Nazarbayev University

Nazarbayev University was established in 2010 in Astana and operates on an autonomous basis with its own governance. Teaching and research are conducted entirely in English, which distinguishes it from the older Kazakh universities.

It was built from the outset with partnerships with established international universities shaping its schools, which cover engineering and digital sciences, sciences and humanities, medicine, education, mining and geosciences, and business.

The academic model follows the Anglo-American pattern more closely than the post-Soviet one: credit-based degrees, continuous assessment, and a research-led faculty recruited internationally.

Admission is more selective than at most institutions in the region and is assessed on academic merit.

• A strong secondary record with the subject background the programme requires, for undergraduate entry.
• Standardised test results where the university requests them, published per programme and per admission cycle.
• English proficiency at the published minimum — this is a genuine requirement since all instruction is in English.
• A personal statement and academic references.
• For graduate admission: a relevant bachelor's degree, a statement of purpose, references and any departmental requirements.

Unusual in the region: an English-medium university where most admitted students receive substantial support, so the published fee describes few people's actual cost.

• A published tuition fee, but most admitted students receive support covering it — so admission, not funding, is the competitive step.
• Support commonly extends to accommodation and a stipend, which makes the total cost of studying here low relative to comparable English-medium universities.
• Set per level — undergraduate, master's and doctoral are priced and funded differently.
• A foundation year is available where academic preparation falls short of direct entry, priced separately.
• Additional costs — visa, insurance and document attestation.

Because support follows admission here rather than being applied for separately, the useful question is what the package covers, not what the fee is. Work from the university's admissions office for your specific programme and year of entry — it is the only figure that will be correct for you, and it is republished every year. We will confirm the current cost and what it includes before you commit to an application.

Nazarbayev University is unusual in the region for the scale of support it offers admitted students, with awards capable of covering tuition together with accommodation and a stipend. Admission is highly selective and funding is decided alongside it rather than applied for separately.

• Full-coverage support — for admitted students, covering tuition with accommodation and a stipend.
• Graduate research funding — attached to research programmes.
• Partial awards — where full support is not granted.

Because funding follows admission here, the admission application is the scholarship application. There is no second chance at it later in the cycle.

A modern, purpose-built, English-medium campus in Astana, established with international partner universities and run to international norms.

• A single modern campus, largely under one interconnected roof — which matters, given the climate.
• Teaching entirely in English, with faculty recruited internationally.
• On-campus residence for most students, included in the support package for many.
• Well-equipped libraries, laboratories and sports facilities, all recently built.
• A small, selective and international student body, which makes for a close community.
• Astana winters are severe — genuinely cold, for several months. The connected campus design is a direct response to it.

The climate is the honest caveat. Astana has one of the coldest winters of any capital city, and while the campus is built for it, it is a significant adjustment for students from South Asia.