Kazakhstan's research university in Almaty teaches mainly in Kazakh and Russian, with English on some programmes. How international applicants are tested, what a year costs and what happens after the offer.
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) in Almaty is one of Kazakhstan's oldest universities, opened in 1934, and since 2022 it has held research university status by government decree. QS now lists it as Farabi University[1], and its website now sits at farabi.university. Teaching runs mainly in Kazakh and Russian, with English on some programmes, so for an international applicant the first question is language rather than grades. Foreigners are admitted on a fee-paying basis through the university's own subject tests and interviews, and the fee is paid a full year at a time. Indian applicants to medicine face one extra condition: a NEET score.
Location
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Establishment year
1934
Students
23,167
International students
3,498
Female students
58%
Place in ratings
There's not enough data to display the dynamics of this rating.
By subject
Subject
Place in QS 2024
Arts & Humanities
183
Engineering & Technology
290
Social Sciences & Management
308
Natural Sciences
401-450
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Scholarship options
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Key facts for international applicants
Location
Almaty; admissions office at 71/21 Al-Farabi Avenue
Status
Research university since July 2022
Languages of instruction
Kazakh and Russian; English in some faculties and programmes
Length of study
Bachelor's 4 years, master's 1–2 years, PhD 3–4 years; academic year from September to May
Bachelor's tuition, 2026/27 ("far abroad" rate)
2000000 KZT (≈4,410 USD) a year in Kazakh or Russian, 2200000 KZT (≈4,850 USD) in English
Selection
Bachelor's: subject test and language test; master's and PhD: interview
Intakes
Autumn intake opens 15 May; spring intake 16 October — 5 December
Dollar figures use the National Bank of Kazakhstan's official rate for 10 October 2026[2]; the university sets its fees in tenge.
Strengths and limitations of KazNU
Advantages of KazNU
Bachelor's tuition from about 4,410 USD a year
Most bachelor's programmes cost 2000000 KZT (≈4,410 USD) a year in Kazakh or Russian and 2200000 KZT (≈4,850 USD) in English at the far-abroad rate. Medicine and dentistry cost more, but the schedule is published in advance, so the yearly figure is known before you apply.
SAT, IB or A Level results can replace entrance exams
Besides its own entrance tests, KazNU admits international students with SAT, ACT, IB, A Level, TOEFL or IELTS results, converted on a national scale. Students from schools with international curricula can use scores they already have.
Two intakes a year
Documents are accepted for an autumn intake from 15 May and for a spring intake from 16 October to 5 December. Missing one window costs you half a year, not a whole one.
A large campus with 14 dormitories
KazNU describes its campus as a city within a city: 14 dormitories, a 5000-seat stadium and a library of nearly 2 million items. Students from other cities are offered dormitory places.
Limitations of KazNU
Most teaching is in Kazakh and Russian
English is available only in some faculties and programmes, and the university recommends language courses before study in Kazakh or Russian. If you speak only English, check that your programme is offered in English before you apply.
A full year is paid within five days of signing
The contract covers the whole programme, but 100% of the first year's fee must be paid within 5 days of signing, in tenge through Kazakh banks or in US dollars via SWIFT; the enrolment order is issued only after payment.
Translations must be made and notarised in Kazakhstan
Your school certificate or degree and transcripts need notarised translations into Kazakh made in Kazakhstan, and diplomas must carry an apostille. The apostille is done at home; the translation is arranged on arrival or through a representative.
International students study on a fee-paying basis
The exception is students enrolled under intergovernmental agreements; educational grants are provided by the Ministry of Education. If you apply independently, budget for the full cost of every year.
International applicants can apply to 15 faculties, including Mechanics and Mathematics, Physics and Technology, Medicine and Healthcare, Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence, International Relations, Oriental Studies and Law, each with bachelor's, master's and PhD programmes. MBA, EMBA and DBA programmes belong to Farabi Business School, which runs its own admission until 31 May.
Whatever the language, KazNU tests it itself: the bachelor's entrance stage includes a language test in Kazakh, Russian or English, and an international certificate is attached only if you have one. The exception is healthcare taught in English, where a valid certificate is required before the interview: IELTS Academic 5.0, TOEFL iBT 35 or Duolingo English Test 80 at minimum.
