This article considers some patterns of ranking higher education institutions which are used in the Russian Federation to reveal strengths and weaknesses in meeting the national individual, societal and state-related needs, as well as those of the international academic community concerning relevant information on Russian higher education institutions. The following are appended: (1) Groups of Parameters for the Calculation of University Rankings; (2) Parameters of the Ranking System of the Russian Technical Universities Association; (3) Parameters of the "Kariera" Magazine Ranking; (4) Criteria for the Status of "Special Valued Object of Cultural Heritage of the Russian Federation"; and (5) Interpretation of Sub-Ranking Indices of the RAEE Universities Potential. (Contains 2 tables, 5 figures and 3 footnotes.)