In this paper we investigate the relationship between education and trust in Russia. Based on survey data of 68 regions of Russia our analysis showed that the average level of education in the region is the main variable that consistently correlated with the level of trust.
At the individual level, education is the main predictor of trust, as well as participation in the non-profit organizations and associations. Controlling for unobserved individual characteristics, we estimated the marginal effect of education – each additional year of education increases the probability of a positive answer to the trust question of 5%. In addition, education produces significant positive externalities – an increase of one individual's level of education positively affects the probability of trust and social consensus estimate by another. Possible mechanisms for this connection include socialization during the learning process, accumulation of personal contacts and formation of shared values.