Best universities in Turkey 2024

Do you want to study in Turkey? This list of the top universities in Turkey, using Times Higher Education World University Ranking data, will help you choose a university in Turkey

October 20 2023

Top 8 universities in Turkey 2024

Scroll down for the full list of the best universities in Turkey

Turkey 2024 Rank	World University Rank 2024	World University Rank 2023	University	City/town
=1	351–400	401–500	Koç University	Istanbul
=1	351–400	501–600	Middle East Technical University	Ankara
=1	351–400	401–500	Sabancı University	Istanbul
4	501–600	601–800	Istanbul Technical University	Istanbul
=5	601–800	801–1000	Bilkent University	Ankara
=5	601–800	801–1000	Boğaziçi University	Istanbul
=5	601–800	401–500	Cankaya University	Ankara
=5	601–800	601–800	Hacettepe University	Ankara

Turkey welcomes more than 250,000 international students each year to its 207 universities. In fact, Turkey is in the top 10 in the world in terms of international student numbers, through both the Erasmus+ scheme and international partnerships with universities.

Many universities teach the majority of their courses in English, but students have the opportunity to learn Turkish too, which is among the most widely spoken languages in the world.

There are a wide-range of institutions in the country, including large research-intensive institutions and smaller specialist universities.

As well as having a range of high-quality universities, Turkey is a great country for students to choose because of its proximity to many other countries in Europe and the Middle East.

The full ranking of universities in Turkey can be found below.

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Top 4 universities in Turkey

2. Istanbul Technical University

Istanbul Technical University (ITU) was founded in 1773 by Sultan Musafa III as the Imperial School of Naval Engineering, making it the third oldest technical university in the world.

The university has 13 faculties – including aeronautics and astronautics, mechanical engineering and chemical and metallurgical engineering – which offer nearly 40 postgraduate and doctoral programmes. There are also a number of research institutes, such as the Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Genetics Research Centre and the Center for Satellite Communications and Remote Sensing, and more than 350 laboratories.

The university's international graduate exchange programmes allow students to earn dual diplomas at American partner institutions, and there are many double major programmes on offer, along with more than 900 international partnerships and a large number of programmes on offer via Erasmus.

=1. Sabancı University

Sabancı University was created in 1994 through one of Turkey’s leading family foundations, the Sabancı Group.

There are three faculties (engineering and natural sciences, arts and social sciences, the Sabanci Business School) and a language school.

It is the only university in Turkey that allows students to choose their own programmes. Students follow a set curriculum in the first year, then have the opportunity to choose classes across all disciplines.

Every student at Sabancı University must do an internship before they graduate. The career development and internship office at the university provides students with career counselling and helps students to find internships.

=1. Middle East Technical University

Middle East Technical University was established in 1956.

The university started off in two small buildings, then moved to its current site in Ankara in 1963.

All of the university’s degree programmes are taught in English and the university is home to more than 1,700 international students from almost 100 different countries. Faculties include architecture, arts and sciences, economic and administrative sciences, education, engineering and foreign languages. There are also four graduate schools.

Facilities include Turkey’s first science and research development park. Known as METU Technopolis and located on its main campus, the park is a hub for high-tech start-ups.

=1. Koç University

Koç University was established in 1993 and is located in Istanbul, Turkey.

The university consists of colleges of social sciences and humanities, administrative sciences and economics, science, engineering, law, nursing and medicine. The majority of courses are taught in English, aside from courses within the colleges of nursing and law.

Koç University is a leading research university in the region, with 132 research laboratories, 20 research centres, and five research and education forums.

