One of the ways of advancing quality in higher education is the ranking of higher education institutions (HEIs). In his state-of-the-nation Address the President tasked RK higher education establishments to join the ranks of the world’s best universities. National ratings are also relevant as they show school leavers and their parents, employers and state bodies, international and public organizations the quality of Kazakhstan HEIs and promote their emulation. The results of the ranking are posted on the web-site of the Independent Kazakhstan Quality Assurance Agency in Education (IQAA) www.iqaa.kz. In the article we set out the criteria by which the ranking of Kazakhstan’s best universities in 2010 was conducted.