How to apply to Turkish universities: admission requirements

There is no central application: each university admits on its own

Turkish universities admit international students through a separate "study from abroad" quota. This quota is set under the Higher Education Law, and a university needs approval from YÖK, the Council of Higher Education, to take students from abroad¹.

There is no single national portal for international applicants. Each university chooses which exams it accepts, sets its own minimum scores and runs its own calendar. You apply on each university's website¹³.

The choice is wide. Türkiye had 208 higher education institutions in the 2025-26 academic year, with about 6.3 million students in total¹⁸. Not all of them are universities: the figure also includes foundation vocational schools. You can compare them in our Turkish university finder.

Who counts as an international applicant in 2026

You can apply to the international quota if you are in the last year of high school or have already graduated, and you belong to one of these groups¹:

• Foreign nationals who did not study at, or graduate from, a high school in Türkiye.
• Former Turkish citizens with Blue Card proof, and people who became Turkish citizens later, under the same school condition.
• Turkish citizens who completed all of high school abroad, outside the TRNC (Northern Cyprus).
• TRNC nationals with GCE A-Levels, or with TR-YÖS if they completed all of high school abroad.

Applicants who are excluded can still study in Türkiye, but they enter through YKS, the national exam for Turkish students². A YÖK document dated 31 July 2026 may have updated these rules, so confirm the current version with your university before you apply.

Which exams get you into a bachelor's program

Universities can admit you on an international exam, a national school-leaving exam, your high school grades or, at foundation universities, their own exam. Each university's criteria and minimum scores are approved by YÖK¹.

TR-YÖS, the central exam for foreign students

• Who runs it: ÖSYM, Türkiye's national exam centre, twice a year since 2024¹².
• Format: two tests of 40 questions each, numerical reasoning and basic mathematics, in 100 minutes. The score is scaled from 100 to 500².
• Languages: Turkish, English, German, French, Russian and Arabic. You do not need to know Turkish to sit it²³.
• Validity: 2 years from the exam date².
• Fee: 3,700 TL, 1,650 TL or 1,150 TL in 2026, depending on your country group².
• Where to apply: tryos.osym.gov.tr, with results at sonuc.osym.gov.tr².

Every Turkish higher education institution accepts TR-YÖS results for international admission¹. Since 2024-25, state universities no longer run their own entrance exam for foreigners. Some foundation universities still hold their own exam, often called YÖS¹³.

SAT, ACT, IB and national exams

SAT and ACT are widely accepted. University-entrance exams such as SAT and TR-YÖS are valid for 2 years, while school-leaving exams such as Abitur, IB, GCE A-Levels and Tawjihi have no time limit¹. Many universities also list national exams, for example China's Gaokao or Russia's EGE⁴⁶.

Admission requirements: minimum scores at four leading universities

The table below shows the minimum scores each university publishes for international applicants. These are the minimums to be considered, not a guarantee of a place: competitive programs fill with higher scores⁴⁶.

• ITU notes that its scores need YÖK approval and may change⁴. You can choose up to 3 programs⁵.
• Boğaziçi does not combine section scores from different SAT sittings⁷.
• METU's official requirements document is dated 5 January 2024. Check its application requirements page for a newer version before you apply⁶.
• Ankara University sets TR-YÖS minimums by program: 440 for the most competitive programs such as Computer Engineering and Software Engineering, 400 for Pharmacy and Civil Engineering, and 200 for most others. You can list up to 5 programs¹⁰¹¹.

Master's and PhD admission: ITU as an example

Graduate admission is also set by each university. ITU publishes clear rules, so it is a useful example. Other universities set different scores⁵¹².

ALES is Türkiye's graduate entrance exam. International-quota applicants at ITU may apply without an ALES, GRE or GMAT score and be admitted on condition that they meet a score or grade target within two semesters⁵. A direct PhD after a bachelor's needs a GPA of at least 3.00 out of 4.00⁵.

Language rules: Turkish for Turkish programs, English or a prep year

Each university judges language proficiency with its own rules¹. In practice, the language you need depends on the language your program is taught in.

Turkish-taught programs

Universities commonly ask for C1 Turkish for programs taught in Turkish. At ITU, students in programs taught mostly in Turkish (30% in English) must present a C1 certificate within one year of registration, and only ITU TÖMER or Yunus Emre Institute certificates count⁵. Boğaziçi asks for Turkish B2 only for Law and Turkish Language and Literature⁹.

