World rankings affect universities’ positions on the global education market. The survey (2017-2018, UrFU) of Chinese students (n = 20) and experts (n = 4) found that for students the quality of education and their parents’ / friends’ opinions were the key factors in their university choice. Experts believe, however, that the role of rankings will grow and that high ranking positions will be used by universities to attract investment and improve their status.