Türkiye Plans to Welcome 1 Million+ International Students - Guide to Study in Türkiye
Türkiye is set to become a major hub for international education by planning to host 1 million international students, offering affordable degrees recognized in Europe, with tuition as low as $200 annually, a post-graduation stay of one year for job hunting, and a wide range of English-taught programs, making it an attractive destination for students seeking quality education, cultural experiences, and international career opportunities.
Give your career a head start by looking seriously at a country most students haven't considered yet.
Studying in Türkiye gives you a degree that is recognized in Europe for much less money than studying at universities in the West. After you graduate, you can stay in Türkiye for one year to look for work. You also gain language skills and international experience.
Türkiye currently hosts more than 340,000 international students from over 200 countries, and the Council of Higher Education has said they are aiming to host 500,000 international students by 2028 and a million after that, which means the country is putting effort of making it easier to apply, easier to get your residence permit, and easier to stay once you've graduated.
This guide is designed to give you the information you need to work out whether Türkiye is the right fit for you, so you can make one of the most important decisions of your life: choosing where to study.
6 reasons to study in Türkiye
- Your degree is recognised across Europe, because Türkiye has been a full member of the European Higher Education Area since 2001 and your qualification comes with ECTS credits and a Europass Diploma Supplement.
- Tuition starts as low as US$200 to US$1,000 a year at some public universities.
- More than 15,000 programmes are taught wholly or partly in English, so you don't need to learn the language to get your degree.
- Türkiye is 3rd in Europe for computer science and 5th for AI PhD graduates, which matters if you're going into tech.
- You get a full year after graduation to stay, look for work, or move on to a master's or PhD, and you can work 24 hours a week while you're studying.
- Istanbul is the only major city in the world on two continents, and Türkiye sits at the point where Europe, Asia, and the Middle East meet, so travel and internships across three regions are genuinely realistic.
Costs of studying in Türkiye
Turkish tuition fees are low compared to Western universities, and that's the main reason so many international students end up looking at Türkiye in the first place.
| Typical range per year | |
| Public university tuition | US$200 to US$1,000 for some programmes |
| Undergraduate tuition generally | US$3,000 to US$30,000, depending on the university and subject |
| Medicine and dentistry | US$18,000 to US$50,000 |
If you need funding, Türkiye Scholarships is the main government programme, and it covers your tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, flights, and a year of Turkish language study. I would be realistic about the odds though, because around 200,000 people applied in 2026 and roughly 4,000 places get awarded each year, so it's better treated as a bonus than as your actual plan.
Turkish universities are rising in the rankings
Türkiye has 208 universities teaching 6.3 million students, with 874,171 graduating in a single year, so it's one of the larger higher education systems in Europe and it's been climbing fast.
In the QS Europe University Rankings 2026, 23 Turkish universities placed in the top 500 and 103 were ranked in total, which makes Türkiye the second most represented country in Europe, ahead of Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Middle East Technical University came 116th, Istanbul Technical University 124th, Koç 143rd, Sabancı 148th, and Boğaziçi 153rd, and 36 Turkish universities entered the rankings for the first time that year.
According to Stanford's 2025 AI Index, Türkiye ranks 3rd in Europe for computer science and 5th in Europe for AI PhD graduates, with more than 200 computer science programmes across its universities and many of them taught in English.
Can you study in Türkiye in English?
Yes, and more easily than most people assume. There are more than 15,000 programmes in Türkiye delivered wholly or partly in English, which is more English-taught than most European countries offer, and you'll find them at bachelor's, master's, and PhD level across medicine, engineering, business, law, and the social sciences.
You'll usually need to prove your English, and most universities accept IELTS or TOEFL. If you're a native speaker, or you've already completed a degree taught in English, you may be exempt, so it's worth asking each university directly rather than assuming you'll need to sit an exam.
Where to study
Where you study changes your budget and your day-to-day life more than most students expect, so it's worth thinking about the city as carefully as the university. Most international students in Türkiye get by on somewhere between US$350 and US$800 a month depending on where they live and how they live, and the state dormitories run by KYK are by far the cheapest housing option if you can get a place in one. Here are five cities worth looking at:
Istanbul
The only major city in the world sitting on two continents, split by the Bosphorus, with Istanbul Technical University at 124 in Europe, Boğaziçi at 153, and most of the country's top foundation universities. It's the biggest and most international option, and it's also the most expensive by a clear margin, so budget at the upper end of that range unless you're sharing a flat or in a dorm. It's a huge city, so the usual big-city sense goes a long way, but the student areas around the main campuses are busy and well populated late into the evening.
Ankara
The capital, and the strongest concentration of top state universities, with METU at #116 in Europe, Bilkent at #182, Hacettepe at #199, and Ankara University at #244. Living costs sit noticeably below Istanbul, the city is more spread out and calmer, and it's built around government and universities rather than tourism, so you get a more settled, academic environment and a student community that's there year-round.
Izmir
On the Aegean coast, with Ege University, Dokuz Eylül, and the Izmir Institute of Technology. The weather is milder than anywhere inland, costs are similar to Ankara, and the city is smaller and easier to get around. It suits you if you want the coast, a slower pace, and a summer that involves the sea rather than a heatwave in a landlocked city.
Eskişehir
A proper student town built around Anadolu University, and one of the most popular cities in the country with international students despite being far smaller than Istanbul. Costs are low, almost everything is walkable or a tram ride away, and because students make up such a large share of the population the whole city is set up around them, which makes it one of the easier places to settle in if you're arriving on your own.
Karabük
The one that surprises people, because Karabük University hosts 11,558 international students, more than any other university in Türkiye, in a small northern city rather than a big one. That means low costs, a very large international community for the size of the place, and a quiet setting, though you'll have less going on outside the campus than you would in Istanbul or Izmir.
Next steps
Browse universities and programmes in Türkiye on Global Admissions, compare tuition and entry requirements, and apply directly through the platform.
If you are still deciding between destinations, our guides to scholarships for international students and rising study destinations for 2026 are a good place to start.
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Angel is from the Philippines and is responsible for a wide range of tasks at Global Admissions to help students achieve their dreams. She is focused on boosting the company's growth presence, writing articles, and assisting with applicant screening.
