This year SSU celebrates its 110^th anniversary, and the university has been inserted in the Three University Missions International Ranking. On 19 September the list of top-1200 universities in the world was released. The ranking was done by the Three University Missions Moscow International University Ranking. Saratov University took the 701^st-800^th position in the world rating and the 25^th-32^nd position among Russian universities.

There were included in the 2019 ranking 1200 universities from 79 countries, including 74 Russian universities. The last rating has been improved because the 2018 ranking included top-333 universities in the world. Also for the first time the universities were examined by 16 authoritative specialists all over the world, and each of them received preliminary listing results.

The Moscow International University Ranking is a totally new academic rating which for the first time evaluates all the three key university missions – education, research, and social cooperation. The ranking methodology had been discussed in Russia and abroad, and representatives of more than 100 universities took part in the debates. Its Expert Council consists of 25 experts from 16 countries.

The international experts used only objective criteria, and reputational surveys were completely excluded. The information resources had been broadened in comparison with those traditionally used by other popular rankings. So the information resources included the open data of the official web-sites of universities and national governmental bodies as well as the data of independent international resources – Clarivate Analytics, Elsevier, Coursera, edX, Wikipedia, Google, Yandex, Baidu, Facebook, Twitter, VK, Sina Weibo, Alexa, web-sites of international student olympiads and research awards from the IREG List of International Academic Awards.

The rating project was initiated by the Russian Rectors’ Union, according to the order of the President of Russia Vladimir V. Putin. Its operator is the Rating, Ranking, and Other Effectiveness Evaluation Association, the members of which are leading raking and research centres.

It should be marked that SSU has demonstrated sustainable results in a few prestigious international rankings. Saratov University has been included into the QS World University Rankings for the sixth time, and now it holds a high post (the 521^st-530^th) in the world and the 17^th position among 25 Russian universities from the ranking. For the last few years Saratov University has strengthened its position in the group, and it, traditionally, competes with such significant universities as Tomsk Polytechnic University (the 387^th position), Kazan Federal University (the 392^nd position), the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (the 392^nd position), ITMO University (the 436^th position), Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (the 439^th position), and the National University of Science and Technology MISIS (the 451^st position).

The important QS criteria are education and research indicators, and Saratov University has demonstrated good results in these spheres. SSU holds the 9^th position among other Russian universities due to its h-index indicator.

Saratov University has also been included into the Times Higher Education Rankings for the last four years. Together with other Russian universities inserted into the list SSU takes the 1001+ position. In total, 39 Russian universities have been ranked there.

13 effectiveness indicators are used in the THE ranking, e.g. teaching (educational environment), research (scope, revenue, and reputation), research influence (quoting), international outlook (academic staff members, students, and research), and industry income (knowledge transfer).

Due to strengthening its positions in international rankings SSU demonstrates effective development in all the spheres – research, education, public activity, and brand PR. And the fact that Saratov University has been included into a new respectable rating – the Three University Missions Moscow International University Ranking – demonstrates that traditions and innovations have been successfully combined.