Step 1. Create your Personal account
Go to the admissions.nu.edu.kz portal and press the “Sign Up” button and fill out the required information in English. Please select the undergraduate program when choosing the academic level.
After completing the application, confirm it by clicking on the link sent to your email inbox.
Be sure to read the instructions about the application procedure given in your personal account.
Applicants eligible to participate in the competition belong to the following categories:
- Individuals who are students in the final year of secondary education institutions or in the final year of technical, vocational, or post-secondary education programs;
- Individuals currently enrolled in higher education institutions;
- Individuals who have completed secondary, post-secondary, or higher education.
Step 2. Fill out the application form
Open the Foundation and Undergraduate Programs link on the “My Application Forms” page and fill out the Foundation and Undergraduate Application Form that includes a consent form for personal data processing. Make sure you have entered all the required information in the correct manner and press the “Upload” button.
Step 3. Submit the required documents
After filling out the application form, you are required to upload to your personal account:
- a scanned copy of proof of your studies at a final grade/course with a photo (according to the template in one of the languages, the handwritten text will not be accepted) or a scanned version of a certificate/diploma with transcripts if you have already completed a relevant level of study.
- a scanned copy of national ID card and/or passport. The copies from eGov or any other platforms/electronic services are not accepted. Important: to take the entry exam, an applicant must have an original of a passport or a national identity card that was uploaded to your personal account;
Upload a 3×4 photo for documents to the “Profile” section in your personal account. - The format of requested documents is available in a personal account.
Step 4. Pay the application fee and submit the application
To finalize the application process, please click on the “PAY AND SUBMIT APPLICATION” button in your personal account under the “My Application Forms” section. The application fee shall be paid online through the payment options available in the personal account. The use of other payment methods for the application fee are not acceptable.
The application fee is 10,000 tenge. The application fee is increased 3 times from the established amount when paid within the last two weeks before the first officially-approved during the extension period for accepting applications for participation in the admission process (30 000 tenge).
The application fee is non-refundable, irrespective of the application outcome or payment errors.
If you don’t have a personal card, you may use the card of another person.
After submission, applicants cannot make any changes in their applications and submitted documents.
The Admissions Office will check your application and contact you if there is an issue with the application or inform you of any missing documents and the deadlines to submit them. Incomplete or incorrect applications will not be considered in the competition.
Step 5. Submit IELTS/ TOEFL certificate (only after paying the application fee and submitting the application)
In order to provide IELTS/TOEFL certificates, applicants should fulfill the following requirements:
- Send an official electronic report of a valid IELTS/TOEFL certificate via the test administrator directly to NU;
- Upload a scanned copy and insert the TRF number into the “Upload IELTS/TOEFL results” section of your personal account. Applicants can submit any number of certificates for the competition, but the last certificate uploaded to their personal account will be considered.
IELTS/TOEFL certificates are considered without superscoring.
Take care when entering information regarding codes for test certificate submission via the test administrator or the test center. See below:
- Code for IELTS: NU, Admissions Office
- Code for TOEFL iBT: 6762
Detailed instructions about providing IELTS/TOEFL certificates are available in applicants’ personal accounts.
- Minimum requirements for language test results are available in the “Entry examinations and requirements” section;
- Tests taken remotely, such as IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, and TOEFL PDT, are not considered in the competition;
- All provided certificates must be valid by August 1, 2026 – the beginning of the respective academic year.
- The deadline for submission of IELTS/TOEFL certificates is available in the “Important dates” section.
- Please note that submitting IELTS/TOEFL certificates to NU’s electronic database is not the responsibility of the university. You should contact the test center independently and ensure your certificate has been sent. Please allow at least 7-10 working days for this process. If the certificate is received after the deadline specified by the Admissions Department, results will not be considered in the competition.
Further steps
Please keep in mind that sometimes letters from the university may go to the spam folder.
All programs (a-z)
Find your program
At NU, you can follow your dreams, develop your skills, and realize your ambitions through our world-class, high-quality academic programs.
Admission Requirements
This is the Regular Admission, to see the requirements for Financial aid and scholarships please follow the link.
The following requirements apply for enrollment in NU’s Foundation year program
NUFYP (Nazarbayev University Foundation Year Program) – a one-year intensive preparatory program for admission to the university’s undergraduate program
| Regular Requirement | Minimum Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| English Proficiency Test | IELTS Overall: 5.5; |
|
| GPA or equivalent** and/or UNT in English*** | 3.5 out of 5.0 |
|
The following requirements are required to enroll in NU’s undergraduate programs
The undergraduate program is a four-year higher education program leading to an academic bachelor’s degree.
