Assessment of the Impact of Digital Factors on the Quality of Higher Education in Kazakhstan

In the context of the accelerating digital transformation of the economy, the importance of quantifying the impact of digital factors on the effectiveness of the higher education system is increasing. The purpose of the study is to analyze the impact of digitalization on the effectiveness of the educational process in higher education institutions in Kazakhstan. The methodological basis of the work consists of quantitative analysis methods, including the calculation of relative indicators of digitalization and educational effectiveness, as well as econometric modeling using the least squares method (OLS). The empirical base of the study was made up of statistical data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including indicators of the number of students, graduates, teachers, as well as the provision of universities with computer technology and Internet access. The results of the study show that during the analyzed period, the availability of Internet computers increased from 11.64 to 13.28 units per 100 students (+14.1%), while the graduation rate increased from 23.57% to 26.51% (+2.94 p.p.). The econometric analysis revealed a positive relationship between the level of digitalization and the effectiveness of the educational process: an increase in the availability of Internet computers by 1 unit per 100 students is accompanied by an increase in the graduation rate by an average of 2.09 percentage points (R2 = 0.874). The results show that digitalization is a significant factor in improving the effectiveness of higher education, but its impact is primarily quantitative and does not fully reflect qualitative changes in graduate training.