Where to go to study?

V. Potanin Foundation presented the rating of universities 2012/2013

On the eve of the summer admission to universities of the Russian Federation, the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation published its version of the answer to the question "Where to go to study?" – rating of higher educational institutions in Russia. It is compiled based on the results of the implementation of educational programs for students and young teachers. The list of the best universities is calculated according to the original methodology developed by the foundation's experts. The rating has been published annually since 2004 and is one of the most authoritative independent assessments of the quality of education at 58 universities in Russia.

According to the results of the 2012/2013 academic year , the top five state universities included:

1. St. Petersburg State University
2. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University)
3. Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N.Yeltsin
4. Novosibirsk State University
5. Lomonosov Moscow State University

How was the assessment conducted?The comprehensive rating of universities of the V. Potanin Charitable Foundation was calculated on the basis of the following data:

• testing students;
• a game tour that reveals the leadership and organizational qualities of applicants;
• expert and student evaluation of young teachers participating in the grant competition, as well as the victory of university representatives in the individual grants competition "Teacher Online";
• volunteer projects implemented by the fellows, presented at the Winter or Summer Schools of the Foundation.

What was evaluated?The general level of intelligence and erudition of excellent students of universities.

• It was determined based on the results of testing of full-time students who have excellent grades for the last two sessions.
• The degree of students' receptivity to the new, an active life position, a desire to develop are qualities that indicate the high competitiveness of graduates of this university. They were evaluated based on the results of a game tour that revealed the leadership and organizational abilities of students.
• The level of attention to teaching staff at the university. It was determined through a competition among young teachers (under the age of 35, with an academic degree and teaching experience of at least 3 years), who are nominated by the academic council. The works sent by applicants were reviewed by independent experts, and a survey of students was conducted in parallel. As a result, the teaching assessment consists of 40% of the students' opinion and 60% of the expert opinion.

In total, more than 15,000 students and about 300 teachers took part in the competitive selections of the 2012/2013 academic year.

Larisa Zelkova, General Director of the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation: "Our rating is about the product of the higher education system. We evaluate not the audience, not the technical means, not scientific publications, but the knowledge and activity of the best students who study at the university, as well as the knowledge and activity of promising young teachers. Our programs are competitive, so we have the opportunity, by conducting selection in all universities according to the same scenario, to get a fairly objective picture. Starting next year, the scholarship program will be conducted in a new format. Students and teachers of the master's degree will take part in it. And according to the results of the 2013/2014 academic year, in addition to the rating of universities, we plan to create our own rating of master's programs of universities."