1.  Lomonosov Moscow State University

The largest and oldest of all universities in Russia, established in 1755, Lomonosov Moscow State University has a current student enrollment of over 40,000 students – the majority at postgraduate level, with around 4,000 international students admitted each year. Ranked 4th in this year’s BRICS ranking and 114th in the latest QS World University Rankings®, Lomonosov Moscow State University is located five kilometers from the city of Moscow, the cultural heart and capital of Russia, high up on the Sparrow Hills overlooking Moskva River.

In the 2015 edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, Lomonosov Moscow State University is featured among the world’s top universities in 20 subjects. Of these, it performs best (in the top 50 worldwide) for mathematics, linguistics, modern languages and physics & astronomy, and is also among the top 100 for computer science.

2.  Saint-Petersburg State University

Also among the oldest and largest universities in Russia, Saint-Petersburg State University is this year ranked 15th within the BRICS countries and 233rdin the overall world rankings. Established in 1724 as the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences, it became known as a university in 1819. Today it enrolls over 32,000 students across 22 faculties and 13 research institutes. Saint-Petersburg State University’s two main campuses are based in Vasilievsky Island and Peterhof, both offering impressive cultural and sports facilities, in addition to close proximity to Russia’s second largest city, Saint Petersburg.

As well as being ranked among the top 100 universities worldwide for linguistics, Saint-Petersburg State University is among the world’s leaders in a further 6 subjects, including a place within the global top 200 for history & archaeology, mathematics, modern languages and physics & astronomy.

3.  Novosibirsk State University

Younger than the other top universities in Russia,Novosibirsk State University was founded in 1959 as part of a Soviet plan to establish a Siberian division of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Currently ranked 19th in the BRICS ranking and 328th in the world rankings, Novosibirsk State University is located approximately 20 kilometers outside of Novosibirsk, the third most-populous city in Russia after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the cultural and industrial center of Siberia. Novosibirsk State University has a relatively small student body compared to many other leading Russian universities, with around 5,000 students.

Of the six subjects Novosibirsk State University is internationally ranked for, it places in the world’s top 150 for mathematics and physics & astronomy, and in the top 200 for philosophy.

4.  Bauman Moscow State Technical University

Established in 1830, Bauman Moscow State Technical University is the oldest and largest of specialized technical universities in Russia, this year ranked 35th in the BRICS ranking and 322nd in the world rankings. Home to almost 20,000 students, and offering all levels of study, Bauman Moscow State Technical University has 19 departments but specializes in the fields of engineering and applied sciences. As well as offering free room and board to a number of students annually, the school is also highly reputed for its teaching of hearing-impaired students.

Due to its technical focus, Bauman Moscow State Technical University is ranked among the world’s top universities in just one subject: mechanical, aeronautical & manufacturing engineering (top 300 worldwide).

5.  Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University)

One of the most highly reputed Russian universities for its vocational training in the field of international relations and diplomacy, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) is currently ranked 39th in the BRICS ranking and 399thin the world. Run by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations was formerly a part of Moscow State University, before becoming an independent institution in 1944.

With a relatively small student body of 6,000 across undergraduate and graduate levels, Moscow State Institute of International Relations specializes chiefly in the humanities, covering international diplomacy, journalism and law. Programs are offered in a diverse selection of languages, including English and Russian.

6.  Tomsk State University

The second institution in this list of top Russian universities to be located in Siberia, Tomsk State University this year ranks 44th in the BRICS ranking and 491-500 in the world rankings. Founded in 1888 with just one faculty, Tomsk State University has since become a multidisciplinary university, home to 23,000 students across 23 departments. At its main campus in the historic and student-friendly city of Tomsk, Tomsk State University offers six English-taught master’s programs, 10 museums, an herbarium, a Siberian botanical garden, a pool, a cultural center and one of the most extensive library archives in Russia.

This year, Tomsk State University is ranked among the top 300 universities worldwide for modern languages, and among the top 400 for physics & astronomy.

7.  Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University)

Established in 1946 during the period of the Soviet Union, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), informally known as PhysTech, is a technical school focused on physics, mathematics and related subjects. Sometimes referred to as the “Russian MIT”, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology is this year ranked 45th in the BRICS ranking and 411-420 in the world rankings. Its main campus can be found towards the northern suburbs of Moscow, in Dolgoprudny, although its aeromechanics department is based in Zhukovsky in the south east of the city. At the smaller end of the spectrum, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology has a current student community of around 5,000.

The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology is ranked among the world’s top universities for two subject areas this year, placing in the top 200 for physics & astronomy and the top 400 for mathematics.

8.  National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”

Founded in 1942, the National Research Nuclear University, or “MEPhI” (shorthand for Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, of which it is a part), is a technical university focusing on the nuclear industry as well as the fields of physics, engineering and mathematics. This year MEPhI is placed 51st in the BRICS ranking and 481-490 in the world rankings. Located in Moscow, close to Kolomenskoye Park, MEPhI overlooks the banks of the Moskva River and is home to the royally owned “wooden palace”. It has a current enrollment of around 6,000 students.

True to its focus, the National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI” is ranked among the world’s top 100 universities for physics & astronomy and also among the top 400 for mathematics.

9.  St. Petersburg Polytechnic University

Coming 60th in the BRICS ranking and 481-490 in the world rankings is the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, a large university in Saint Petersburg with over 30,000 students divided across more than 400 undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition to a wide range of faculties, including engineering, economics, humanities and information technology, St. Petersburg Polytechnic University also has 20 research centers which conduct joint research with leading technology companies such as Microsoft, Siemens and Apple.

Like a number of the top universities in Russia, St. Petersburg Polytechnic University excels in the field of physics & astronomy, for which it is ranked among the top 250 universities worldwide.

10.  National Research University – Higher School of Economics (HSE)

Established as recently as 1992, the Higher School of Economics (HSE) was awarded the status of a National Research University in 2009, and offers a multidisciplinary curriculum with a focus on the social sciences, mathematics, computer science and economics. This year the Higher School of Economics is ranked 63rd in the BRICS ranking and501-550 in the world rankings, having climbed steadily up the rankings thanks to its rapidly established reputation both within and beyond Russia. The current student body of over 20,000 is divided between the school’s main campus in Moscow and its three other campuses in the cities of St. Petersburg, Nizhniy Novgorod and Perm.

True to its name, the Higher School of Economics ranks among the world’s top 200 universities for economics. It’s also ranked among the top 200 for philosophy and sociology, and within the top 100 for development studies.