Kazakhstan has entered the ranks of the world’s higher education leaders for the first time. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, five Kazakhstani universities were included in the global table. The most notable achievement was Nazarbayev University reaching the 401–500 range — the highest result ever achieved by a Kazakhstani institution in international rankings.

Kazakhstan Strengthens Its Regional Leadership

Based on the results of 2025, Kazakhstan became the most represented country in Central Asia and the Caucasus. This year, five Kazakhstani universities made it into the ranking, with Nazarbayev University joining the global top 500 for the first time. In addition, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University retained its position within the 1201–1500 range. The list also includes L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Satbayev University, and the Kazakh Research and Agrarian University. Thus, the country strengthened its position not only in terms of the number of institutions represented but also in overall quality.

Regional Results

In 2026, a record number of universities from Central Asia and the Caucasus — 17 institutions from five countries — were included in the ranking.

Experts from Times Higher Education note that Central Asia and the Caucasus are emerging as a “new center of gravity” in the global academic landscape. In 2020, the region was represented by only three universities; today, that number has grown nearly sixfold.

About the World University Rankings

The World University Rankings is the most comprehensive and balanced assessment of research universities worldwide. Its methodology is based on 18 indicators grouped into five key areas:

✔ Teaching – quality of education and academic reputation;
✔ Research Environment – research income, productivity, and reputation;
✔ Research Quality – citation impact, research strength, and influence;
✔ International Outlook – share of international students, staff, and publications;
✔ Industry – collaboration with industry and patent activity.

The ranking takes into account data on 19 million publications, the results of 1.5 million expert votes from international academic surveys, and institutional statistics from more than 3,000 universities worldwide.