The article examines, from both empirical and theoretical perspectives, the influence of identity on the professional self-knowledge of university students. The purpose of the study is to determine the role of identity in the structure of professional self-knowledge of the individual and to identify its relationship with motivational-activity and value-semantic indicators. The study involved first- and second-year students from higher education institutions in Astana, with a total sample of (n=90). The sampling procedure was purposive. The gender composition of the participants included 52 female and 38 male students.

The research methods included the “Self-Actualization Diagnostic Technique” developed by A.V. Lazukin (adapted by N.F. Kalina) and the “Meaning-of-Life Orientations” test adapted by D.A. Leontiev. The Mann–Whitney U test was used for statistical data processing.

The results demonstrated that second-year students showed statistically significant differences in the indicators “Goals in Life” (U=742, p=0.021), “I – Locus of Control” (U=768, p=0.034), and the overall level of meaningfulness (U=715, p=0.018). These findings indicate a stronger orientation toward their professional future and a higher level of subjective control. The obtained results confirm that professional identity is a significant psychological factor in the formation of professional self-consciousness, motivation, and the structure of life meanings in students.