On October 9, 2025, the authoritative British publication Times Higher Education (THE) published the results of its annual global university rankings. This year, 2,191 universities from 115 countries made the list (2,092 in 2024), confirming the growing competition in higher education. By comparison, only 7% of 30,000 universities worldwide meet THE's rigorous criteria.

The top 10 rankings are traditionally occupied by universities from the United States and the United Kingdom. Oxford University (United Kingdom) leads the rankings, maintaining its first place for the tenth consecutive year. It is followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton University (United States).

This year, Russia is represented by 80 universities (81 in 2024). Lomonosov Moscow State University tops the national list, ranking 133rd globally. Bauman Moscow State Technical University (301–350) and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) (351–400) take second and third place among Russian universities.

Penza State University has once again entered the main list of THE rankings, placing in the 1501+ group. Among 80 Russian universities, PSU ranked 55th, improving its position compared to last year (in 2024, it ranked 56th out of 81 universities). Furthermore, PSU remains the only university in the Penza Region represented in the prestigious ranking.

Universities are assessed based on 18 indicators grouped into five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international prospects.

Inclusion in THE ranking confirms Penza State University's competitiveness on the international stage.