ALMATY – Kazakhstan has entered the world’s top 500 universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. The report, released on Oct. 9, highlights Kazakhstan’s growing strength in higher education.
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This year’s ranking included five Kazakh universities, making Kazakhstan the most represented country in the region. Nazarbayev University (NU) secured its highest-ever position, achieving a historic breakthrough in the 401–500 band.
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University maintained its position in the 1201–1500 range, while L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Satbayev University, and the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University also secured spots.
The ranking recorded a surge in participation from across the region, with 17 universities from five countries making the global table — the highest number ever.
Uzbekistan, which had no ranked institutions two years ago, has four universities included, with the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanisation Engineers breaking into the top 600 for the first time.
Azerbaijan doubled its representation to four universities and showed improvements across all indicators, with an average score increase of 4.0. Georgia also strengthened its academic presence with three ranked institutions.
According to THE, these results underscore the region’s growing role in global higher education.
“These are exciting times indeed for the region: a burgeoning research culture and increasing recruitment of international talent combined with a unique ‘Eurasian’ location set things up very well for further success,” said the organization’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Phil Baty.
Kazakhstan’s performance in the 2026 rankings confirms its status as the region’s academic leader. With five universities on the global list and NU reaching the top 500, the country is setting a benchmark for neighboring states.
