Dagestan State Medical University (DSMU) secured first place in the North Caucasian Federal District in the 2026 university ranking compiled by the RAEX agency, while Dagestan State University ranked fourth.
DSMU displaced Stavropol State Medical University, which had led the district ranking in 2024–2025. The assessment was based on three criterion groups—science, education and society—with DSMU gaining maximum points in the education category and strong results in the other areas. The ranking encompassed 290 universities across 78 regions in eight federal districts. Dagestan ranked third nationally in terms of representation, with 12 institutions included—trailing only Moscow and St. Petersburg.
RAEX highlighted several competitive advantages of Dagestani universities, including favorable staffing ratios (number of teachers per 100 students and share of faculty holding academic degrees) and success in attracting extrabudgetary funding. The agency notes that scientific indicators remain a limiting factor for further advancement, recommending improvements to the research infrastructure and increased publication activity. An additional distinguishing feature cited was the strong performance of Dagestani university teams in sports competitions, with results at all-Russian Universiades consistently exceeding the national average.