English-taught programs

• Boğaziçi: TOEFL iBT 79 with Writing 22, or IELTS Academic 6.5 with 6.5 in Writing. Scores are valid for 2 years⁹.
• ITU: TOEFL iBT 72 to 90 for the lower band of courses, 91 or more to skip ahead, for tests taken before January 2026. Scores are valid for 2 years¹³.
• Without a valid score: you join a one-year English preparatory program before your degree courses start⁹¹³.

Documents to apply to a Turkish university, and when you need each one

Most universities ask for the same core set at the application stage. Documents that are not in Turkish or English need an authorized translation, and Ankara University asks for a notarized sworn translation⁵¹¹.

• Passport page, or Blue Card if you have one⁵¹¹
• High school diploma, or an official letter of expected graduation⁵
• Transcripts of your high school grades⁵¹¹
• Exam result: TR-YÖS, SAT, ACT, IB or a national exam⁵¹¹
• Authorized translations of any document not in Turkish or English⁵
• English or Turkish language certificate, if you already have one⁹
• For master's and PhD: ALES, GRE or GMAT score, two reference letters, statement of purpose and CV⁵
• A recent biometric photo, needed at registration⁹

Diplomas usually need an apostille or approval by your education ministry or a Turkish mission before denklik. The exact route depends on your country, so ask the Turkish consulate where you live. If you plan to work in your home country after graduating, also check whether a Turkish degree is recognised at home before you choose a university.

At registration, Boğaziçi also asks for a student visa, e-Visa or residence permit, a signed information form and a foreign identification number, which the university obtains after you arrive⁹. Some faculties also ask for a health report¹.

A model calendar, based on the 2026-27 cycle

1. 1

   January to February: scholarships and the first TR-YÖS

   Türkiye Scholarships accepted applications from 10 January to 20 February 2026¹⁴. The first TR-YÖS sitting of the year opens for applications in winter, with the exam in spring; check exact dates on the ÖSYM site.

2. 2

   February to May: foundation university exams

   Foundation universities that run their own YÖS usually open applications in February or March, and some accept them until May³.

3. 3

   April to June: early university windows

   Boğaziçi accepted undergraduate applications from 6 April to 5 June 2026⁸. ITU's graduate applications ran from 24 April to 26 June 2026¹².

4. 4

   July to August: the second TR-YÖS and late windows

   Applications for the second TR-YÖS ran from 9 July to 3 August 2026². ITU usually takes undergraduate applications in August⁵.

5. 5

   August to September: results and registration

   Boğaziçi registered new students from 4 to 6 August and from 4 to 8 September 2026⁹. Bring your denklik, visa and original documents.

6. 6

   October: the second TR-YÖS exam

   The second TR-YÖS was held on 11 October 2026². Because a score is valid for 2 years, it can be used for the following year's applications².

A safe plan is to take TR-YÖS or SAT in the winter or spring before you apply, then send applications between April and August. Universities can also issue a pre-acceptance letter between rounds¹.

Scholarships, the student visa, and state vs foundation universities

Türkiye Scholarships

Türkiye Scholarships is the government's fully funded program for associate, bachelor's, master's and PhD students. It has one application period for all countries, through the online TBBS system¹⁴.

Application window in 2026¹⁴

10 Jan - 20 Feb

Monthly stipend, bachelor's¹⁵

6,500 TL

Monthly stipend, master's¹⁵

9,500 TL

Monthly stipend, PhD¹⁵

13,000 TL

The scholarship also covers university placement, tuition, accommodation, health insurance, a one-year Turkish course and a flight ticket at the start and end of your studies¹⁵. The 2027 window has not been announced yet. The program says it opens every year from 10 January to 20 February¹⁵. For eligibility and other funding, see Türkiye Scholarships and other scholarships in Türkiye.

The student visa

The Turkish e-Visa is valid only for tourism or business. Visas for study are issued by Turkish embassies and consulates¹⁶. Apply as soon as you receive your acceptance letter, starting with the online pre-application at konsolosluk.gov.tr¹⁷. Our Turkish student visa page walks through the consulate application.

Some universities accept students who entered Türkiye on another legal basis, and rules differ by nationality. Treat the consulate student visa as the standard route and confirm with your university. After you arrive, you apply for a student residence permit; our student residence permit guide explains that step.

State or foundation university?

• State universities: tuition for foreign students sits between a minimum and a maximum set by Presidential Decision. They admit on TR-YÖS, grades and national or international exams¹.
• Foundation universities: these are private, non-profit universities that set their own tuition and may run their own entrance exam¹. See private universities in Türkiye for a fuller comparison.
• Size: state universities taught 5,445,808 students in 2025-26, foundation universities 838,664¹⁸.

If you want a second opinion on which universities match your scores, Turkademy can review your file with you.