Best universities in Turkey 2025

Higher education in Turkey was unified in 1982 by a single law that established three types of higher education institutions:

• State universities;
• Foundation / private universities;
• Two-year vocational schools.

There is also a National Defense University and a Police academy in Turkey. There are about 200 higher educational institutions in the country. State universities make up 62% of the total. There are 129 of them in total, including 8 technical universities, Izmir Institute of Technology and Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts.

Since Turkey has joined the Bologna Process, all universities are implementing bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs.

• Value for money

According to the international ranking of THE, 5 Turkish universities have entered the top 100 best universities in developing countries. There are 9 Turkish educational institutions in the QS 2021 ranking of the best universities in the world, 2 of which are in the top 500. This is an impressive result for the relatively young Turkish higher education system. Moreover, some Turkish technical universities are often compared with universities in the USA, and 8 higher educational institutions of the country are accredited by ABET. At the same time, public universities in Turkey charge low tuition fees compared to universities in the USA and Europe.

• Scholarship

The best universities in Turkey offer partial scholarships to outstanding students. For example, almost all private institutions in Turkey cover 20-70% of the total tuition fees for high-achieving applicants. In addition to financial assistance from universities, there are also other scholarships in Turkey. For example, the state program Türkiye Burslari and grants from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey TÜBITAK.

• Exchange studies abroad

Turkish universities provide students with the opportunity to spend an academic semester outside the country. Almost all institutions implement Erasmus, Mevlana and Farabi exchange programs. This is how students gain valuable educational experience in foreign educational institutions and travel to other countries.

• Opportunity to choose the language of studying

Most of the programs are offered in Turkish, but the students can also find English-speaking ones. There are much more programs in English in private universities. If the level of knowledge of English or Turkish of students is insufficient for admission, universities still accept candidates. In this case, the foreign students are offered one-year preparatory programs in English/Turkish before starting their studies.

• Rich student life

Every university in Turkey has different sports clubs (diving, camping, volleyball, basketball and football) and interest communities (business, photography, biology, cooking). Every year they organize festivals, concerts and sports competitions.

To enrol, the applicant must provide the following package of documents:

• Bachelor's/Master's degree or school certificate;
• Language certificate of knowledge of English/Turkish (TOEFL/CAE/TÖMER);
• SAT/ACT/GMAT/GRE (or YÖS) exam results;
• Copies of passport and photo.

The requirements for documents and exams depend on the type of program, university and degree. For example, not all universities require TOEFL, since entrance exams (SAT, etc.) already show the candidate's language level. The application form and documents are submitted via the website of the chosen university.

According to the QS 2020 ranking, 5 universities in Turkey entered the world top 700 best universities: Koc University, Sabanji University, Bilkent University, Middle East Technical University and Bosphorus University. In addition, 12 Turkish universities ranked in the top 100 best universities in Developing Europe and Central Asia of the same QS rating. These universities were opened only at the end of the XX century, so their positions will only grow over time.

• University of Koc - founded in 1993 by one of the richest people in Turkey — Vehbi Koc, Koc University quickly took top positions. Many of the university's research projects are supported by the European Research Council. The best areas are biology and pharmacology: young scientists from these fields were awarded the Turkish scientific prize TÜBA GEBIP in 2016.
• Sabanji University is the main brainchild of the Sabanji Foundation, which is engaged in educational projects in Turkey. The Sabanji Foundation has created more than 40 educational institutes, cultural centres and libraries throughout the country. Sabanji University boasts multidisciplinary research centres. Most of them are engaged in research in the field of economics and finance.
• Bilkent University was founded in 1984 by Ihsan Dogramaji, a Turkish pediatrician and public figure. Bilkent University is the first private higher education institution in Turkey. It provides scholarship programs, which are attended by about 47% of students. Bilkent University is famous for teaching specialists in the field of public administration and political science.
• The Middle East Technical University opened in 1956 and became the first European-type university in Turkey. Since its formation, the Middle East Technical University has focused on international cooperation, so all curricula are taught in English. The university participates in international projects and interacts with organizations such as NASA and NATO. The main advantage of the educational institution is the Faculty of Engineering and its developments in the field of structural and machine—building materials.
• The history of Bosporus University is closely connected with the American educators K. Robert and S. Hamlin. In 1863, they formed the American High School in Istanbul, which later became the Turkish State University. It was renamed the Bosphorus University and to this day retains the system of education in English. The university offers various educational programs, among which the Faculty of Computer Engineering stands out.