Moscow’s pedagogical universities offer diverse programs for aspiring teachers, and here’s a comparison of admission requirements for several leading institutions in 2025. These universities consistently rank high in educational ratings, providing opportunities for quality education and stable careers in the education sector.

Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPSU), a leading institution for future teachers founded in 1872, offers various programs with specific admission criteria. For the “Teaching Mathematics” undergraduate program, which has 20 state-funded and 25 fee-paying places, applicants need to submit Unified State Exam (USE) results in specialized mathematics and the Russian language, plus one subject of choice: computer science or physics. The “General Geography” program, a new addition, requires USE results in geography and the Russian language, along with a subject of choice: specialized mathematics, computer science, biology, or physics, and offers 20 state-funded and 50 fee-paying places. To enter the “Foreign Language (English)” program, with 20 state-funded and 100 fee-paying places, applicants need to pass a foreign language, the Russian language, and one of the subjects of choice – social studies or history. The passing score for “Foreign Language (English)” in 2024/2025 was 247, while “Teaching Mathematics” required at least 236 points. Tuition for all three areas is 309,000 rubles per year for full-time study.

Moscow City Pedagogical University (MCPU), established in 1995, also presents multiple undergraduate programs with varying requirements. The “European Languages” profile provides 72 state-funded and 150 fee-paying places, requiring USE results in the Russian language, social studies, and a foreign language (English or another choice). For the “Mathematics” direction, with 36 state-funded and 70 fee-paying places, applicants must pass mathematics and the Russian language, plus one of the following: social studies, computer science, or physics. The “Physical Culture” program, offering 25 state-funded and 100 fee-paying places, requires results in social studies, the Russian language, and a general physical training test. In the 2024/2025 academic year, the minimum passing scores for state-funded places were 233 in “Mathematics,” 208 in “Physical Culture,” and 252 in “European Languages.” The cost of paid education is 322,100 rubles per year for “Physical Culture” and “European Languages,” and 297,000 rubles per year for “Mathematics.”

State University of Education (SUP), formerly known as the Moscow Regional Pedagogical Institute, offers programs such as “Mathematics and Computer Science,” “History and Social Studies,” and “Russian Language and Literature.” For “Mathematics and Computer Science,” with 20 state-funded and 25 fee-paying places, applicants need USE results in specialized mathematics and the Russian language, along with a subject of choice: social studies, physics, computer science, a foreign language, or chemistry. The “History and Social Studies” program, offering 25 state-funded and 25 fee-paying places, requires results in social studies, the Russian language, and one of the following: history, specialized mathematics, a foreign language, literature, or geography. To enter “Russian Language and Literature,” with 25 state-funded and 15 fee-paying places, you need results in the Russian language, literature, and one of the subjects of choice – social studies or history. In 2024, the passing scores for a state-funded place were 211 in “Mathematics and Computer Science,” 223 in “History and Social Studies,” and 230 in “Russian Language and Literature.” The tuition fee for all three areas is 277,700 rubles per year.

Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE), Russia’s first psychological university, provides programs like “Psychological and Pedagogical Education,” “Organization of Work with Youth,” and “Pedagogy and Psychology of Deviant Behavior.” Applicants for “Psychological and Pedagogical Education,” offering 115 state-funded and 75 fee-paying places, need to take social studies, the Russian language, and one of the subjects of choice: specialized mathematics or biology. The “Organization of Work with Youth” program, with 14 state-funded and 5 fee-paying places, requires USE results in social studies, the Russian language, and either history or literature. For “Pedagogy and Psychology of Deviant Behavior,” with 74 state-funded and 26 fee-paying places, applicants also need to pass social studies, the Russian language, and a choice of specialized mathematics or biology. In 2024, the passing score for “Psychological and Pedagogical Education” was 217 for state-funded and 173 for fee-paying. In the direction “Organization of Work with Youth” the passing score for the state-funded was 222.6, for the fee-paying – 167. And in the program “Pedagogy and Psychology of Deviant Behavior” the passing score for state-funded in 2024 was 212.8. Last year, full-time education in all three areas cost 291,364 rubles per year.

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (PFUR) offers programs in “Psychology” and “Psychological and Pedagogical Education.” The “Psychology” program at the Faculty of Philology has 40 state-funded and 75 fee-paying places for full-time study, as well as 72 fee-paying places for part-time study. Applicants need USE results in biology and the Russian language, plus one subject of choice: specialized mathematics or social studies. The “Psychological and Pedagogical Education” program at the Institute of Foreign Languages allocates 17 state-funded and 20 fee-paying places. Applicants also take the USE in biology and the Russian language with a choice between specialized mathematics and social studies. In the 2024/2025 academic year, the passing score for admission to the “Psychology” program was 267, and for “Psychological and Pedagogical Education,” it was 249. The cost of full-time education in “Psychology” is 380,000 rubles per year.

Moscow State University (MSU) trains future teachers at the master’s level in programs such as “Teacher of a Specialized School” and “Teaching Natural Sciences.” The “Teacher of a Specialized School” program provides 12 state-funded places and 3 fee-paying places. The program “Teaching Natural Sciences” has 8 state-funded places and 2 fee-paying places. To enter any of these programs, applicants must take an entrance test in “Fundamentals of Educational Activities,” consisting of a written and oral exam. The minimum passing score is 40 points. The tuition fee for “Pedagogical Education” is 539,380 rubles per year for full-time and 380,260 rubles per year for part-time.