The Association of Ranking Compilers (ARC) has released the second edition of the Russian version of the BRICS University Pilot Ranking. The ranking features 750 universities from 20 countries. Seventy-five percent of the ranked institutions are located in five nations: China (216 universities), Russia (169), India (97), Brazil (56), and Iran (28).

This ranking is part of the "Three University Missions" family and follows a pilot study published in 2024. In 2025, the ranking's geographical coverage was expanded significantly, reflecting the rapid growth of the BRICS association.

The winners of the 2025 ranking are Peking University (1st place), Lomonosov Moscow State University (2nd place), and Saint Petersburg State University (3rd place), which displaced last year's runner-up, Tsinghua University, from the podium.

MSUPE has once again been included in the Russian version of the BRICS University Pilot Ranking. A total of four pedagogical universities subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Education are represented in this ranking.

The methodology of the Russian version of the BRICS University Pilot Ranking is based on the approaches used to compile the global "Three University Missions" list—the first academic ranking widely discussed at the international level from its early stages of creation. At the same time, changes were introduced to the ranking model to account for the national specificities of educational institutions in BRICS countries.

The ranking seeks to identify universities that excel across three core missions: education, research, and social engagement. It relies exclusively on verifiable, objective metrics , avoiding subjective expert surveys.

"The wide range of criteria in the 'Three University Missions' ranking family allows for an objective assessment of all key university missions—educational, scientific, and societal—helping to identify the strengths and weaknesses of higher education in different countries. For example, Russian and Chinese universities can take credit for their educational activities—the top 100 by this parameter immediately includes 85 universities from Russia and China. Chinese universities are also widely represented in the top for scientific activity, while South African universities demonstrate high indicators in the 'third mission'," noted Dmitry Grishankov, General Director of the Association of Ranking Compilers, Advisor to the President of the Russian Union of Rectors, and Deputy Chairman of the Public Council under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

The full ranking is available on the official website of the Moscow International "Three University Missions" Ranking.

The list of Russian universities participating in the ranking has been published on the RAEX website.