Study and find schools in Turkey

Studying in Turkey

Türkiye (Turkey) spans south-east Europe and Anatolia, and has about 85 million inhabitants, according to Study in Türkiye, the official portal run by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE, known in Turkish as YÖK). Turkish is the official language and the main language of teaching, but many universities also teach programmes in English. The portal counts 208 universities and nearly 45,000 degree programmes.

Students can choose between state universities and foundation (non-profit private) universities, and between programmes taught in Turkish and in English. Each university sets its own admission conditions for international students. Türkiye takes part in Erasmus+ and runs national exchange programmes such as Mevlana and Farabi.

The education system

Higher education was restructured by the Higher Education Law (No. 2547) of 1981, which tied all institutions to the Council of Higher Education. Alongside state universities, the first non-profit foundation university began teaching in 1986. Today there are two main types of university:

• State (public) universities
• Foundation universities, private non-profit institutions set up by foundations

Higher education follows the Bologna three-cycle structure, with programmes at associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral level. Universities use ECTS credits and issue a Diploma Supplement to all graduates. Students who need it can take a preparatory year of Turkish, and universities that teach in English, such as Kadir Has University, set English proficiency exams through their schools of foreign languages.

Admission and recognition

International students apply directly to each university. Every year CoHE publishes the quotas that public and foundation universities set aside for international students. Universities decide which exams they accept, for example TR-YÖS, YÖS, Abitur, SAT or the International Baccalaureate. TR-YÖS, the international student admission exam, is run twice a year by ÖSYM, the national testing centre, in Turkish, German, Arabic, French, English and Russian, and it does not require Turkish. Programmes in fine arts, music and sport may add a talent exam.

You can be admitted without Turkish. In that case universities usually offer a preparatory year with four to six hours of Turkish a day; at the end, students are expected to reach level C1 before starting their programme. The Yunus Emre Institute teaches Turkish abroad in 58 centres in 46 countries, and Ankara University's TÖMER has branches in Alanya, Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Istanbul and Izmir.

CoHE has handled the recognition and equivalence of foreign degrees since 1983, under the Lisbon Recognition Convention. If you studied abroad and want to work in a regulated profession in Türkiye, or continue to a master's or PhD in a health field, you will need a diploma equivalence certificate.

Student visa and residence

Students coming to Türkiye need a student visa from the nearest Turkish consulate, and Study in Türkiye advises applying as soon as you receive your admission letter. The visa regime that applies to your nationality is published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The e-Visa, introduced in 2013, is only valid for tourism or business; for study, visas are issued by Turkish embassies and consulates. Foreigners who will live or study in Türkiye must register with the local police on arrival and then apply for a student residence permit. Since 29 November 2023 students hand in the residence permit documents to the student affairs or international office of their university. Information checked October 2026.

Costs and funding

Fees vary by university and programme, so check each university's website. As an example from a foundation university, Kadir Has University lists a fee of 1,430,000 TL for computer engineering in the 2026-27 academic year (VAT included, cash payment), and a column for students with a 50% discount.

The main government programme is Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları), and CoHE also runs scholarship programmes; many universities and other governments add their own. Students can live in university dormitories, in state dormitories run by KYK (the Higher Education Credit and Hostels Institution), in private dormitories or in shared flats. Almost all state and university dormitories are separate for men and women.

Where to study

Our directory lists schools in four cities. In Istanbul, Kadir Has University, founded in 1997, has its main campus in Cibali, in a former tobacco factory a few metres from the Golden Horn. Trakya Üniversitesi in Edirne reports 39,863 students on its website. Abant Izzet Baysal University is in Bolu. In Antalya, BABEL Language Centre teaches languages, and the city also has a branch of TÖMER for Turkish courses. Ankara, the capital, is home to Ankara University, which runs TÖMER.

Culture and practical life

The coast has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, while inland Anatolia and the east are drier, with hot summers and cold winters. International students must have health insurance while they live in Türkiye; they can choose a private policy or the state General Health Insurance (GSS), which must be requested within three months of university registration. Every university has its own health centre.

A student residence permit does not include the right to work. To take a part-time job you need a separate work permit from the General Directorate of International Labour; compulsory internships that are part of your programme do not need one.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to speak Turkish to study in Türkiye?

Not always. Many programmes are taught in English, and students admitted to Turkish-taught programmes without Turkish usually take a preparatory year and are expected to reach level C1.

What is TR-YÖS?

TR-YÖS is the admission exam for international students, run twice a year by ÖSYM. Many public and foundation universities use it, but each university decides which exams it accepts.

Do I need a visa to study in Türkiye?

Yes, students need a student visa from a Turkish consulate and, after arrival, a student residence permit, which is processed through the university.

Can I work while studying in Türkiye?

Only with a separate work permit from the General Directorate of International Labour. The student residence permit alone does not allow you to work.

How many universities are there in Türkiye?

Study in Türkiye lists 208 universities and nearly 45,000 degree programmes, at state and foundation universities.