South Ural State University (SUSU)

What South Ural State University (SUSU) does

South Ural State University (SUSU) is a state-funded national research university located in Chelyabinsk, Russia, operating under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. It holds national research university status, participates in the federal Priority 2030 program, and traces institutional roots to a 1943 military training initiative. The university serves approximately 3,000 state-funded and 5,000 contract students annually, with applicant volume reaching over 16,000 in 2026. SUSU ranks in the top 50 of Russian universities and 11th of 87 Russian universities for graduate salaries in the chemical and pharmaceutical fields, with 97% of graduates remaining employed in the Chelyabinsk region.

SUSU's portfolio spans education, applied research, and technology development. Notable outputs include a patented Neural Network Traffic Congestion Forecasting System, next-generation zinc-oxide nanofertilizers, and a solar-geothermal cascade energy system co-developed with Saudi Arabian partners. Operational infrastructure includes a Distance Education platform, FABLAB, Virtual SUSU environment, Military Training Centre with 80+ years of history, a federal-level Industrial Robotics Development Centre, and the Advanced Engineering School 'Heart of the Urals' under Priority 2030. The university operates a 3,400-place interuniversity campus and offers UAV operator professional training under the federal project 'Cadres for BAS'.

The business model combines federal budget allocations from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, contract tuition from students (reported at 6,420 rubles/month for bachelor's distance learning, with dormitory housing at 1,000 rubles/month), research grants, and industry partnerships. Revenue is heavily dependent on state funding and federal program participation, with diversification through contract tuition, sponsored research, and partnerships signed with leading industrial, telecom, and technology companies at INNOPROM 2026.

Name

South Ural State University (SUSU)

Legal name

Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education "South Ural State University (national research university)"

Website

https://susu.ac.ru

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SUSU is a Russian national research university in Chelyabinsk under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, delivering higher education, applied research, and patented technology outputs (including AI-based traffic forecasting and nanofertilizers) to roughly 8,000 students annually and industrial partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Flagship Public Research Universities (R1/R2) (EDAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• University degree programs
• Engineering research services
• Distance learning education
• Professional training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chelyabinsk

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Contract Education: Revenue from fee-paying students enrolled in bachelor's, specialist, master's, and doctoral programs. The university offers approximately 3,000 budget (subsidized) places and 5,000 contract (paid) places annually. Pricing starts from 6,420 roubles per month for bachelor's programs.
2. Federal and Regional Government Funding: Funding through national programs including Priority 2030, the Youth and Children national project, and other federal initiatives. Also receives grants for megaprojects and research through V.B. Khristenko Grants Program.
3. Student Housing and Campus Services: Revenue from dormitory accommodations (from 1,000 roubles/month for students), interuniversity campus housing (from 10,900 roubles/month), and related student services.
4. Student Startup and Innovation Grants: The university supports student projects in securing one-million-rouble grants through the federal Student Startup competition. While grants go directly to students, this represents a revenue stream through associated program participation and university ecosystem services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

South Ural State University is a federal state autonomous national research university that delivers higher education degree programs (bachelor's, specialist, master's, doctoral) in engineering, materials science, electronics, digital technologies, medical biology, economics, and law, alongside professional training, distance learning, military training, and applied research services. The university operates an Interuniversity Campus with 3,400 accommodation places and runs technology entrepreneurship programs including the Student Startup grants competition. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition, government funding under the Priority 2030 program, and student housing services.

