What Ural State University does

Ural State University, today operating as Ural Federal University (UrFU) named after B.N. Yeltsin, is a federal research university headquartered at Mira Street 19 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. It was formed through the consolidation of Ural State Technical University (UPI) and Ural State University and now offers more than 4,000 educational programs across bachelor's, specialist, master's, postgraduate, and secondary vocational levels to a student body of 35,000+, including international students from over 100 countries. The institution holds federal flagship status, participates in the Priority 2030 national program, and serves as a pilot site for Russia's new model of higher-education reform.

The university's digital product surface includes the УрФУ.Учеба (UrFU.Study) mobile application (available on iOS, Android, and RuStore), web portals for students, staff, and partners, online learning platforms, an admissions portal integrated with State Services (Госуслуги), and dedicated international admissions portals for CIS and other foreign applicants. A digital transformation program underpins an AI center for education and an IT center for technology education, alongside distance-learning capabilities and a library system. Marketing is concentrated on Russian-language digital channels — VKontakte, Telegram, Odnoklassniki, Yandex Zen, Rutube, and MAX — supplemented by school partnership programs, олимпиады, and a press service.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams typical of a Russian federal state autonomous educational institution (ФГАОУ ВО): state-funded budget places with government scholarships, contract-based paid tuition (with annual cost documents and state-supported educational credit via Sberbank), research grants including Priority 2030 funding, an alumni and partner endowment fund (Эндаумент), and ancillary services such as preparatory courses, ДПО professional retraining, the business school, and labor-migrant testing. The institution operates under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and has no private or public shareholder ownership structure.

Name

Ural State University

Legal name

ФГАОУ ВО «УрФУ имени первого Президента России Б.Н. Ельцина»

Website

https://usu.ru

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ural State University, operating as Ural Federal University, is a Russian federal research university in Yekaterinburg delivering 4,000+ educational programs to 35,000+ students, including international learners from 100+ countries, under Priority 2030 federal backing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• University degree programs
• Professional development courses
• Online learning platforms
• Research university programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Russia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees (Budget and Contract): The university generates revenue through tuition fees for contract-based (paid) education programs across bachelor's, master's, specialist, postgraduate, and secondary vocational levels. Budget-funded places are allocated through government-funded positions based on entrance examination results.
2. Endowment Fund (Эндаумент): Alumni and partners contribute to endowment funds that support scholarships, university development, and targeted capital projects.
3. Research Grants and Government Funding: Funding through national research programs, Priority 2030 project, and scientific grants for research activities.
4. Additional Educational Services: Revenue from preparatory courses, professional development programs, additional professional education (ДПО), business school, and testing services for labor migrants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ural Federal University (UrFU) is a Russian federal research university that delivers higher education across bachelor's, specialist, master's, postgraduate, and secondary vocational levels, with over 4,000 educational programs. It supplements in-person instruction with online/distance learning platforms and the УрФУ.Учеба (UrFU.Study) mobile application, and provides additional professional education, business school programs, and preparatory courses.

Product overview

Ural Federal University (Уральский федеральный университет) is a federal research university offering educational services through a digital ecosystem. The primary digital product is the УрФУ.Учеба (UrFU.Study) mobile application, available on iOS, Android, and RuStore platforms. The university also operates web-based portals for students (istudent.urfu.ru), staff (my.urfu.ru), and partners (partner.urfu.ru), as well as various academic management systems including the admission portal, library system, career center, and online learning platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's, Specialist and Master's Degree Programs Multi-year university degree programs delivered through on-campus institutes for Russian and international applicants admitted via state exams, olympiads, or targeted admissions.
• Postgraduate (Aspirantura) Programs Doctoral-level research training programs for graduate students pursuing academic and research careers.
• Secondary Vocational Education (SPO) Vocational training programs for students seeking professional qualifications prior to or alongside university study.
• УрФУ.Учеба (UrFU.Study) Mobile Application Student-facing mobile app providing access to schedules, grades, and university services. Available on iOS, Android, and RuStore.
• Online and Distance Learning Platform Web-based portal delivering distance-learning courses and remote access to university programs for regional and international students.
• Additional Professional Education (ДПО) and Business School Programs Continuing-education and executive-education programs for working professionals and adult learners seeking upskilling, retraining, or specialized certifications.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Novosibirsk State University: Top Russian research university with strong STEM and graduate research focus, anchored in Akademgorodok. Comparable to UrFU on research intensity, federal backing, and postgraduate program strength.
• Bauman Moscow State Technical University: Russia's leading technical federal university with deep engineering programs and industrial employer ties. Closely matches UrFU's STEM-heavy program mix, technical institute structure, and Ural-region industrial base relevance.
• Kazan Federal University: Another Russian federal flagship university formed through institutional mergers with broad multi-disciplinary program coverage. Comparable to UrFU on federal status, regional economic anchoring, and consolidated institute structure.
• Saint Petersburg State University: One of Russia's oldest federal universities with comprehensive degree programs, strong research base, and significant international student recruitment. Closely comparable to UrFU on academic scope, federal backing, and international admissions focus.
• Lomonosov Moscow State University: Russia's flagship federal research university with national admissions scale and full-stack degree programs. Most directly comparable institution to UrFU in terms of federal status, research scope, and end-to-end program offerings across all degree levels.
• HSE University: Major Russian federal research university known for economics, social sciences, and digital-first delivery. Comparable to UrFU on federal status, large enrollment, and emphasis on online/distance learning infrastructure.
• Tomsk State University: Major Siberian federal research university with classic comprehensive program portfolio and strong international recruitment. Comparable to UrFU on scale, federal status, and balance of teaching and research activity.
• Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University: Federal technical university with strong engineering programs and corporate R&D partnerships. Comparable to UrFU on technical institute structure, employer partnerships, and Priority 2030-era federal program participation.

Regional players

• South Ural State University (SUSU): Federal university based in Chelyabinsk, also serving the Ural industrial region with technical and multi-disciplinary programs. Most directly comparable regional peer to UrFU in terms of geographic catchment, industrial employer base, and federal status.

Emerging players

• ITMO University: St. Petersburg-based federal university focused on IT, photonics, and digital technologies. Comparable to UrFU on digital transformation, AI/IT center initiatives, and emphasis on tech-enabled education delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTuberutube.ru/channel/24348692
• Xx.com/urfu
• Facebookfacebook.com/ural.federal.university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ural State University