knowledge is mastered not only in the chosen specialty, but also in several related areas. The saturation of student life is so diverse that it covers all interests - from a beadwork circle to yacht competitions. Graduates are advised not to doubt, but to enter SPbPU.
The address of the educational institution is Polytechnicheskaya street, building 29.