The education system in Russia includes different levels: general, vocational and higher education, as well as additional education. In addition, various forms of education are available in the country.

General education in Russia includes four levels:

Pre-school education. A child receives it in a nursery group or kindergarten before moving to school.
Primary general education. Covers the first four years of school (from grades 1 to 4).
Basic general education. Includes education from grades 5 to 9.
Secondary general education. Covers education from grades 10 to 11.

Vocational education in Russia is divided into two types:

Secondary vocational education: it is obtained in colleges and technical schools. Education lasts from 2 to 4 years.

Higher vocational education. It is obtained in institutes, universities and academies. Education in such universities lasts 4-4.5 years.

Higher education
In 2022, Russia abandoned the Bologna system of higher education. In 2026, it is planned to switch to its own educational system. According to the Federal Law “On Education in the Russian Federation”, there are three levels of higher education in the country:

Bachelor’s degree. Studying for a bachelor’s degree takes on average 4 years.

Specialist and master’s degree. Specialist degree is a legacy of the Soviet educational system; studying for a specialist degree usually takes 5 years. Master’s degree is a newer level; studying for a master’s degree takes 2 years.

Training of highly qualified personnel. This includes postgraduate studies, adjunct studies, residency, and assistantship-internship.

Additional education
Additional education in Russia is aimed at comprehensively satisfying a person’s educational needs for intellectual, spiritual and moral, physical and (or) professional improvement. It is not accompanied by an increase in the level of education.

Some types of additional education:

General development programs. These include clubs, sections, studios, and courses.

Pre-professional programs. They are implemented in music, art, and sports schools.

Additional professional education. This includes advanced training (deepening existing professional skills and knowledge) and professional retraining (obtaining a new profession).