Saint Petersburg has long been a leading center of science and education in Russia and houses the following institutions:

Universities and tertiary institutions

• Saint Petersburg Naval Academy (founded first decade of the 18th century)
• Russian Academy of Sciences (1724)
• Saint Petersburg State University (founded 1724)
• Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet (1738)
• Imperial Academy of Arts (founded 1757)
• Saint Petersburg Mining Institute (Горный институт) (founded 1773)
• Russian State Pedagogical University (Herzen University) (founded 1797)
• Saint Petersburg Medical-Surgical Academy (founded 1798)
• Saint Petersburg State Transport University (1809)
• Saint Petersburg State University of Water Communications (1809)
• Saint Petersburg Military engineering-technical university (1810)
• Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology (1828)
• Saint Petersburg University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (1832)
• Pulkovo Observatory (1839)
• Saint Petersburg Conservatory (1862)
• Alexander Military Law Academy (founded 1867)
• Ivan Pavlov's Medical Academy and research center. (founded 1880s)
• Saint Petersburg Medical and Technical Institute
• Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University (1886)
• Saint Petersburg State Medical University (1897)
• Saint Petersburg Polytechnical University (1899)
• State Marine Technical University (Корабелка) (1899)
• Saint Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy (former Tenishev's College) (1899)
• Saint Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (1900)
• Saint Petersburg Academy of Pediatrics and Maternity (founded 1900)
• Pushkin House (1905)
• Saint Petersburg State Medical Academy (1907)
• Saint Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts (1918)
• Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry (1921)
• Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical Academy (1925)
• Saint Petersburg State University of Economics (1930)
• St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications (1930)
• Baltic State Technical University ("ВОЕНМЕХ") (1932)
• Saint-Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation ("ГУАП") (1941)
• Saint Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation (founded 1955)
• St. Petersburg Christian University (1990)
• European University at Saint Petersburg (1994)
• Pushkin Leningrad State University (1992)
• Smolny College (1999)
• Saint Petersburg Academic University (2002)
• St. Petersburg State University of Technology and Design
• St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television
• Saint Petersburg Pharmaceutical Academy
• Saint Petersburg Aerospace University (Mozhaysky University)
• Admiral Makarov Maritime Academy

Primary and secondary schools

International schools serving foreign expatriates:

• Anglo-American School of St. Petersburg
• Deutsche Schule Sankt Petersburg (German school)
• École française André-Malraux (French school)
• International Academy of St. Petersburg, Russia