Applicants who speak none of the three languages can be enrolled in the preparatory faculty, which costs 1300000 KZT (≈2,860 USD) a year. Shorter options exist too: the Glossa Center of the Faculty of Philology teaches Kazakh, Russian and English all year, at 130000 KZT (≈290 USD) a month in a group.
Tuition fees for 2026/27
The fee schedule, approved on 10 July 2026, has separate columns for "near abroad" and "far abroad" applicants. The table shows the far-abroad column; the near-abroad rates are lower for most programmes. The schedule does not define the columns, so confirm with admissions which one applies to your citizenship.
Level and programme
Kazakh or Russian, a year
English, a year
Bachelor's, most faculties
2000000 KZT (≈4,410 USD)
2200000 KZT (≈4,850 USD)
Bachelor's: Medicine and Dentistry
2400000 KZT (≈5,290 USD)
2600000 KZT (≈5,730 USD)
Bachelor's: Faculty of Law
2100000 KZT (≈4,630 USD)
2200000 KZT (≈4,850 USD)
Master's
2700000 KZT (≈5,950 USD)
2700000 KZT (≈5,950 USD)
One-year master's (such as Finance, Accounting and Audit, Jurisprudence)
3000000 KZT (≈6,610 USD)
3000000 KZT (≈6,610 USD)
PhD
3500000 KZT (≈7,710 USD)
3500000 KZT (≈7,710 USD)
Ethnic Kazakhs without Kazakh citizenship pay the rates for Kazakh citizens, and shortened programmes, including entry after college, cost 70% of the full-time fee. Add mandatory medical insurance, a medical certificate with an HIV test and notarised translations to the budget; the university quotes the medical certificate from 4500 KZT (≈10 USD) and translations at about 10000 KZT (≈22 USD). Dormitory rates are not published on the pages for international students, so ask for them together with the contract.
Register. Online through the university portal, in person at the admissions office or by email to international@kaznu.kz; registration is open all year.
Upload the form and scans. Passport, diploma with apostille, transcript and your chosen programme; master's and PhD applicants add an IELTS or TOEFL certificate if they have one.
Take the tests or interview. Bachelor's applicants sit a subject test and a language test, and places go by score from a ranked list. Master's and PhD applicants have one interview on their subject and language; PhD candidates also present their proposed research topic.
Sign and pay. Contract for the whole programme, then full payment of the first year.
Visa invitation. Issued after the enrolment order, as described below.
Citizens of India applying to the Faculty of Medicine must submit a NEET certificate: the minimum is 134 points for the General Category and 107 points for SC, ST and OBC candidates, and applicants without NEET are not admitted.
Check deadlines carefully. The autumn intake closes on 20 August according to the page for foreign applicants but on 30 July according to the page for international students, so aim for July. Documents submitted after the deadline are not considered.
Visa and the first days in Almaty
After the enrolment order, KazNU arranges an invitation for a student visa valid for up to one year. You need the order number, a passport valid for at least two years, a copy of the contract, a completed visa form and a receipt for the state duty; processing takes at least 14 working days, after which you apply at the Kazakh consulate in your country.
Within two days of entering Kazakhstan, every international student must report in person to the Department of Internationalization and Recruitment at 71/21 Al-Farabi Avenue. Next come the original education documents, a fluorography scan, an HIV certificate and a vaccination record, an Individual Identification Number (IIN) from a Public Service Center, and an application for recognition (nostrification) of your school certificate or diploma; a valid medical insurance policy is compulsory. The medical examination must be done at authorised medical institutions in Kazakhstan.
KazNU fits applicants who can study in Russian or Kazakh, or who have found an English-taught programme in their field, and who can pay roughly 4,400-7,700 USD a year depending on level. A published fee schedule and two intakes make planning straightforward.
Look elsewhere if you need funding, a wide choice of English-taught degrees or instalment payments. Indian applicants to medicine should check their NEET score against the minimum before anything else. For a wider view, compare English-language entry requirements in our guides to the IELTS exam and the TOEFL exam.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an agent to apply to KazNU?
No. You can apply directly online, in person or by email. KazNU names only two authorised recruiting partners, Middle East For Educational Services LLP (Almaty and Dubai) and MK SNAB LLP (China), and publishes a list of accounts that are not authorised to recruit for it.
Can someone else submit my documents?
Yes. Besides the online platform, documents can be submitted in person, by email or by proxy. The originals are still checked after you arrive.
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