Universities in Turkey 2026: Rankings, Fees, Admission
Universities in Turkey by official figures: 128 state and 75 foundation universities, QS 2027 ranks, tuition under Decision 11625, and scholarships.
Turkey had 208 higher-education institutions in 2025-26 per the Council of Higher Education (YÖK): 128 state universities, 75 foundation universities and 4 foundation vocational schools. Istanbul Technical University ranks highest in QS 2027, and each university sets its own admission criteria and fees for international students.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Higher-education institutions | 208 (2025-26) |
| State universities | 128 |
| Foundation (private) universities | 75 + 4 vocational schools |
| International students | over 336,000 (end 2024) |
| Highest in QS 2027 | Istanbul Technical University, 279 |
| International fees at state universities | at least double the per-student cost · Decision 11625 |
Universities in Turkey number 208 higher-education institutions in the 2025-26 academic year per Turkey's Council of Higher Education (YÖK): 128 state universities, 75 foundation (private) universities and 4 foundation vocational schools. The highest-ranked of the Turkish universities in QS 2027 is Istanbul Technical University, and each university sets its own admission criteria and international fees within YÖK's rules.
Every figure below comes from an official source opened on 3 October 2026.
Universities in Turkey by the numbers for 2025-26 from YÖK: 208 institutions, 128 state, 75 foundation and over 336,000 international students.
How many universities are in Turkey, state and private?
From YÖK's 2025-26 bulletin (no. 6, 27 March 2026):
"In the 2025-2026 academic year Türkiye has 208 higher education institutions, 6,301,434 students and 189,868 academic staff" — Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
| Type of university in Turkey | Count | Students |
|---|---|---|
| State universities | 128 | 5,445,808 |
| Foundation (private) universities | 75 | 838,664 |
| Foundation vocational schools | 4 | 16,962 |
The difference is not recognition — both answer to YÖK — but fees and admission: foundation universities set their own fees, state universities follow the presidential minimum-fee rule.
Is Turkey a good place to study for international students in numbers?
More than 336,000 international students were enrolled at the end of 2024 per YÖK's Internationalisation Strategy 2024–2028: 238,494 bachelor's, 31,438 master's and 11,027 PhD. The largest groups come from Syria (60,750), Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Iraq (13,153).
Turkish universities in the QS 2027 rankings: Istanbul Technical, Middle East Technical, Koç, Boğaziçi, Sabancı and Bilkent.
Turkey university rankings: QS 2027 and 2026
| University in Turkey | QS 2027 | QS 2026 | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) | 279 | 298 | State |
| Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) | 305 | 269 | State |
| Koç University | 329 | 323 | Foundation |
| Boğaziçi University | 345 | 371 | State |
| Sabancı University | 357 | 404 | Foundation |
| Bilkent University | 454 | 415 | Foundation |
From each university's page on the official QS site; the "=" tie markers are dropped. The top six in Turkey split three state and three foundation, and ranks move by dozens of places a year — do not choose on one year's position.
Minimum international student fees at state universities in Turkey for 2026-27, in lira, from Table I of Presidential Decision 11625.
Tuition at state universities in Turkey for international students, 2026-27
Fees are governed by Presidential Decision No. 11625, Official Gazette no. 33341 of 15 August 2026. Article 3/1: the international student's fee is set by the institution at "not less than twice the current per-student service cost".
| Example from the decision's Table I | Annual per-student cost | Minimum international fee |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | 115,435 lira | 230,870 lira (about $4,715) |
| Dentistry and pharmacy | 41,641 lira | 83,282 lira (about $1,701) |
| Engineering and architecture | 22,703 lira | 45,406 lira (about $927) |
Search results on 3 October 2026 put state-university fees for international students at $300 to $1,500 a year. The decision carries two cost tables and each university applies its own, so the figures above are examples, not a single national price.
Fee discounts at universities in Turkey
- Siblings: at least 25% at state universities where the family holds a Turkish residence permit (Art. 3/2).
- Reciprocity: no fee is charged where reciprocity applies (Art. 3/7).
- Discretionary: a university may reduce fees for up to 10% of its international students by board decision (Art. 3/8).
Private universities in Turkey: fees
Foundation universities set their fees by decision of their own boards under YÖK's rules, so there is no official cap. Search results on 3 October 2026 put them at $5,000 to over $20,000 a year.
Admission to universities in Turkey for international students
Under YÖK's "Principles for Admitting Students from Abroad":
- Each university sets its own criteria.
- Accepted qualifications — international school-leaving certificates (Abitur, IB, GCE, Tawjihi) have no expiry; university entrance exams such as SAT and TR-YÖS are valid for two years.
- TR-YÖS — run by ÖSYM, held twice a year since 2024, available in several languages including Arabic.
- A 10% cap on international students in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law and teaching.
- Deadlines and application fees are published on each university's own website.
Turkish university degree recognition in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Jordan
| Country | Official recognition tool | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Ministry of Education "recommended universities" search | Search by country and university; no published count for Turkey |
| Iraq | Recommended universities guide 2024 | 46 Turkish universities for private study, 14 for scholarships; regular in-person attendance required |
| Jordan | Recognised universities abroad search | By country or university name |
Check the programme and degree, not just the university name, and keep a dated screenshot of the result before enrolling.
Türkiye Scholarships for universities in Turkey
Türkiye Bursları is the main government scholarship; "between 10 January and 20 February, which is the application period every year", per its official site.
| Covered by Türkiye Scholarships | Value |
|---|---|
| Tuition | Full |
| Monthly stipend, undergraduate | 6,500 lira |
| Monthly stipend, master's | 9,500 lira |
| Monthly stipend, PhD | 13,000 lira |
| Turkish language | One free year |
| Housing, health insurance, flight | Dormitory, health insurance, one return ticket |
For the full study process see study in Turkey and our guide for international students.
Student residence permit after admission to a university in Turkey
Turkey's Presidency of Migration Management: "you must first register at the university... after registration you must obtain a residence permit to stay legally". Applications go through the e-İkamet system, and the documents include health insurance covering the full permit period.
Step by step in e-İkamet application steps, permit types in types of residence permits in Turkey, and monthly budgets in the cost of living in Turkey.
University fees in Turkey in your currency
| Currency | Turkish lira · bulletin of 2 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| US dollar | 48.9699 |
| Euro | 55.0826 |
| Pound sterling | 64.5796 |
| Saudi riyal | 13.0430 |
| UAE dirham | 13.2587 |
Buying rates from Central Bank bulletin 2026/186, used for the dollar equivalents in the fee table.
Apply to universities in Turkey with Livist Group
Livist Group helps you choose the right Turkish university for your subject and budget, confirm your home country recognises it before you enrol, follow its application window, then arrange the student residence permit and housing. Talk to us at livist-services.com.
Universities in Turkey guide sources
- Council of Higher Education (YÖK) — 2025-26 bulletin no. 6 (27 March 2026), statistics dashboard, Internationalisation Strategy 2024–2028, Principles for Admitting Students from Abroad. Read 3 October 2026.
- Official Gazette — Presidential Decision 11625, issue 33341 of 15 August 2026.
- QS World University Rankings — Turkish university pages, 2026 and 2027 editions. Read 3 October 2026.
- Türkiye Scholarships — full-time programmes page. Read 3 October 2026.
- Saudi Ministry of Education; Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education recommended universities guide 2024 (updated 3 June 2025); Jordanian Ministry of Higher Education.
- Presidency of Migration Management — student residence permit brochure and e-İkamet document list.
- Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye — exchange rate bulletin 2026/186 of 2 October 2026.
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