Abstract
Introduction Labour-market restructuring and the growing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have increased interest in how universities support students' social mobility and career development. Methods This cross-sectional study examined associations among perceived psychological and pedagogical conditions, DEI perception, and career agency in 300 university students aged 18–24 from four cities in Kazakhstan. Analyses included descriptive statistics, correlations, group comparisons, hierarchical regression, bootstrap mediation, and assessment of common method variance. Results Perceived psychological and pedagogical conditions were weakly associated with DEI perception (r = 0.158, p = 0.006), whereas neither construct was significantly associated with career agency. The proposed indirect association through DEI perception was not supported. Differences by gender, educational level, and field of study were small. Discussion The findings suggest that students' perceptions of institutional support and inclusion are distinct from career agency. Positive DEI perceptions may therefore not translate directly into career-related action. Given the cross-sectional and self-reported design, causal interpretations are not warranted. Longitudinal studies should incorporate validated measures and behavioural or objective career outcomes.