Russia is among the countries with highest literacy rates of 54% of population who pursued the education at higher level. By the constitution of Russia, education is free for all people, although admission into the institutes to pursue higher education is extremely competitive.

The country highly focuses on scientific and technological studies that has set the standard of Russian medical, mathematical, aerospace and engineering research very high order. Moscow state university and saint Petersburg university are not only among the list of highest ranked universities internationally but also the biggest and oldest universities of Russia. Moscow state university is ranked 95th as of 2018 QS world international university rankings.

In early 2000’s, the government started ‘Federal university’ initiative with the aim to develop similar-scale research institutions and higher education centers in Russian regions, mainly by combining already existing large regional universities and research centers by providing them with required funding and campaigns. The institutions include Siberian Federal University, Northeastern Federal University, Kazan Volga Federal University, Far Eastern Federal University and Southern Federal University.