The Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs recently assessed educational programs in Kazakh universities. The ranking aims to evaluate educational programs of institutions of higher learning to provide information to prospective students and their parents, employers, and educational institutions.
This ranking is based on 19 criteria, including employment rates, salaries, and post-graduation job search duration.
Azamat Beisenbenov, the Managing Director of NCE Atameken, shared the results of the rankings during a briefing at the Central Communications Service under the President of Kazakhstan.
"For the 2023 ranking, we analyzed data of the 2022 graduates to assess job search duration, salary levels, and overall employment. We utilized graduates' monthly pension contributions from August 2022 to July 2023. It is important to note that this data was provided by the Center for Human Resources Development, and we followed all confidentiality standards, as the information was anonymized, adhering to personal data processing rules," explained Azamat Beisenbenov.
Covering 121 specializations and 2,090 programs, the ranking garnered insights from 100,235 graduates and engaged 190 industry experts nationwide. The outcomes revealed a notable increase in the 2023 average employment rate, reaching 82.8%, representing a 3.3% surge compared to the previous year's figure of 79.5%.
The median salary of graduates remained stable at 168,156 tenge, slightly higher than the preceding year's figure of 167,577 tenge. Job search duration averaged 79 days, with 70% of graduates securing employment within the first three months after graduation. One percent of graduates spent over six months searching for a job.
For Master's graduates of 2022, the analysis showed an 80.1% employment rate.
Further insights from the rankings spotlighted that 68% of programs met employer expectations, while 30% met requirements but needed updates, and only 2% needed improvement.
In 2023, a new criterion, referred to as general university indicators, assessed overall institutional efficiency and quality. This included the student-to-faculty ratio, scientific activity, faculty academic degrees, and median faculty salaries.
The analysis revealed an average student-to-faculty ratio of 17.5 students per teacher. While 46% of the faculty held academic or scientific degrees, it was noted that the scientific proficiency of 26% of the faculty did not align with established norms. In terms of compensation, the median faculty salary in 2023 experienced a substantial increase, reaching 426,472 tenge. The highest median salary among teaching staff was recorded in Astana at 559,704 tenge, whereas the lowest median salary was documented in the Kyzylorda region, amounting to 228,014 tenge.