🇰🇿Kazakhstan Intelligence
Source: Home Office Immigration System Statistics, year ending March 2026.
Visas granted (2025)
959
Year-on-year change
+6.1%
Refusal rate (2025)
0.1%
Dominant course
Bachelors (44.6%) — overtook Masters in 2023
Student Visa Applications vs Visas Granted — Kazakhstan 2020 to 2025
Source: Home Office Immigration Statistics. Applications are visa applications submitted to UKVI, not university applications.
Note: Kazakhstan has shown unbroken growth every single year from 2020 to 2025 — a 65% increase in five years with zero decline years and near-zero refusal rates throughout.
2025 grants by course level
Note: Kazakhstan has the highest Below Bachelors proportion of any market in the growth section at 20.0% — one in five Kazakhstani students in the UK is on a foundation, A-level or English language programme. This is an exceptionally large pre-degree pipeline.
Bachelors vs Masters vs Below Bachelors — 2020 to 2025
Note: Bachelors overtook Masters in 2023 for the first time and the gap has widened every year since. Masters has been broadly flat since 2020 while Bachelors has grown 137%. This is a structural shift toward younger undergraduate students.
Refusal rate by course level
Percentage of applications refused, 2020–2025. Kazakhstan has near-zero refusal rates across all course levels and all years. The 2024 slight uptick to 2.1% overall resolved completely in 2025 back to 0.1%.
| Course level | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors | 0.5% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 2.6% | -0.5% |
| Masters | -1.0% | 1.3% | -1.1% | 0.0% | 1.8% | -0.3% |
| Below Bachelors | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.1% | 2.6% | 1.0% |
| Doctoral | -4.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.5% | -4.3% | 0.0% |
Quarterly visa grants — 2024 vs 2025
Note: Q3 dominates at 88% of annual volume — the most extreme Q3 concentration of any market in the growth section. Kazakhstan is almost entirely a September intake market. Year-round recruitment investment is not justified.
Bolashak — Kazakhstan's Prestigious Government Scholarship Programme and Why It Matters for UK Universities
Kazakhstan operates one of the most prestigious and long-standing government scholarship programmes of any source market. The Bolashak International Scholarship — founded in 1993 under President Nazarbayev and named after the Kazakh word for future — funds high-achieving Kazakhstani citizens to study at leading universities worldwide, covering full tuition fees, monthly living stipend, accommodation costs and return flights.
Scholarship holders must return to Kazakhstan and work in their field for a minimum of five years after completing their programme — ensuring Bolashak scholars are among the most motivated and academically committed students of any market. Crucially, Bolashak operates an approved university list. Universities not on the approved list are effectively excluded from the scholarship pipeline.
The 2026 Bolashak intake offered 50 Masters places and 10 PhD places for UK study — a small but highly prestigious and fully funded cohort. Queen's University Belfast, University of Sussex, University of Nottingham and Robert Gordon University are among UK institutions confirmed as approved Bolashak institutions. Universities seeking Bolashak approval should contact the Centre for International Programmes (CIP) in Astana directly. Priority subject areas for Bolashak funding include Engineering, Technology, Medicine, Economics, Agriculture and Education.
Sources: Bolashak.gov.kz; Queen's University Belfast Bolashak page June 2026; University of Nottingham Bolashak page.
Kazakhstan — The Gateway to Central Asian Recruitment
Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia with a population of 19 million and one of the fastest growing middle classes in the former Soviet space. GDP per capita has grown significantly over the past decade driven by oil revenues and economic diversification. The country has the highest English language proficiency in Central Asia and a strong tradition of overseas education dating back to the Soviet-era practice of sending elite students abroad.
Kazakhstan has 20 universities listed in the QS World University Rankings 2025 — more than any other Central Asian country — and is positioning itself as a regional education hub attracting students from across Central Asia, the GCC and China. For UK universities, Kazakhstan represents both a direct source market and a gateway — Kazakhstani students often have networks across Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Building a strong Kazakhstan presence is a practical first step into Central Asian recruitment more broadly.
Sources: The Business Year September 2025; QS World University Rankings 2025; British Council Central Asia.
University Applications (Undergraduate)
Kazakhstan is a growing UCAS undergraduate market consistent with the strong Bachelors growth in the visa data. Kazakhstani UCAS applicants are typically well-prepared academically — Kazakhstan has a rigorous school leaving examination system and high English language proficiency relative to the region. The large Below Bachelors cohort at 20% of visa grants represents a significant foundation and A-level programme pipeline. Universities with strong foundation pathway partnerships and international foundation year programmes are well positioned to capture Kazakhstani students at the pre-degree stage and retain them through to undergraduate and postgraduate completion. The Bolashak scholarship pipeline specifically targets Masters and PhD — universities on the approved list have a direct advantage for the postgraduate cohort.
Source: UCAS data; Bolashak.gov.kz 2026.
Agent landscape
| Agent | Description |
|---|---|
| Centre for International Programmes (CIP) Astana | The government body administering Bolashak scholarships. Not an agent but the essential relationship for any university seeking Bolashak approval and scholarship students. |
| SI-UK Kazakhstan | UK specialist with Almaty office, strong Russell Group relationships. |
| IDP Education Kazakhstan | Global player with Kazakhstan presence. |
| British Council Kazakhstan | Promotes UK education through Study UK brand with strong Kazakhstan presence and IELTS network. |
| IELTS Kazakhstan | Large British Council and IDP IELTS testing network in Kazakhstan — strong student preparation pipeline. |
| Kazakh-British Technical University (KBTU) | Almaty-based institution with strong UK university partnerships and student progression agreements. |
| Study Group Kazakhstan | Pathway provider with Kazakhstani student focus. |
| EduKaz | Almaty-based agent specialising in UK placements. |
| ApplyBoard | Tech platform with growing Kazakhstan partnerships. |
| Keystone Education Group | Digital platform tracking Kazakhstani student interest in UK. |
Recruiter insights
- Unbroken six-year growth trajectory — 65% growth from 583 grants in 2020 to 959 in 2025 with zero decline years. The most consistent growth trend in the Central Asian region.
- Near-zero compliance risk throughout — 0.1% overall refusal rate in 2025 and never above 2.1% in any year. Ideal for BCA compliance purposes.
- Bolashak approval is the priority gateway — universities not on the approved list are excluded from the most prestigious and fully funded scholarship pipeline. Contact CIP Astana directly to pursue approval.
- Bachelors overtook Masters in 2023 and growing fast — 137% Bachelors growth since 2020. UCAS visibility and foundation pathway partnerships are now the primary investment priority for Kazakhstan.
- Below Bachelors pipeline at 20% is exceptionally large — one in five Kazakhstani students is on a pre-degree programme. Foundation year and A-level programme capacity for Kazakhstani students is a strategic investment worth considering.
- Masters market has been flat since 2020 — the Bolashak scholarship drives the postgraduate cohort. Without Bolashak approval, Masters growth from Kazakhstan is limited.
- Q3 concentration at 88% is the highest of any market in the growth section. Virtually all Kazakhstani recruitment happens for September intake.
- Kazakhstan is the gateway to Central Asia — building brand recognition and agent networks in Kazakhstan opens doors to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
- British Council and IELTS network is strong — Kazakhstan has an established British Council presence and large IELTS testing network making English language qualification accessible.
Source: Home Office Immigration Statistics year ending March 2026; Bolashak.gov.kz 2026; Queen's University Belfast Bolashak page June 2026; The Business Year September 2025; QS World University Rankings 2025.