Study in Turkey

Thanks to its growing academic reputation, studying in Turkey has become a viable study destination for international students looking to experience a new culture while getting a degree. There are many highlights in this country where the Mediterranean sun, magnificent monuments and world-famous food are what attract around 150,000 international students to study in Turkey every year.

The opportunity to study in a country with global links is invaluable, as it serves as a bridge between Europe and Asia. Therefore, it has enormous appeal, whether you have been in the capital, Ankara, or the cultural and financial center of Turkey Istanbul or somewhere less known, studying in Turkey will be an enjoyable and affordable experience.

Conditions for study and admission to universities in Turkey:

To study in Turkey, you will need to have the appropriate qualifications at the required level. For example, you will not be able to get an MA degree without already having a bachelor's degree.

You will also need to pass the Graduate Entrance Examination and the Academic Personnel and Higher Education Examination (ALES), administered by the Centre for Student Selection and Placement (ÖSYM). ALES exams are held twice a year in March and November. The exam takes about three hours and consists of reading, writing and arithmetic questions.

See the ÖSYM website for a more detailed guide to what ALES includes and how to apply.

Along with a passed ALES test, you will need to submit the following as part of your application:

1. A completed international student application form.
2. Bachelor's or Master's degree.
3. Updated CV with letters of recommendation.
4. Evidence of sufficient funds for the duration of your course.
5. Photo ID.
6. The application fees.

The application process begins at home. Therefore, visit the university's websites to see if they operate online or require direct email correspondence.

Language requirements to study in Turkey:

If you are enrolling in a course taught in English and English is your first language, you do not need to provide any evidence of your English proficiency; however, if English is your second language, you may need to provide:

1. Confirmation letter from the English language coordinator or professor at your university.
2. An internationally recognized language certificate, such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
3. Pass an English language placement test, which can be taken at your institution upon arrival.

Even if you are studying a course that’s taught in English, this is a great opportunity to learn some Turkish, as you will find the country easier to navigate and may open yourself up to more job opportunities.

Why you should choose to study in Turkey:
Turkish universities will provide you with:

1. High levels of education.
2. Internationally - recognized certificates
3. Modern campuses with outstanding facilities.
4. Cultural diversity.
5. Safe and affordable education.
6. Warm and friendly environment.

Study and living costs in Turkey:

Tuition fees in Turkey:

Tuition fees in public universities:
Public universities in Turkey are very affordable, especially compared to similar institutions in Europe or the United States, where international students usually pay between 100 and 4000 euros per academic year. Moreover, majors such as medicine or engineering may be more expensive.

Tuition fees in private universities:

Private Turkish universities are more expensive than public universities. You can still find academic courses with reasonable tuition fees, but there are also degrees that cost more than 20,000 euros per year.

Both public and private universities in Turkey can decide whether to offer lower tuition fees for international students from the European Union (EU) countries or European Economic Area (EEA), this is why checking the official university website is the best way to find out how much to pay

The best Turkish universities at affordable prices:

1. Middle East Technical University (METU) - Bachelor degree starting from 236 EUR / year.
2. Abdullah Gül University (AGU) - Undergraduate degrees starting from 439 EUR/year.
3. Bogazici University - Undergraduate studies starting from 1,018 EUR/year.
4. Koç University - Master degrees starting from 0 EUR / year.
5. Okan University Istanbul - Master degrees start from 1,140 EUR/year.

Living and housing costs:

As an international student, you can live in Turkey with a budget of 400-650 Euros per Month. This is the most affordable price when compared to other study destinations in the world, your average cost of living will go up or down depending on your lifestyle and spending habits.

Student housing costs:

While studying in Turkey, you can choose from different types of accommodation, some of which are budget friendly, and others provide extra comfort. In the end it is up to you to decide which one best suit your needs.

Here are the most popular accommodation options for students in Turkey:

1. University housing: costs vary depending on the university or facilities.
2. State housing: 24-38 euros per month.
3. Private housing: comes with much better facilities but also at higher costs.
4. Apartment rental: 68-283 euros / month depending on the location and size of the apartment.

The Best Universities in Turkey According to QS Ranking:

The University	The University Assessment according to QS Ranking	The University Ranking Worldwide
Koç University	-	511-520
Sabanci University	-	541-550
Middle East Technical University	-	551-560
Bilkent University	-	591-600
Bogazici University	-	701-750
Istanbul Technical University	-	701-750
Ankara University	-	801-1000
Hacettepe University	-	801-1000
Istanbul University	-	801-1000
Anadolu University	-	1001-1200

The most important specialisations, to study at universities in Turkey:

1. Bachelor degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
2. Bachelor in International Hotel Management.
3. Bachelor of Arts in International Relations. Bachelor degree in Computer
4. Engineering.
5. Bachelor degree in Mathematics.
6. BSc in Electronics Engineering.
7. Bachelor degree in Industrial Engineering.  Bachelor degree in Materials Science and Nanoengineering.
8. Bachelor degree Mechatronics Engineering.
9. Bachelor degree in Economics.
10. Bachelor of Psychology.
11. BA in Political Science and International Studies.
12. Bachelor of Visual Arts and Communication Design.
13. Bachelor of Management.
14. Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration.

