KazNU – the Leading University of Central Asia

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University reaffirmed its position as the leading university in Central Asia by ranking 38th in the prestigious QS Asia University Rankings 2026.

This year, QS Quacquarelli Symonds released the largest edition of the ranking in its history, featuring 1,529 universities from 25 countries, including 73 institutions from Central Asia (https://www.topuniversities.com/asia-university-rankings).

Kazakhstan has notably strengthened its presence, increasing the number of ranked universities from 35 to 44. Among them, Al-Farabi KazNU once again emerged as the No. 1 university in the region and the only Central Asian university included in the top 40 universities in Asia.

KazNU’s strong position is driven by high performance in 6 of the 11 key QS indicators, including: Academic reputation, Employer reputation, Faculty student ratio, International students ratio, Inbound Exchange students, Outbound Exchange students and Staff with PhD.

These achievements make KazNU the only university in Central Asia to consistently rank among the top 50 in Asia, reflecting its academic strength, research capacity and growing international recognition.

Only three universities from Central Asia made it into the top 100, and all of them are from Kazakhstan: Al-Farabi KazNU – 38th, L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University – 61st, and Satbayev University – 79th. This result highlights not only KazNU’s national leadership but also Kazakhstan’s growing visibility and influence in the Asian higher education landscape.

Press-service of Al-Farabi KazNU