The article provides a description of the project «Developing and Approbating a Template Methodology for National Ranking of Higher Education Institutions» which is being implemented by National Training Foundation collaboratively with International Organisations Research Institute of the National Research University Higher School of Economics on request of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. The paper presents conceptual aspects of comparative analysis of global, national and special rankings. These aspects are crucial for developing elements of a template methodology for national ranking of Russian higher education institutions. This template methodology will take into account international and Russian practice of universities’ rankings.