Facts and figures about Russian higher education (2008)

• 8,1 million students
• 658 state-owned and 450 private civilian university-level institutions licensed by the Ministry of Education
• 625 thousand faculty
• Accreditation is provided by Ministry of Education and Science
• Licensing is provided either by Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation or by relevant Ministry of the Subject of the Russian Federation (oblast, krai or republic)

Other forms of training

Special licensed forms of education and training include:

• MBA — «Degree supplementary to higher education» (18 months to 2 years, full-time and part-time)
• Retraining certificate — exceeding 500 academic hours of training
• Short-term training certificate — 72-500 academic hours
• Less than 72 academic hours — no license is needed
• Licensed training (exceeding 72 hrs) is VAT exempt