Number of international students in Kazakh universities exceeds 35,000
EL.KZ Информационно-познавательный портал
Kazakhstan continues to strengthen its status as a key educational hub in Eurasia. In the 2025 academic year, the country’s universities are hosting 35,075 international students from 88 countries. Compared to last year, this marks an 11 percent increase, highlighting the dynamic development of internationalization and the growing competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s higher education sector, El.kz reports citing the press service of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Expanding geography and rising interest in Kazakh programs
The influx of students from South Asia, Central Asia, China, and Russia demonstrates steady demand for medical, engineering, IT, and socio-economic fields. The largest number of students came from India - 9,959 people - followed by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China, and Russia.
Most foreign students are concentrated in Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent.
Almaty hosts 18,195 students and forms the region’s largest educational cluster, uniting leading universities and medical schools.
Astana is reinforcing its role as an intellectual center through its expanding research initiatives, while Shymkent is strengthening its position as the industrial-educational hub of the South.
The competition between these metropolitan areas and Tashkent, Bishkek, and Baku reflects Kazakhstan’s growing influence in the regional education market.
National universities as key drivers of growth
National universities play a major role in attracting international students. Leading the list is Al-Farabi Kazakh National university which hosts 4,497 foreign citizens. It is followed by Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Satbayev University, Auezov South Kazakhstan University. The high concentration of foreign students in these universities indicates increasing trust in the quality of academic programs, research infrastructure, and international partnerships.
High demand for medicine, engineering, and IT
An analysis of study fields shows a strong dominance of medical disciplines - 12,950 international students. Significant interest is also seen in education, business and law, engineering, and information technology. This distribution reflects the global demand for technical and medical skills and underscores Kazakhstan’s position as a major provider of educational services for South and Central Asia.
Higher education reforms shaping long-term potential
Recent years have been marked by active modernization: branches of foreign universities are opening, research clusters are developing, standards are being updated, and global academic networks are expanding. All of this is building a solid foundation for boosting the sector’s export potential. Kazakhstan is not only strengthening its leadership among the educational centers of Central Asia but is also shaping its own regional hub.
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