At the age of 10, Alexander Popov, was sent in Dalmatovskiy religious school, which his older brother Raphael taught the Latin language, where he studied from 1868 to 1870. In 1871, Alexander Popov moved to the third class of the Ekaterinburg religious school.In 1873, Popov graduated from the full course of the Ekaterinburg religious school for the higher 1-category.
In 1873 he entered the Perm theological Seminary. After finishing his General education classes of the Perm theological Seminary (1877), Alexander successfully passed the entrance exams for the physics and mathematics faculty of St. Petersburg University.
Popov successfully graduated in 1882 with the degree candidate. In 1882 he defended his thesis. In 1890 he received an invitation to the post of lecturer physics in Technical school of the Maritime office in Kronstadt. In 1899 awarded the title of Honorary electrical engineer.
In 1901 Popov became Professor of physics at Electrotechnical Institute of Emperor Alexander III. Also he was also an Honorary electrical engineer.