Mission & Values

We are dedicated to elevating transparency in Central Asian education. Our mission is to provide parents and educators with data-driven insights that enable informed decisions about educational excellence.

Through rigorous analysis and comprehensive evaluation frameworks, we bridge the gap between educational aspirations and measurable outcomes, fostering a more transparent and competitive educational landscape in Kazakhstan.

Our Team

Ekaterina Mikhalevich

Ekaterina Mikhalevich

Founder & Lead Rankings Analyst

Education consultant with 10+ years of experience in Central Asian education systems. Founded Saman Rankings to bring transparency to private school selection through data-driven insights.

Ibragim Tleukulov

Ibragim Tleukulov

Lead IT Developer and Senior Analyst

Senior software engineer and data analyst with expertise in web development and educational analytics. Leads technical development and contributes to ranking methodology improvements.

Ruslan Kan

Ruslan Kan

Middle Web Developer

Full-stack developer contributing to saman-rankings with a focus on Next.js, TypeScript, and Supabase. Develops key features like article management, dynamic ranking tables, and admin tools. Enhances performance, usability, and visual design across the platform.

Visit our parent consultancy

Visit Saman Academy →

Learn more about our parent consultancy and comprehensive educational services across Central Asia.

Frequently Asked Questions

We combine publicly available information (such as government statistics and official school reports) with voluntary input from schools and anonymous parent surveys. While we do our best to confirm the data, some figures may be approximate and are updated as new information becomes available.

We update our rankings annually during the summer vacation, to reflect the most recent academic year data. However, we continuously monitor schools throughout the year and may issue updates if significant changes occur, such as accreditation changes or major staff transitions.

Absolutely not. Our rankings are completely independent and objective. Schools cannot pay for inclusion or higher rankings. We maintain strict editorial independence and our methodology is transparent and publicly available. Our revenue comes from premium subscription services, not from schools.

New schools (operating for less than 3 years) are solicited by us with an extensive data request and are noted down internally until all data has been provided. We clearly indicate data limitations and provide context for schools with limited historical information. Schools are encouraged to reach us proactively to provide data.

Yes, we provide official contact information, website links, and admission office details for all ranked schools. We also offer a premium service that includes anonymous school visits and personalized consultation to help you make the best choice for your child.

We encourage all parties to proactively let us know about any major updates, such as curriculum changes or campus expansions. Please contact us with specific details about any inaccuracies or updates, and we will review and correct our records accordingly. We appreciate schools reaching out directly to ensure our data remains current and accurate.

We welcome feedback and take all concerns seriously. If you believe there's an error in our data or methodology, please contact us with specific details. We have a formal review process and will investigate any discrepancies. Our methodology is transparent and we're committed to accuracy and fairness.

Currently, our comprehensive rankings focus on Almaty's private schools due to the concentration of institutions and data availability. However, we're expanding to other major cities in Kazakhstan. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when rankings for other cities become available.