Higher education in the Republic of Kazakhstan (2023)

Key indicators

592.7 thousand people

The total number of students amounted to 592.7 thousand people, of whom 53% were women

171.7 thousand people

The number of accepted students in the current academic year amounted to 171.7 thousand people, of whom 52.8% were women

67.7 thousand students

During the previous academic year, 67.7 thousand students arrived, 68.7 thousand students dropped out, and 157.1 thousand people completed their studies

99.6%

Of the total number of students, 99.6% study full-time and 0.4% by correspondence

The number of students in higher education institutions by age

people, at the beginning of the academic year

The share of students enrolled in public institutions of higher education was 45.1%, in private organizations – 54.1%, in foreign organizations – 0.7%.

According to the admission quota, 64.3 thousand people study in higher education institutions, of which 23.3 thousand people are children from families with four or more minor children, 19.3 thousand people are citizens from among rural youth, 9.8 thousand people are children from single–parent families.

Number of students by region

thousand people, at the beginning of the academic year

Of the total number of enrolled students, 71.7% were accepted on the basis of general secondary education, 19.7% – on the basis of technical and vocational education and 8.7% – on the basis of higher education.

For students of the following specialties

as a percentage, at the beginning of the academic year

At the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year, 37391 teachers were employed in higher education organizations of the republic, of which 14982 people (40.1%) have an academic master's degree, 10504 people (28.1%) have a PhD degree, 4168 people (27.8%) have a PhD degree.

At the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the number of operating higher education institutions amounted to 112 organizations, including 77 universities, including research, 14 academies, 10 institutes and equivalent conservatories, higher schools and higher schools, 8 national higher education institutions, 3 national research universities.

Number of higher education institutions

units, at the beginning of the academic year

Of the total number of enrolled students, 71.7% were accepted on the basis of general secondary education, 19.7% – on the basis of technical and vocational education and 8.7% – on the basis of higher education.

Spreadsheets

At the beginning of the 2023/2024 academic year higher education in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Dynamics

Over the past 5 years, the number of organizations implementing higher education programs has decreased by 9.6%.

Compared to the 2018-2019 academic year, the number of students increased by 9.3%, but since 2019 there has been a decrease in this indicator.

The number of students and the number of higher education institutions

units, at the beginning of the academic year

Compared to the 2018-2019 academic year, the number of students in private educational institutions increased by 30.2 thousand people or 10.4%, in public organizations – by 21.4 thousand people or 8.7%. In foreign-owned educational institutions, this indicator decreased by 24.4%.

Glossary

The organization of higher and (or) postgraduate education is a higher educational institution that implements educational programs of higher and (or) postgraduate education and carries out research activities.

A university is an organization of higher and (or) postgraduate education that carries out scientific and pedagogical activities in various fields, personnel training, fundamental and (or) applied scientific research and is a leading scientific and methodological center.

The National Organization of Higher and (or) postgraduate education is an organization of higher and (or) postgraduate education that has a special status.

A research university is a university that implements a five–year development program approved by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and uses the results of its activities to integrate education and science, generate and transfer new knowledge and technologies.

National Research University is a research university with a special status.

An institute is an organization of higher and (or) postgraduate education that carries out scientific and pedagogical activities, as well as training personnel for professional activities.

An academy is an organization of higher and (or) postgraduate education that carries out scientific and pedagogical activities in a certain field and is a scientific and methodological center.

Bachelor's degree is a higher education, the educational programs of which are aimed at training personnel with the award of a bachelor's degree in the relevant specialty.

Bachelor's degree is a degree awarded to persons who have completed educational programs of higher education.

Methodological explanations

Educational programs of higher education are implemented in organizations of higher and (or) postgraduate education.

The main types of organizations of higher and (or) postgraduate education are the national research university, the national organization of higher and (or) postgraduate education, research university, university, academy, institute and equivalent to them (conservatory, higher school, higher school).

A student who has passed the final certification for the development of an educational program of higher education is awarded a bachelor's degree or a specialist qualification.

Links to related publications

Statistical collection «Education in the Republic of Kazakhstan»

Useful links