🇹🇷Turkey

Turkey's universities, particularly in Istanbul and Ankara, offer a mix of English- and Turkish-medium programmes at a relatively low cost, with institutions like Boğaziçi and METU carrying strong regional reputations, especially in engineering and business.

Popular Places

Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosque

Istanbul

Iconic Byzantine-Ottoman landmarks in the historic Sultanahmet district.

Hotels from ~$40-150/night

Cappadocia

Nevsehir Province

Famous for fairy chimney rock formations and hot air balloon rides.

Hotels from ~$35-120/night

Pamukkale

Denizli Province

White travertine terraces with mineral hot springs, near ancient Hierapolis.

Hotels from ~$25-80/night

Ephesus

Izmir Province

Well-preserved ancient Greek/Roman city with the Library of Celsus.

Hotels from ~$25-90/night

Antalya

Antalya Province

Mediterranean coastal resort city with beaches and old town (Kaleici).

Hotels from ~$30-130/night

Universities in Turkey

Istanbul

Boğaziçi University

Widely regarded as Turkey's most prestigious university, based in Istanbul on a campus overlooking the Bosphorus, Boğaziçi (formerly Robert College) is fully English-medium and particularly strong in engineering and economics. Located in Istanbul, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass. Admission requirements — Academic: Not surfaced in this search pass; course-specific. English language: GENERAL: IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79 minimum; scores valid for two years Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Istanbul

Istanbul Technical University

One of the world's oldest technical universities, founded in 1773, based in Istanbul, ITU is particularly renowned for engineering, architecture, and naval architecture. Located in Istanbul, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass. Admission requirements — Academic: Minimum 60% academic standing recommended for a good chance of admission. English language: UNDERGRADUATE: TOEFL iBT 65 / PBT 513 / PTE 55, or IELTS 6.5 minimum; GRADUATE: TOEFL iBT 70 / PBT 523 / CBT 183 / PTE 60 Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Istanbul

Istanbul University

Turkey's oldest university, with roots tracing to 1453, Istanbul University is a large public institution known for medicine, law, and the social sciences. Located in Istanbul, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass; approximately 98,090 total students (as of: reported 2024). Admission requirements — Academic: Minimum GPA of 2.0 for a good chance of admission. English language: GENERAL: TOEFL iBT 75-90 or IELTS 6.5-7.0, depending on programme; MINIMUM CITED: TOEFL 80 (iBT 75, CBT 20, PBT 535), or FCE/CAE/CPE equivalents Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Istanbul

Koç University

A private, English-medium university based in Istanbul, Koç is known for business, engineering, and law, drawing on the resources of the Koç Holding conglomerate that founded it. Located in Istanbul, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass. Admission requirements — Academic: Not surfaced in this search pass; SAT I is the most commonly submitted qualification, though a wide range of other international and country-specific qualifications are recognized. English language: TOEFL BEFORE JAN2026: 80 minimum, at least 20 on writing; ALTERNATIVES: YDS/E-YDS 80/100, or CAE grade C Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Istanbul

Sabancı University

A private, fully English-medium research university based in Istanbul's Tuzla district, Sabancı is known for its interdisciplinary programme structure and strong industry ties to the Sabancı Holding conglomerate. Located in Istanbul, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass. Admission requirements — Academic: Not surfaced in this search pass; course-specific. English language: GENERAL: TOEFL iBT 78-87 depending on programme; IELTS is not accepted, per a binding Turkish Higher Education Council (YÖK) decision applying to all Turkish universities; GRADUATE: TOEFL iBT 78 minimum, or PTE 48 minimum, or CAE/CPE Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Istanbul

Yıldız Technical University

Based in Istanbul, Yıldız Technical University is a public technical university known for civil and electrical engineering, occupying a former Ottoman palace campus. Located in Istanbul, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass. Admission requirements — Academic: Not surfaced in this search pass; course-specific. English language: GENERAL: TOEFL 72 minimum, or IELTS 5.0 minimum Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Ankara

Middle East Technical University

Based in Ankara, METU is a fully English-medium public university founded in 1956, particularly renowned for engineering and architecture, with a set number of seats reserved annually for international undergraduates. Located in Ankara, Turkey. International students: More than 1,900 international students from 93 countries, out of about 25,000 total students; 444 seats reserved annually for international undergraduates (as of: reported 2024). Admission requirements — Academic: Not surfaced in this search pass; course-specific. English language: GENERAL: TOEFL iBT 75 or IELTS 6.0 minimum for those submitting scores Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Ankara

Bilkent University

Turkey's first private, non-profit university, founded in 1984, based in Ankara, Bilkent is fully English-medium and known for engineering, business, and international relations. Located in Ankara, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass. Admission requirements — Academic: Not surfaced in this search pass; course-specific. English language: GENERAL: TOEFL iBT 87 minimum, or IELTS 6.5 average (minimum 5.5 in each section), or Bilkent English Proficiency Exam grade C minimum; GRADUATE: same thresholds — TOEFL iBT 87, IELTS 6.5 average/5.5 each section, or Bilkent COPE grade C Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Ankara

Ankara University

Founded in 1946 as the first university established after the founding of the Turkish Republic, Ankara University is a large public institution known for law, medicine, and political science. Located in Ankara, Turkey. International students: Approximately 15% of the student body is international (as of: reported 2024). Admission requirements — Academic: High school diploma or equivalent certified by official authorities; medical and dentistry programmes require a minimum YÖS score of 440. English language: GENERAL: IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79 minimum (some programmes cite lower minimums of IELTS 5.0/TOEFL iBT 61) Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Ankara

Hacettepe University

Based in Ankara, Hacettepe University is particularly renowned for medicine, dentistry, and health sciences, with a mix of Turkish- and English-medium programmes. Located in Ankara, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass. Admission requirements — Academic: Graduate applicants require a bachelor's degree, official transcript, and GRE 600+ or GMAT 550+ (or a TÖMER Certificate scoring 70+ points for Turkish-medium graduate study). English language: GENERAL: TOEFL iBT 79 minimum, or IELTS 6.0-6.5 minimum depending on programme Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Izmir

Ege University

Based in Izmir on Turkey's Aegean coast, Ege University is a large public institution known for agriculture, medicine, and marine sciences. Located in Izmir, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass; approximately 65,085 total students (as of: reported 2024). Admission requirements — Academic: Requires 40+ points on the Ege University Examination for Foreign Students, plus a certified, Turkish-translated high school diploma and transcript. English language: GENERAL: TOEFL or IELTS scores required for English-medium programmes; specific minimums not surfaced in this pass Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Izmir

Dokuz Eylül University

Based in Izmir, Dokuz Eylül University — named for the date of Izmir's 1922 liberation, '9 Eylül' — is a large public university known for business, engineering, and medicine. Located in Izmir, Turkey. International students: 1,366 international students from 111 countries, out of 70,081 total students (as of: reported 2024). Admission requirements — Academic: Not surfaced in this search pass; course-specific. English language: GENERAL: TOEFL iBT 61 / PBT 500, or IELTS 5.5 minimum for English-medium programmes Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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Izmir

Izmir Institute of Technology

A smaller, research-focused public technical university in Izmir, Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) is known for materials science, chemical engineering, and a modern campus built specifically for STEM education. Located in Izmir, Turkey. International students: Not surfaced in this search pass. Admission requirements — Academic: Graduate applicants need a bachelor's degree or equivalent, transcripts, 2 letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, resume, and a research plan. English language: GENERAL: TOEFL iBT 61 / PBT 500, or IELTS 5.5 minimum for English-medium programmes Acceptance rate: Not surfaced.

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