Not One Russian University Remains in World’s Top 200, ‘Krisis-Kopilka’ Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Feb. 2 – Not a single one of Russia’s universities ranks in the world’s top 200. The highest-ranking Russian school is Moscow State University which ranks 227^th, down 12 positions from last year and 29 places from 2021, the year before Putin launched his expanded war in Ukraine, according to the annual rating by the University of Leiden.

            Other Russian universities ranked even lower: St. Petersburg State University stood at 533^rd, the Higher School of Economics at 824, the Urals Federal University at 898, Kazan State University at 1053^rd, Novosibirsk State University at 1189, and the Moscow Physical Technological Institute at 1244^th (krizis-kopilka.ru/archives/105337).

            No Russian university made the top 50 in physics or mathematics, traditionally Russian strengths. Moscow State was the highest at 68^th in physics, and the Higher School of Economics was the highest Russian university at 315^th with Moscow State University ranking only 479^th in the world.

            Other studies of scholarly productivity in Russia also show declines since the war in Ukraine began. In 2024, for example, 21,608 patents were issued in Russia, 1800 fewer than the year before and 7100 fewer than in pre-war 2020. An another has been the brain drain as Russian scholars leave to work abroad either because of differences with the regime over policies or because of the insertion of unqualified but well-connected rectors supervising their work.