2021 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions

The 2021 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Table criteria

Region/country

Sector

Subject/journals

Position	Institution	Share 2019	Share 2020	Count 2020	Change in Adjusted Share* 2019–2020
1	Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), Russia	43.74	48.06	337	5.9%
2	Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Russia	27.26	23.82	102	-15.7%
3	Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology - State University (MIPT), Russia	15.51	22.19	196	37.9%
4	Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), Russia	14.40	22.09	98	47.9%
5	ITMO National Research University (ITMO University), Russia	15.51	21.10	63	31.2%
6	Novosibirsk State University (NSU), Russia	14.48	14.58	188	-2.9%
7	Kazan Federal University (KFU), Russia	6.59	6.51	38	-4.8%
8	Ural Federal University (UrFU), Russia	10.09	6.45	36	-38.4%
9	National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), Russia	5.68	6.05	80	2.6%
10	National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Russia	5.25	5.56	162	2.0%
11	Tomsk State University (TSU), Russia	6.09	5.42	123	-14.2%
12	Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU), Russia	1.06	5.26	10	378.8%
13	Peoples Friendship University of Russia (PFUR), Russia	1.39	4.29	19	197.9%
14	National University of Science and Technology (MISIS), Russia	6.85	4.06	70	-42.8%
15	Southern Federal University (SFedU), Russia	3.48	3.63	18	0.4%
16	Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), Russia	4.84	3.53	104	-29.6%
17	Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), Russia	2.19	3.26	65	43.7%
18	Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR), Russia	2.89	2.98	12	-0.3%
19	Saratov State University (SGU), Russia	1.54	2.91	13	82.2%
20	P.G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University, Russia	0.64	2.00	2	199.2%
21	Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod (UNN), Russia	2.97	1.88	10	-38.9%
22	Samara State Technical University, Russia	0.30	1.86	7	496.2%
23	I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (FMSMU), Russia	1.19	1.82	34	47.9%
24	South Ural State University (SUSU), Russia	0.91	1.57	22	66.0%
25	Kazan National Research Technological University (KNRTU), Russia	0.03	1.46	4	4,961.5%
26	Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU), Russia	1.20	1.44	18	16.0%
27	Siberian Federal University (SibFU), Russia	1.12	1.44	18	23.6%
28	Samara National Research University, Russia	2.75	1.40	5	-50.9%
29	Moscow Technological University (MIREA), Russia	1.72	1.30	5	-26.9%
30	Tomsk State Pedagogical University (TSPU), Russia	2.40	1.28	9	-48.4%
31	Dubna State University, Russia	0.00	0.89	6	0.0%
32	Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), Russia	1.44	0.87	9	-41.7%
33	D. Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Russia	0.93	0.80	8	-17.1%
34	Moscow State Pedagogical University (MSPU), Russia	0.38	0.76	4	96.0%
35	Far Eastern State Transport University (FESTU), Russia	0.35	0.60	10	66.6%
36	Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology (ISUCT), Russia	0.98	0.60	1	-40.7%
37	Saint-Petersburg Electrotechnical University (LETI), Russia	0.77	0.60	7	-24.9%
38	Bashkir State University (BashSU), Russia	0.01	0.59	4	9,206.0%
39	Bashkir State Pedagogical University (BSPU), Russia	1.46	0.58	1	-61.4%
40	Irkutsk State University (ISU), Russia	0.84	0.56	3	-35.7%
41	Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU), Russia	0.81	0.52	15	-37.7%
42	Ulyanovsk State University (USU), Russia	0.00	0.50	1	0.0%
42	Pacific National University (PNU), Russia	0.00	0.50	1	0.0%
43	Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Russia	0.07	0.49	3	558.8%
44	Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (IKBFU), Russia	1.62	0.41	5	-75.6%
45	Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, Russia	1.00	0.38	2	-63.4%
46	Dagestan State University (DSU), Russia	0.00	0.38	1	10,349.0%
47	Volgograd State University (VolSU), Russia	0.00	0.36	2	0.0%
48	Vernadsky Crimean Federal University (CFUV), Russia	0.00	0.31	2	0.0%
49	Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev (NNSTU), Russia	0.08	0.29	1	230.6%
50	Yandex School of Data Analysis, Russia	0.30	0.26	36	-16.7%
51	Saint-Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation (SUAI), Russia	0.00	0.25	1	0.0%
51	Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University, Russia	0.00	0.25	1	0.0%
51	Saint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical Academy (SPCPA), Russia	0.10	0.25	1	141.0%
52	Privolzhsky Research Medical University, Russia	0.08	0.21	1	152.9%
53	Vladimir State University named after Alexander and Nikolay Stoletovs, Russia	0.16	0.20	1	23.5%
54	North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk (NEFU), Russia	0.21	0.20	4	-5.5%
55	Kuban State University (KubSU), Russia	0.00	0.18	1	0.0%
55	Penza State University, Russia	0.03	0.18	1	519.2%
56	Chelyabinsk State University (CSU), Russia	0.01	0.17	1	1,780.1%
56	Astrakhan State Technical University (ASTU), Russia	0.00	0.17	1	0.0%
57	Russian State Hydrometeorological University (RSHU), Russia	0.00	0.13	2	0.0%
58	North-Caucasus Federal University (NCFU), Russia	0.00	0.13	1	0.0%
59	N.P. Ogarev Mordovia State University, Russia	0.05	0.11	2	130.0%
60	Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy, Russia	0.00	0.10	1	0.0%
60	Russian State Geological Prospecting University (MGRI-RSGPU), Russia	0.06	0.10	1	54.3%
61	Sirius University of Science and Technology, Russia	0.00	0.09	8	0.0%
62	Blagoveschensk State Pedagogical University (BSPU), Russia	0.00	0.09	1	0.0%
63	Togliatti State University, Russia	0.00	0.08	1	0.0%
63	Syktyvkar State University, Russia	0.29	0.08	1	-71.9%
64	Kemerovo State University (KemSU), Russia	0.01	0.07	2	706.8%
65	Petrozavodsk State University (PetrSU), Russia	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
65	Moscow State Institute of Radio-engineering, Electronics and Automation, Russia	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
66	Moscow Power Engineering Institute (MPEI), Russia	0.11	0.06	1	-50.4%
66	Pskov State University, Russia	0.00	0.06	1	0.0%
66	Buryat State University (BSU), Russia	0.00	0.06	1	0.0%
67	Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (PRUE), Russia	0.09	0.05	1	-52.2%
68	Novosibirsk State University of Architecture, Design and Arts (NSUADI), Russia	0.00	0.04	1	0.0%
68	Tyumen Industrial University (TYUIU), Russia	0.00	0.04	1	0.0%
69	Saratov State Medical University named after V. I. Razumovsky, Russia	0.00	0.03	1	0.0%
70	Dubna International University of Nature, Society and Man, Russia	0.17	0.03	1	-81.9%
71	East Siberian Academy of Culture and Arts (VSGIK), Russia	0.00	0.03	1	0.0%
72	Ural State Pedagogical University (USPU), Russia	0.00	0.02	1	0.0%
73	Primorskaya State Academy of Agriculture, Russia	0.00	0.02	1	0.0%
74	Bashkir State Medical University, Russia	0.00	0.01	1	0.0%
75	University of Tyumen (UT), Russia	1.05	0.00	1	-99.5%
76	Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University (SPBFTU), Russia	0.00	0.00	1	0.0%
76	Altai State University (ASU), Russia	0.20	0.00	1	-98.8%
76	Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University named after V. P. Astafyev, 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.
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2021 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions

Table criteria

Footnote