Times Higher Education focuses on judging research-led universities based on "teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook." The first rankings list was published in 2010, where MSU was ranked at No. 122, which is 40 places below the 2014-15 rankings.

Times Higher Educations also publishes a ranking list based on the universities' reputations. MSU came between No. 61 and 70 based on those rankings. The reputation rankings are subjective and conducted through an invite-only academic survey asking senior scholars to list the "top 100 most powerful global university brands," as stated by Times Higher Education.

On the other hand, MSU has not been keeping up its position among world and national ranking lists.

Another London-based publication, QS, ranked MSU at No. 195 in their QS World University Rankings 2014, dropping 24 places from last year's No. 171 rank. MSU has always been placed around the top 200 universities in the QS rankings.

MSU's rank also dropped in the Academic Ranking of World Universities list of 2014, coming in between No. 101 and 150. This is the lowest rank that MSU has placed in since the publication's ranking lists launched in 2003. In 2013, the Chinese publication placed MSU at No. 92. 

Academic Ranking of World Universities placed the university between No. 53 and 64, also dropping from last year's No. 50 

On the national level, MSU came in at No. 85, according to the U.S. News and World Report Nest Colleges Ranking. It also ranked at No. 35 in the Top Public Schools list.