Product overview

South Ural State University operates as a national research university offering a portfolio of educational programs and research products/services. The university provides traditional and distance education through its Virtual SUSU platform and Distance Education System. Key research products include: the Neural Network Traffic Congestion Forecasting System (patented AI software for traffic analysis), Next-Generation Nanofertilizers using zinc-oxide nanoparticle technology, and the Solar-Geothermal Cascade Energy System developed with international partners. Infrastructure includes FABLAB digital fabrication lab, Center VirtUм for educational technology, Digital Ural Center for IT research, and the federal-level Industrial Robotics Development Center. The university supports technology entrepreneurship through its University Technological Entrepreneurship Platform including the Student Startup competition and SUSU Accelerator program. Research tracks span transport/logistics systems, industrial robotics, digital industry maturity, ecobiotech, and materials science.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs Undergraduate degree programs across engineering, materials science, electronics, digital technologies, medical biology, economics, law, and humanities, offered on campus and via distance learning starting from 6,420 roubles/month.
• Specialist Degree Programs Specialist degree programs (a five-year Russian degree format) offered on campus and via distance learning starting from 8,200 roubles/month.
• Master's Degree Programs Master's degree programs offered on campus and via distance learning starting from 6,760 roubles/month.
• PhD Degree Programs Doctoral (PhD) degree programs for research candidates across the university's institutes and schools.
• English-Taught Programs Degree programs delivered in English for international students, including programs in Russian, English, Arabic, and Chinese.
• Distance Education System Online and mixed-format learning platform with 24/7 access to materials, tutor support, and a virtual learning environment covering 60+ programs accessible globally.
• Military Training Programs Military training programs for reserve officers, sergeants, and enlisted personnel across 19 military occupational specialties, including a new Department of Aerospace Forces focused on unmanned aerial vehicles.
• UAV Operator Professional Training Program Professional training program for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operators covering UAVs with maximum takeoff mass of 30 kg or less. Delivered to government employees under the federal 'Personnel for UAS' project.
• International Summer School 'Territory of Opportunities' International Summer School program jointly run with Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics covering educational programs, scientific research exposure, and cultural exchange activities for international students.
• Foundation Course for International Applicants Foundation/preparatory course for international applicants to prepare them for Russian-taught degree programs.
• Student Dormitory Accommodation On-campus student dormitory accommodation starting from 1,000 roubles/month for international and domestic students, with internet billed separately.
• Interuniversity Campus Accommodation Modern interuniversity campus housing 3,400 students/postgraduates/research staff in 8 dormitory buildings. Double occupancy starts from 10,900 roubles/month and single occupancy from 16,800 roubles/month, including utilities, Wi-Fi, public spaces, security, and cleaning.
• Student Startup Grants Program University-ecosystem program supporting students in securing federal one-million-rouble startup grants through the Student Startup competition and the SUSU Accelerator.
• Neural Network Traffic Congestion Forecasting System Patented research software that analyzes live video streams from traffic cameras at intersections, classifies vehicles into five categories (passenger cars, taxis, minibuses, buses, trucks), and predicts traffic congestion patterns using machine learning.
• Next-Generation Nanofertilizers and Seed Nanopriming Technology 30-nanometer zinc oxide nanoparticle-based seed treatment technology that induces mild stress responses in plant cells to activate natural defense mechanisms, improving crop resilience to soil salinity, drought, and heavy metal contamination.
• Solar-Geothermal Cascade Energy System Cascade hybrid system combining solar and geothermal energy to generate electricity and cooling, using solid oxide fuel cells, the Rankine cycle, and absorption refrigeration machines, achieving 24.84% energy efficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of graduates remain employed in Chelyabinsk region with average salary of 135,000 roubles/month in chemical/pharmaceutical sectors
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Leading Industrial, Telecom, and Technology CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2026Strategy Leadership signed partnership agreements with leading industrial, telecom, and technology companies as announced at INNOPROM 2026.
• URAL PlantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner for the South Ural Interuniversity Campus. Collaborating on joint laboratories for mechanical engineering, metallurgy, and robotics research. Contributing to campus product development programs in industrial technologies.
• Chelyabinsk Forge-and-Press PlantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial enterprise partner participating in joint laboratories within the interuniversity campus. Contributing to materials science and industrial robotics product programs.
• KONAR CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner in the South Ural Interuniversity Campus ecosystem, contributing to regional technological development and talent pipeline.
• METRAN CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial enterprise participating in campus joint laboratories and collaborative R&D initiatives within the interuniversity campus framework.
• Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics (China)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner hosting the International Summer School 'Territory of Opportunities: Industrial, Scientific and Tourist Potential of the Region'. Chinese students participate in educational programs, scientific research exposure, and cultural exchange activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Saint Petersburg State University: Saint Petersburg State University is Russia's oldest university and a comprehensive national research flagship with broad disciplinary coverage and strong international brand. It serves as a broader incumbent and aspirational benchmark for SUSU's research and international positioning.
• Moscow State University (MSU): Moscow State University is Russia's flagship, largest, and highest-ranked university with comprehensive programs across all major disciplines. It is a broader incumbent that dominates applicant selectivity and global rankings, serving as the upper benchmark against which SUSU's progress is measured.

Direct peers

• Kazan Federal University: Kazan Federal University is a Priority 2030 national research university with broad multi-disciplinary programs and significant international student recruitment, especially from CIS and Muslim-majority countries—comparable to SUSU's international segment strategy.
• Ural Federal University (UrFU): UrFU is the largest federal research university in the Urals region, based in Yekaterinburg. Like SUSU, it is a national research university participating in Priority 2030 with strong engineering, materials science, and industrial partnerships, serving as the most directly comparable regional peer.
• Tomsk State University: Tomsk State University is one of the oldest Russian national research universities outside Moscow/St. Petersburg, with broad multi-disciplinary research portfolio and a strong Siberian industrial partner network—comparable to SUSU as a regional multi-disciplinary research flagship.
• Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University: Peter the Great Polytechnic is a national research university with Priority 2030 status, strong polytechnic/engineering identity, and deep industrial partnerships in heavy industry and advanced manufacturing—paralleling SUSU's positioning in the Urals industrial corridor.
• Lobachevsky University (Nizhny Novgorod State University): Lobachevsky University is a national research university with strong STEM, informatics, and applied research focus, participating in Priority 2030. It is a directly comparable peer at a similar tier within the federal research university system.
• Novosibirsk State University: Novosibirsk State University is a premier research university closely tied to the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, with elite STEM and natural science programs. It is a relevant peer for SUSU's research-intensive positioning and international rankings presence.
• National University of Science and Technology MISIS: NUST MISIS is a Moscow-based national research university with a strong STEM and materials science focus, Priority 2030 participation, and active startup ecosystem. It is a relevant peer for SUSU's materials science, digital industry, and student entrepreneurship programs.
• South Ural State University (national research university) is peer-comparable to Bauman Moscow State Technical University; Bauman is Russia's flagship engineering/technical university with applied research focus. Bauman Moscow State Technical University is Russia's leading technical/engineering university with deep industrial partnerships and applied research focus. It serves as a tier-1 benchmark for the engineering and polytechnic emphasis that SUSU is pursuing through its Advanced Engineering School and Industrial Robotics Development Center.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHPBbFncaCIur8t3O4RmxHA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-ural-state-university-susu-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about South Ural State University (SUSU)