Best universities in Turkey 2024

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024 profile

Turkey 2024 Rank	World University Rank 2024	World University Rank 2023	University	City/town
=1	351–400	401–500	Koç University	Istanbul
=1	351–400	501–600	Middle East Technical University	Ankara
=1	351–400	401–500	Sabancı University	Istanbul
4	501–600	601–800	Istanbul Technical University	Istanbul
=5	601–800	801–1000	Bilkent University	Ankara
=5	601–800	801–1000	Boğaziçi University	Istanbul
=5	601–800	401–500	Cankaya University	Ankara
=5	601–800	601–800	Hacettepe University	Ankara
=9	801–1000	601–800	Bahçeşehir University	Istanbul
=9	801–1000	801–1000	Ozyegin University	Istanbul
=9	801–1000	1001–1200	Yıldız Technical University	Istanbul
=12	1001–1200	1201–1500	Akdeniz University	Antalya
=12	1001–1200	NR	Bartin University	Bartin
=12	1001–1200	801–1000	Firat University	Elazig
=12	1001–1200	1001–1200	Istanbul University	Istanbul
=12	1001–1200	1001–1200	Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa	Istanbul
=12	1001–1200	1001–1200	Necmettin Erbakan University	Konya
=12	1001–1200	1201–1500	TOBB University of Economics and Technology	Ankara
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Anadolu University	Eskisehir
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Atatürk University	Erzurum
=19	1201–1500	1001–1200	Atılım University	Ankara
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Bezmiâlem Vakif University	Istanbul
=19	1201–1500	1501+	Cukurova University	Adana
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Dokuz Eylül University	Izmir
=19	1201–1500	801–1000	Duzce University	Duzce
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Ege University	Izmir
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Erciyes University	Kayseri
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Gazi University	Ankara
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Gebze Technical University	Gebze
=19	1201–1500	NR	Istanbul Bilgi University	Istanbul
=19	1201–1500	801–1000	Istanbul Medeniyet University	Istanbul
=19	1201–1500	1501+	Izmir Institute of Technology	Izmir
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Karabük University	Karabük
=19	1201–1500	1001–1200	Sakarya University	Adapazari
=19	1201–1500	1201–1500	Selçuk University	Konya
=36	1501+	1201–1500	Acıbadem University	Istanbul
=36	1501+	1501+	Aksaray University	Aksaray
=36	1501+	1201–1500	Ankara University	Ankara
=36	1501+	NR	Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University	Ankara
=36	1501+	1501+	Başkent University	Ankara
=36	1501+	NR	Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University	Bilecik
=36	1501+	1501+	Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University	Bolu
=36	1501+	1201–1500	Bozok University	Yozgat
=36	1501+	NR	Bursa Technical University	Bursa
=36	1501+	1501+	Bursa Uludağ University	Bursa
=36	1501+	NR	Çankırı Karatekin University	Çankırı
=36	1501+	1501+	Manisa Celal Bayar University	Manisa
=36	1501+	1501+	Dicle University	Diyarbakir
=36	1501+	1501+	Dumlupinar University	Kutahya
=36	1501+	1501+	Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University	Erzincan
=36	1501+	1501+	Eskişehir Osmangazi University	Eskişehir
=36	1501+	1501+	Gaziantep University	Gaziantep
=36	1501+	NR	Hitit University	Çorum
=36	1501+	1501+	Inönü University	Malatya
=36	1501+	NR	Istanbul Aydın University	Istanbul
=36	1501+	1201–1500	Istanbul Medipol University	Istanbul
=36	1501+	NR	Izmir Institute of Technology	Izmir
=36	1501+	1501+	Karadeniz Technical University	Trabzon
=36	1501+	NR	Kastamonu University	Kastamonu
=36	1501+	1501+	Kirikkale University	Kirikkale
=36	1501+	NR	Kırşehir Ahi Evran University	Kırşehir
=36	1501+	1501+	Kocaeli University	Kocaeli
=36	1501+	1201–1500	Marmara University	Istanbul
=36	1501+	NR	Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University	Niğde
=36	1501+	1501+	Ondokuz Mayis University	Samsun
=36	1501+	NR	Ordu University	Ordu
=36	1501+	NR	Pamukkale University	Denizil
=36	1501+	1501+	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University	Rize
=36	1501+	1501+	Sivas Cumhuriyet University	Sivas
=36	1501+	1501+	Süleyman Demirel University	Isparta
=36	1501+	1201–1500	Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University	Tokat
=36	1501+	1501+	Uşak University	Uşak
=36	1501+	1501+	Van Yüzüncü Yil University	Van
=36	1501+	1501+	Yeditepe University	Istanbul
=36	1501+	1501+	Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University	Zonguldak