2020 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions

The 2020 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.

Table criteria

Region/country

Sector

Subject/journals

Position	Institution	Share 2018	Share 2019	Count 2019	Change in Adjusted Share* 2018–2019
1	Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), Russia	49.04	43.74	332	-13.7%
2	Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Russia	23.40	27.26	115	12.7%
3	Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology - State University (MIPT), Russia	18.18	15.51	199	-17.4%
4	ITMO National Research University (ITMO University), Russia	15.43	15.51	56	-2.8%
5	Novosibirsk State University (NSU), Russia	10.76	14.48	230	30.2%
6	Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), Russia	10.19	14.40	66	36.7%
7	Ural Federal University (UrFU), Russia	6.40	10.09	43	52.5%
8	National University of Science and Technology (MISIS), Russia	9.01	6.85	86	-26.5%
9	Kazan Federal University (KFU), Russia	9.09	6.59	40	-29.8%
10	Tomsk State University (TSU), Russia	7.44	6.09	102	-20.8%
11	National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), Russia	6.33	5.68	77	-13.1%
12	National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Russia	7.75	5.25	199	-34.4%
13	Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), Russia	5.95	4.84	123	-21.3%
14	Southern Federal University (SFedU), Russia	2.46	3.48	12	37.0%
15	Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod (UNN), Russia	5.28	2.97	12	-45.7%
16	Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), Russia	0.25	2.89	8	1,017.1%
17	Samara National Research University, Russia	0.65	2.75	11	306.4%
18	Tomsk State Pedagogical University (TSPU), Russia	2.01	2.40	14	15.6%
19	Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), Russia	3.71	2.19	73	-42.9%
20	Moscow Technological University (MIREA), Russia	2.25	1.72	10	-26.0%
21	Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (IKBFU), Russia	1.18	1.62	6	32.8%
22	Saratov State University (SGU), Russia	3.22	1.54	5	-53.7%
23	Bashkir State Pedagogical University (BSPU), Russia	0.75	1.46	2	88.2%
24	Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), Russia	4.20	1.44	10	-66.8%
25	Peoples Friendship University of Russia (PFUR), Russia	2.83	1.39	17	-52.5%
26	Perm State University (PSU), Russia	1.37	1.25	3	-11.8%
27	Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU), Russia	0.95	1.20	10	21.9%
28	I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (FMSMU), Russia	1.02	1.19	27	13.0%
29	Siberian Federal University (SibFU), Russia	0.92	1.12	16	18.1%
30	Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU), Russia	2.15	1.06	5	-52.4%
31	University of Tyumen (UT), Russia	2.33	1.05	3	-56.3%
32	Tver State University, Russia	0.00	1.00	2	0.0%
33	Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, Russia	0.00	1.00	3	0.0%
34	Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology (ISUCT), Russia	0.00	0.98	3	0.0%
35	D. Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Russia	0.36	0.93	8	150.3%
36	South Ural State University (SUSU), Russia	1.28	0.91	13	-31.1%
37	Irkutsk State University (ISU), Russia	0.33	0.84	2	144.8%
38	Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU), Russia	0.20	0.81	16	294.0%
39	Saint-Petersburg Electrotechnical University (LETI), Russia	0.48	0.77	4	56.6%
40	P.G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University, Russia	0.13	0.64	2	398.9%
41	Voronezh State University (VSU), Russia	0.52	0.52	2	-4.6%
42	Moscow State Pedagogical University (MSPU), Russia	0.68	0.38	1	-46.5%
43	Far Eastern State Transport University (FESTU), Russia	0.28	0.35	8	18.6%
44	Moscow Aviation Institute - National Research University (MAI), Russia	0.00	0.33	1	0.0%
44	Southwest State University (SWSU), Russia	0.00	0.33	1	0.0%
44	Kazan State Power Engineering University (KSPEU), Russia	0.00	0.33	1	0.0%
45	Kursk State University, Russia	0.00	0.33	2	0.0%
46	Samara State Technical University, Russia	0.27	0.30	2	8.9%
47	Yandex School of Data Analysis, Russia	0.53	0.30	39	-46.1%
48	Syktyvkar State University, Russia	0.00	0.29	2	0.0%
49	Tambov State Technical University (TSTU), Russia	0.00	0.26	1	0.0%
50	Siberian State Medical University, Russia	0.00	0.25	1	0.0%
51	National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET), Russia	0.31	0.23	2	-29.4%
52	North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk (NEFU), Russia	0.09	0.21	2	118.6%
53	Altai State University (ASU), Russia	0.00	0.20	5	0.0%
54	Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov (NArFU), Russia	0.19	0.20	1	-0.5%
54	Ivanovo State University (IvSU), Russia	0.00	0.20	1	0.0%
55	Dubna International University of Nature, Society and Man, Russia	1.71	0.17	1	-90.6%
55	Belgorod State National Research University (BelSU), Russia	0.03	0.17	1	422.8%
56	Vladimir State University named after Alexander and Nikolay Stoletovs, Russia	0.00	0.16	4	0.0%
57	Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov (SSTU), Russia	0.40	0.15	1	-62.8%
58	Far Eastern State Technical Fisheries University, Russia	0.00	0.14	1	0.0%
59	Moscow Power Engineering Institute (MPEI), Russia	0.09	0.11	2	13.5%
60	Saint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical Academy (SPCPA), Russia	0.17	0.10	1	-41.9%
61	Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (PRUE), Russia	0.27	0.09	2	-66.6%
62	Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev (NNSTU), Russia	0.00	0.08	2	0.0%
63	Privolzhsky Research Medical University, Russia	0.03	0.08	3	207.4%
64	Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Russia	0.17	0.07	1	-58.5%
65	Russian State Geological Prospecting University (MGRI-RSGPU), Russia	0.00	0.06	1	0.0%
66	Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education (PSGSA), Russia	0.08	0.05	2	-41.4%
67	N.P. Ogarev Mordovia State University, Russia	0.08	0.05	1	-39.5%
68	Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), Russia	0.00	0.03	1	0.0%
69	Penza State University, Russia	0.00	0.03	2	0.0%
70	Kazan National Research Technological University (KNRTU), Russia	0.10	0.03	1	-74.2%
71	Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University (SPbSPMU), Russia	0.00	0.02	1	0.0%
72	Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH), Russia	0.00	0.01	1	0.0%
72	North-Eastern State University (NESU), Russia	0.00	0.01	1	0.0%
73	Kemerovo State University (KemSU), Russia	0.14	0.01	1	-94.2%
73	N.F. Katanov Khakassia State University, Russia	0.00	0.01	1	0.0%
73	Krasnoyarsk State Medical Academy, Russia	0.00	0.01	1	0.0%
73	Chelyabinsk State University (CSU), Russia	0.00	0.01	1	0.0%
74	Bashkir State University (BashSU), Russia	0.13	0.01	2	-95.6%
75	Dagestan State University (DSU), Russia	0.14	0.00	1	-97.7%
76	Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, Russia	0.12	0.00	1	-98.3%
77	Ural State Forest Engineering University (USFEU), Russia	0.00	0.00	1	0.0%

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences and health sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
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The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen research leaders.

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2020 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions

Table criteria

Footnote