Abstract
The development of the higher education system is considered one of the key factors in the formation of human capital, the increase in innovation activity, and long-term economic growth. The purpose of the article is to analyse the structural transformation of of Kazakhstan’s higher education system by identifying interrelations among educational, economic, and social indicators for 2004-2024. The methodological basis of the study consists of correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) with Varimax orthogonal rotation, which enables the identification of hidden structural factors and the assessment of the consistency of indicator dynamics. The empirical basis of the study was made up of annual statistical data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2004-2024, including such indicators as the number of students and teachers, the number of universities, the unemployment rate, household incomes, spending on science, innovation activity, the Gini index, the share of education spending in GDP and average wages. The results reveal strong structural relationships between economic development and science financing (r = 0.986) and between income and wages (r = 0.985). Principal component analysis shows that the first component explains 73.6% of the variance. In comparison, the first two components explain 88.9% of the variance, indicating a structural transformation of higher education associated with the development of the knowledge economy. Future research may extend the analysis by incorporating regional data, panel econometric models, and additional institutional indicators to assess causal relationships between higher education development, labour market outcomes, and innovation dynamics.