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Rankings are a good place to start researching universities. But when studying the ratings, it is useful to understand what they are based on so that you can make the right decision. Some rankings pay more attention to scientific achievements, while others focus on the quality of teaching and career success of graduates. Rankings by discipline may differ greatly from the overall lists. If you want to study in Russia, the national ranking will give you more information than the global ranking.

International ratings

The «Big Three» of the world's most authoritative university rankings are the QS World University Rankings, World University Rankings THE and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Russian universities are represented in all of them.

QS World University Rankings are based largely on indicators of scientific activity and academic reputation. The QS 2023 ranking includes 48 universities from Russia.

QS World University Rankings

World University Rankings THE

Academic Ranking of Worl Universities

If you have already decided on a specialty, it is more useful to look at the QS subject rankings. In 2023, 55 Russian universities are included, and many are in the top 100 in various subjects. For example, Moscow State University is in the top 100 in linguistics, physics and astronomy, mathematics, philosophy, and computer science (17 rankings in total). The Higher School of Economics is in the top 100 in mathematics, economics, and sociology (10 in total). St. Petersburg Mining University ranks 3rd in the world in mining engineering, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory is 10th in performing arts, Tomsk Polytechnic University is 14th in oil and gas engineering.

The difference between the THE ranking is that it takes into account, in particular, the quality of the learning environment and joint projects between universities and business. This ranking includes 76 Russian universities in 2023. Leaders from Russia have high ratings for teaching, and the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute ranks 6th in the world in knowledge transfer (income from projects with business).

The ARWU, or Shanghai ranking, is based mainly on the assessment of the scientific achievements of universities. In 2023, nine educational institutions from Russia entered the top 1000.

By the way, one of the world’s largest global university rankings is compiled in Russia - the “Three University Missions” ranking includes more than 2,000 universities from 165 countries and territories. The ranking takes into account the impact of universities on society; it represents 154 Russian educational institutions. The global aggregate ranking collects data on the position of universities in 14 different ranked lists. Russia ranks fifth after China, the USA, India and Japan in terms of the number of universities included in the ranking.

National Russian ratings

National university rankings in Russia are compiled by major publications and specialized agencies. The most authoritative ratings are Interfax and RAEX.

The Interfax news agency calculates university ratings based on the quality of education, brand prestige, scientific activity, innovation, cooperation, and impact on society. In 2023, there are 368 universities on the list - you can see not only their overall ranking, but also a separate assessment, for example, by the quality of education: sometimes these positions are noticeably different. Using the filter, you can also see a list of the best universities in a specific region or city in the ranking.

The RAEX agency compiles a list of the 100 best universities in Russia, taking into account not only the quality of education and scientific activity, but also the results of surveys of employers and graduates. In addition, RAEX subject ratings are published annually in 35 areas: mathematics, physics, medicine, journalism, chemical technology, computer science and others. The RAEX ranking of local universities will help you find a suitable university in the region: small universities with good quality of education are presented here (with the exception of the top 100).

Can you trust the ratings?

In general, rankings can be trusted, but it is important to remember that this is only one of the tools for choosing the ideal university for yourself.

If you dream of a scientific career, the academic weight of the university and, possibly, its international connections are really important to you. But if you want to become a good doctor and save people's lives, a good medical university in the region may be right for you. If your field is business administration, pay attention to the Forbes rating. And if your plan is to become a nuclear energy specialist, it will be more useful to study the subject rating for this specialty.

Use ratings wisely - compare, analyze and stay true to your goals.