We at Study.eu condemn Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine. As an effect of the invasion, Russia has now been isolated by most of the rest of the world politically and economically through severe sanctions. These also affect international students. We recommend that you look for study options in other countries.
Russia has a long history of top-quality academic research and teaching. More and more students are drawn to this exciting country every year.
The preeminent institution is Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), firmly ranked among the 100 best universities in the world. There are also many technical universities and engineering schools in Russia that enjoy a global reputation in their disciplines.
And expect more Russian universities to keep climbing the international rankings: “Project 5-100”, an official government initiative, aims at pushing at least five institutions into the world’s top 100.
Top ranked universities in Russia
| University | QS Ranking 2024 | THE Ranking 2024 | ARWU Ranking 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) | 87 | 95 | 101 |
| St Petersburg University | 315 | – | 401 |
| Bauman Moscow State Technical University | 319 | 401 | – |
| Peoples' Friendship University of Russia | 342 | 601 | – |
| Kazan Federal University | 396 | 801 | – |
| Higher School of Economics (HSE) | 399 | 401 | 701 |
| Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) | 415 | 201 | 501 |
| Tomsk State University | 418 | 501 | – |
| Novosibirsk State University | 421 | 601 | 701 |
| National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) | 461 | 401 | 901 |
| Ural Federal University | 473 | 1001 | 701 |
| MGIMO University | 526 | – | – |
| Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University | 534 | 351 | – |
| ITMO University | 542 | 601 | – |
| Tomsk Polytechnic University | 586 | 801 | – |
| Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) | 641 | 1201 | – |
| National University of Science and Technology MISiS | 681 | 601 | – |
| Altai State University | 701 | 1501 | – |
| Sechenov University | 771 | 801 | 901 |
| Plekhanov Russian University of Economics | 791 | 1001 | – |
| Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University | 801 | 1201 | – |
| Saratov State University | 851 | 1501 | – |
| Southern Federal University | 851 | 1201 | – |
| Samara University | 901 | 1201 | – |
| Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI" | 951 | 1201 | – |
| South Ural State University | 951 | 601 | – |
| Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation | 1001 | 1001 | – |
| Kazan National Research Technological University | 1001 | 1501 | – |
| Lobachevsky University | 1001 | 1501 | – |
| Novosibirsk State Technical University | 1001 | 1501 | – |
| Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) | 1001 | 1501 | – |
| Siberian Federal University | 1001 | 1001 | – |
| University of Tyumen | 1001 | – | – |
| Saint-Petersburg Mining University | 1001 | 601 | – |
| Ufa State Aviation Technical University | 1001 | – | – |
| Belgorod State National Research University | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| Don State Technical University | 1201 | 1001 | – |
| Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| Moscow Pedagogical State University | 1201 | – | – |
| Moscow Power Engineering Institute | 1201 | 1201 | – |
| Perm State University | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy | 1201 | – | – |
| Russian State University for the Humanities | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| Voronezh State University | 1201 | 1501 | – |
| Irkutsk State University | 1401 | 1501 | – |
| Moscow City University | 1401 | – | – |
| Moscow Technological University | 1401 | 1501 | – |
| Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas | – | 1501 | – |
| Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology | – | 1501 | – |
| Kazan National Research Technical University | – | 1501 | – |
| Moscow Aviation Institute | – | 1201 | – |
| Moscow Polytechnic University | – | 1501 | – |
| Moscow State University of Civil Engineering | – | 1501 | – |
| National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET) | – | 1201 | – |
| Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University | – | 1501 | – |
| North-Eastern Federal University | – | 1501 | – |
| Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University | – | 1501 | – |
| Omsk State Technical University | – | 1501 | – |
| Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University | – | 1501 | – |
| Perm National Research Polytechnic University | – | 1501 | – |
| Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University | – | 1201 | – |
| Privolzhsky Research Medical University | – | 1501 | – |
| Samara State Technical University | – | 1501 | – |
| Southwest State University | – | 1501 | – |
| Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics | – | 1501 | – |
| Volgograd State Technical University | – | 1501 | – |
| Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology | – | – | 701 |
Explained: How do the university rankings work?
The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a university’s research is referenced elsewhere).
The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.
Study in Russia 
Plenty of exciting study options await international students in the largest country on earth: Russia offers high-quality education at world-renowned institutions, and is rapidly internationalising its university sector. Dozens of Russian universities offer a variety of study programmes in English.
Read more about studying in Russia
Find the right study programme for yourself:
Bachelors degrees in Russia
Masters degrees in Russia
PhD programmes in Russia
Relevant links
- Studying abroad in Russia: Basic information for international students
- Study programmes in Russia
- Visit the website of the QS World University Rankings
- Visit the website of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- Visit the website of the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities
