The relevance of studying integration processes in the education system is determined by new requirements for the educational environment, which serve as the basis for the further development of the entire system of education. Optimization of integration processes in the education system is specifi ed by their realization principles, which entail “controlled self-organization” of integrated structures in the interests of “the man, society, state”. The purpose of the study is to search for and to justify the methods and means of optimizing integration processes in the education system. The article defi nes a set of methodological principles. Implementation of this set of principles makes it possible to optimize the processes of integration of the educational subjects and the educational environment as a whole. It includes the systemic, integration, synergetic and acmeological approaches. The study specifi es the content and peculiarities of these approaches, presents research data analysis in the context of the issues under discussion. One of the most important results of integration processes in the system of education is the development of the personality and of the person’s role in the “increase” of educational, and also social capital as a signifi cant resource of social development.