This study is aimed to study the mechanisms that contribute to increasing the economic independence of universities, which in conditions of high dependence on-budget funding is exceptionally relevant in Russia. Even though the share of extra-budgetary revenues is growing at most Russian universities, this growth is heterogeneous and partly due to the "low base effect". To determine the factors of economic independence of universities, we used data on the 49 largest universities in Russia over four years, taken from monitoring the effectiveness of higher educational institutions. The primary research method is regression analysis using panel data models. The analysis reveals that the share of extra-budgetary funds of the university is positively influenced by factors such as the number and quality of publications, the number of journals published by the university, and the ratio of employees to the regional average. These dependencies are important in the long-term comprehensive planning of university activities.