Most important postgraduate and master's majors to study in Turkey's universities:

1. Business Management.
2. Industrial Engineering.
3. Information Technology (IT).
4. International Relations.
5. Molecular Biology and Genetics.

The best scholarships available for students to study in Turkey:

Turkish Government Scholarship:

Scholarship Amount: Covers the cost of accommodation, tuition, health insurance, language courses, and provides a monthly stipend of 700 for undergraduate students, 950 for graduate students, and 1400 for doctoral students.

Eligible Degree: Undergraduate studies, Postgraduate studies and Doctoral degree programs.
The Turkish government funds Turkish Scholarships, which is the best scholarship in Turkey for international students. Scholarship aims to help international students in terms of their financial needs; in addition, this scholarship is a way to enhance Turkey’s connection and cooperation with other countries by supporting these international students.

The Turkish Government Scholarships are competitive scholarship programs that select outstanding international students, to be qualified for this scholarship, you must have an excellent academic record. You can also submit your scholarship application directly to their official website with the required documents.

Requirements may include a copy of your passport or valid ID, previous academic records, and results of international tests such as the SAT or GRE. They may also require proof of English language proficiency.

You can find other information on their website. Finally, the selection process will be done by the committee. As part of the assessment, they may ask for a 15–30-minute interview, and they will notify you if your application is accepted or not.

Sabanci University - Undergraduate Scholarship:

Scholarship Worth: 25% - 100% discount on tuition fees.
Eligible Degree: Undergraduate Studies.
Sabanci University in Istanbul offers scholarships to incoming international undergraduate students. The amount of scholarship that the recipient will receive depends on the student’s previous academic success and involvement in extracurricular activities.

All successful international applicants to the university are automatically assessed for this scholarship in Turkey. The scholarship committee will review your admission documents showing your previous academic standing, and this may include a reference letter, transcripts, certificates, etc.

They may ask for additional documents while they are evaluating your application. Finally, the university encourages these international applicants to submit their applications in full and early. As competition for this scholarship is high, applicants must submit their documents on time as the committee will not accept late applications.

KHAS Scholarship Programs:

Scholarship Worth: 25% - 100% discount on tuition fees.
Eligible Degree: Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral degree programs.

Kadir Has University been a research university located in Istanbul. This institution is famous for creating high quality research in different fields. Today, because they offer programs for international students at different levels for example undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees, they also offer scholarships to help these students.

These scholarships are in the form of a tuition fee reduction. Since this scholarship in Turkey depends on your academic performance, there is no separate application and selection for the scholarship. That means, you will automatically be eligible for a tuition reduction scholarship if you meet the required academic degree. Finally, you will need to maintain a GPA of 1.8 each academic year.

Bilkent University - Scholarship for International Students:

Scholarship Amount: Partial to full tuition fee discount.
Eligible Degree: Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral degree programs.
Bilkent University offers scholarships to international students in any degree or programme. This scholarship is awarded to students who need financial aid but have an excellent academic reputation.

Also, this scholarship can cover ten semesters in a four-year undergraduate program and some semesters in English language preparatory classes. To be qualified for the Turkey Scholarship for International Students, you must have good academic grades from your previous level or institution.

Recipients need to maintain their academic standing. They also must enroll with a minimum load of their course. They are also expected to demonstrate good conduct, punctuality and excellence in the programs of their choice. Finally, they must meet the GPA charged by the university.

If the recipient of this scholarship fails to meet the required GPA, is subject to disciplinary action, or has poor attendance at lectures and academic activities, the scholarship can be suspended, reduced, or worse, forfeited.

TUBITAK Scholarship for International Students:

Scholarship Amount: A monthly stipend of $2,500, travel costs, and health insurance coverage.
Eligible Degree: Postgraduate and Ph.D.
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) offers scholarships to ambitious students who want to pursue a Master of Science, Arts or PhD degree in Turkey. They support these future professionals from other parts of the world who choose to study in Turkey. The scholarship will cover two years of a graduate program and four years of a doctoral degree.
To be eligible for this scholarship in Turkey, foreign students must be holders of a Blue Card (a permit allowing non-European individuals to work, study or reside in a European country).

Postgraduate and graduate students must be enrolled in a program at a university around Turkey. The academic requirement for postgraduate and doctoral students is that their theses and research proposals must be approved by the respective departments.
You can contact the TUBITAK office to collect information about the full list of requirements and deadlines.

CoHE Scholarship for International Students:

Scholarship amount: 800 TL scholarship fee for undergraduate students, 1400 TL for postgraduate students, undergraduate and postgraduate tuition fees, Turkish language tuition costs for non-Turkish scholars, health insurance, accommodation in credit institution dormitories.
Eligible Degree: Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees.

The Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK) offers scholarship opportunities at all levels to local and international students; however, students from abroad must be from countries where there is a protocol signed with the Higher Education Council and are currently in their undergraduate or postgraduate studies.

Various benefits will be given to international students such as scholarship fee, tuition fee, Turkish language learning fee, health insurance and accommodation fee. The amount of scholarship fee offered to undergraduate and postgraduate students varies, 800 TL for the first and 1,400 TL for the latter.
There are many CoHE scholarships available for students such as CoHE Foreign Language Teaching Scholarship and CoHE Turcology Scholarship. Ambitious students can find more information here, CoHE Turkey answers frequently asked questions including CoHE scholarship inquiries.

Uskudar University Scholarship:

Scholarship Amount: Full or partial tuition fee coverage, at least 1000 TL monthly stipend, allowance
Eligible Degree: Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees
Üsküdar University offers scholarships for international students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, two of the many scholarships they offer are Preference Scholarship and First Preference Scholarship out of 5, both of which offer partial coverage of tuition fees based on the university they prefer in the ÖSYM Guide.

For contextual information, ÖSYM is an acronym for Centre for Measurement, Selection and Placement, it is a system that deals with university selection and examinations in Turkey.
Foreign students wishing to study at university or higher levels of education are required to take an examination under ÖSYM as stated here, the preferences they make in the test will affect whether they qualify for the scholarships mentioned above.

Middle East Technical University - METU Development Foundation Scholarship:

Scholarship Amount: Living Expenses, Fee Cover, Financial Aid.
Eligible Degree: Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees.
Middle East Technical University (METU) welcomes international students with financial problems with scholarships funded by their institution called METU Development Foundation.
Scholarship benefits come in the form of meals, over dormitories, and cash grants. Applicants only need to submit an application form stating why they are receiving financial aid and any evidence of financial burden.

METU tolerates its scholarship applications, as there are no strict requirements on the documents that must be present in the application forms.
In the link given above, international students can check out other scholarship opportunities; however, the scholarships in the lower section are not directly offered by METU and instead are offered by external groups that may require specific documents, academic merits and more.

Istanbul Aydin University (IAU) Scholarship:

Scholarship Amount: Partial tuition fee coverage.
Eligible Degree: Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees.
Istanbul Aydin University (IAU) is another university in Turkey that offers scholarships to international students who are currently enrolled with a GPA of at least 2.50 and have been registered for at least two semesters.
The applicant will be required to submit an application form containing a passport photograph, along with a cover letter, letter of reference, transcript of records, and proof of attendance of social and cultural activities.

Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Scholarship:

Scholarship Amount: Cover full or partial tuition fees, cover accommodation expenses
Eligible Degree: Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees
Eastern Mediterranean University offers scholarships to international students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. These scholarships cover student tuition fees and accommodation expenses.

As for tuition fee coverage, 50 percent or 25 percent can be awarded to international students but there is also full coverage of tuition fees for Bachelors, Masters and Doctor of Philosophy students. The EMU Admissions Office will assess applicants based on the information filled in the online application form found here.
There are different scholarships offered, and applicants are encouraged to find the one that suits them best whether it is tuition assistance, research assistance, discounts or grants.

Bogazici University Scholarship

Scholarship Amount: Full or partial tuition fee coverage, cost of living coverage, €1,000 scholarship.
Eligible Degree: Postgraduate Degree.
BoÄŸaziçi University is another university that offers open scholarships, but not exclusive or preferred, to international students. This university has enjoyed a long history of support from international students, organisations and academic institutions.
Part of their promotion and assistance to international students are partner scholarships made directly to their university, Scholarship offer by the Graduate Institute of Geneva, Young Scholars Scholarship of the Utrecht Network, and Yenching Academy of Peking University: One-Year Master Scholarship
Each scholarship offers different benefits, covering different fields of study and academic goals. So, students should read the descriptions carefully.

Hacettepe University Scholarship

Scholarship Amount: Financial Aid, Food Aid, Free Housing.
Eligible Degree: Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degree.
Scholarships and Financial Aid are open to international students at Hacettepe University which will be assessed through the ÖSYM Guide. The foreign students in Turkey will have to take an examination which will be conducted by the Student Selection and Placement System that applies the ÖSYM Guide. This in turn makes international students into consideration in the assessment of Hacettepe University.
Academic merit and Hacettepe University Ranking preference for the applicant will be the basis for assessment and dependent on the results. Various benefits of housing, food and financial assistance will be granted.

Marmara University Scholarship:

Scholarship Amount: Accommodation Coverage, Meal Coverage, Monthly Stipend
Eligible Degree: Master's Degree
Marmara University has two scholarships that they provide directly and finance, which are the accommodation grant and the meal grant, as their name indicates. The first grant grants its recipients free accommodation on campus through dormitories, while the second grant grants its recipients a free meal daily.
Another financial aid that can be considered as a scholarship is the part-time student work program where students can work up to 5 hours per day which is 15 hours per week and 60 hours per month.
They can earn up to 399.30 TL if they increase the hours available to work per month.