| Regular Requirement | Minimum Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| English Proficiency Test | IELTS: Overall 6.0; 6.0 - Writing; 5.5 - Listening, Speaking, Reading the equivalent TOEFL score as posted on the ETS website; |
|
| GPA or equivalent** and/or UNT in English*** | 4.0 out of 5.0 |
|
For detailed information:
All provided certificates must be valid by August 1, 2026, the beginning of the respective academic year;
The deadline for submission of IELTS/TOEFL certificates is available in the “Important dates” section;
IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, and TOEFL PDT results are not considered in the competition;
**Subject to change for the 2026 intake.
Important Dates
The deadline for the NUFYP and undergraduate programs:
International applicants from countries eligible for visa issuance before arrival: September 27 – June 1, 2026 (2 p.m. Astana time)
Citizens of Kazakhstan: September 27 – July 24, 2026 (2 p.m. Astana time)
International applications from countries eligible for visa issuance upon arrival: September 27 – July 24, 2026 (2 p.m. Astana time)
Provision of IELTS/TOEFL results for the NUFYP and undergraduate programs
International applicants from countries eligible for visa issuance before arrival: June 1, 2026 (11:59 p.m. Astana time)
Citizens of Kazakhstan: July 24, 2026 (11:59 p.m. Astana time)
International applications from countries eligible for visa issuance upon arrival: July 24, 2026 (11:59 p.m. Astana time)
Razida Kenes
School of Mining and Geosciences • BSc Petroleum Engineering, 2023
Sabira Baidildina
Center for Preparatory Studies • Nazarbayev University Foundation Year Program (NUFYP)
Tuition fees
Foundation
The tuition fee for the Foundation Year Program is $12,000 for the 2026/2027 academic year for both local and international students.
To learn more about tuition fees, please contact us at bursars_office@nu.edu.kz.
Undergraduate
The tuition fee for undergraduate programs is $15,000 for the 2026/2027 academic year for both local and international students.
To learn more about tuition fees, please contact us at bursars_office@nu.edu.kz.
This is the Regular Admission, to see the requirements for Financial aid and scholarships please follow the page Financial Aid & Scholarships
Other opportunities
Mid-year Intake on a fee-paying basis
The undergraduate program, with a mid-year start, is an additional admission period in which applicants will be enrolled on a fee-paying basis for the spring semester.
Applicants will participate in the undergraduate programs mid-year intake competition on a fee-paying basis following the standard selection process as the general admission process that is regulated by the admission policy and procedures for undergraduate programs. Students enrolled in this competition will begin their studies in the spring semester.
The following applicants can participate in the selection process:
- Applicants who have already graduated from secondary schools
- Current students of other universities
The “NUET applicants” category will only be considered with NUET results obtained in the current calendar year. Minimum entry requirements: a total NUET score of at least 130, with a minimum of 60 in each subject (Mathematics, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving)
To apply, you must create a personal account at admissions.nu.edu.kz.
Important: applicants applying and recommended for enrollment in the spring semester of the undergraduate programs on a fee-paying basis do not participate in selection for awarding an educational grant “NU” and other grants.
Online application period:
- September 26 – November 29, 2024 (2 p.m. Astana time)
Deadline for submission of test results to NU:
- SAT/ACT and IELTS/TOEFL – November 29, 2024.
The test must be sent to the university address via the test administrator, using the institutional code for NU.
- NU, Admissions Department – for IELTS
- 6762 – for TOEFL
- 7915 – for SAT
- 5521 – for ACT
Non-Degree Study
Non-degree study (NDS) – an educational option allowing a student to study with no commitment to obtain a degree.
Students are entitled to all benefits available to university students in accordance with the conditions set by the university. The study plan fully corresponds to the bachelor’s degree programs, depending on the chosen major. However, the education is offered exclusively on a fee-paying basis. The cost varies depending on the number of credits (ECTS) of the courses chosen.
Students studying with this option can become degree-pursuing students upon meeting certain criteria according to the internal documents of the university.
To take part in the competition for NDS, applicants must apply to the undergraduate program according to the admission policy and procedures within the application period. At the same time, their results may not meet the entry requirements of the undergraduate program, but are not lower than the results indicated below:
- IELTS results with a total score of 6.5 or an equivalent TOEFL result – a total score of 79 (no minimum requirements for sections);
And also by a category:
- SAT/ACT applicants: Digital SAT – 1150, ACT – 23;
- A-level/NIS Grade 12 Certificate holders: BBB in any subjects;
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma holders: total score – 27 and 4, 4, 4 for three high level subjects
- UNT certificate in English: Mathematical literacy: 9,
Reading literacy: 9; - NUET – 110 (40,40).
Announcements
FAQ
What does NUFYP mean?
NUFYP (Nazarbayev University Foundation Year Program) is a one-year intensive program at the Center for Preparatory Studies of Nazarbayev University. The program provides intensive personal development, study skills, mathematics, and academic-language proficiency preparation for the undergraduate programs of Nazarbayev University. Education in this program is available under the state grant or other forms of funding, as well as on a fee-paying basis. Following the results of study in the Foundation Year Program, students are accepted to Nazarbayev University undergraduate programs.
Can a 10th-grade student apply to NUFYP?
No, he/she cannot. Only final-year students and graduates of secondary/post-secondary educational organizations can take part in the competition for admission to NUFYP. In other words, to participate in the competition for admission to NUFYP, an applicant must be a student of a final grade/course or have graduated from a school or postsecondary educational organization. In order to confirm their status, applicants provide a verification letter from the school (spravka) or school diploma.
Is it possible to combine studies in high school and NUFYP at Nazarbayev University?
Combining studies is not possible. At the time of enrollment and study at NU, a student of NUFYP must be a graduate of a secondary/post-secondary educational organization. NUFYP is a full-time program.
What is the language of instruction at Nazarbayev University?
The language of instruction at Nazarbayev University is English.
Is it compulsory to enroll in NUFYP?
Admission to NUFYP after high school/college is optional. Applicants can enroll directly in the undergraduate program.
