Universities in Istanbul 2026: the full list

How many universities are in Istanbul

YÖK, Türkiye's Council of Higher Education, lists 12 state universities¹, 44 foundation universities² and 3 foundation vocational schools³ in Istanbul. Foundation universities are the private universities of Türkiye: non-profit, run by a foundation, and paid for by tuition. That makes 59 institutions, more than in any other Turkish city.

The foundation sector carries the city's international intake. The 47 foundation universities and schools teach 651,545 students on campus and report 98,945 international students, while the 12 state universities teach 299,259 and report 20,578⁴⁵.

Iranian students: two in three study in Istanbul

Turkish universities report 27,152 Iranian students on Study in Türkiye, and 17,788 of them, about 65%, are at Istanbul universities⁵. YÖK's own statistics count 31,486 Iranian students in 2024-2025, which makes Iran the fourth largest nationality in Türkiye⁶. The difference comes from universities that report late or not at all.

Private universities dominate this list: Istanbul Medipol University reports 1,952 Iranian students, Istanbul Esenyurt University 1,641 and Bahçeşehir University 1,190⁵. A large community at a university means senior students who have been through the same steps, but it says nothing about the quality of your program.

All 59 universities in Istanbul

The table lists every Istanbul university with its type, year founded, students on campus, international students, English-taught bachelor's programs, best ranking and annual bachelor's fee for international students. Each name opens the university's card in our university finder, with programs, contacts and application dates.

State or private: what changes in Istanbul

The two kinds of university differ in how you get in and what you pay. Each state university sets its own admission rules for international students, and most list their fees in Turkish lira⁵. Their lira fees vary widely between programs, so check the program you want in the table above.

Foundation universities admit far more international students and mostly list fees in US dollars. Of the 29 that list dollar fees, the median university charges 3,500 USD a year for its cheapest bachelor's program and 12,500 USD for its most expensive, usually medicine or dentistry⁵. 21 of them start at 4,000 USD or less.

The best universities in Istanbul by ranking

Only 9 Istanbul universities appear in QS 2027⁷, and 26 receive a rank in THE 2027⁸. Four stand out in both: Istanbul Technical University (ITU), the highest-ranked university in Türkiye in QS, Koç University, Boğaziçi University and Sabancı University.

Among universities that THE ranks but QS does not, İstinye University and Istanbul Nişantaşı University are in the 801-1000 band, and Bahçeşehir, Medipol and Biruni in 1001-1200⁸.

Where you can study in English in Istanbul

52 of Istanbul's 59 universities teach at least one bachelor's program fully in English, and together they offer 795 such programs in the 2026 guide¹⁶. Yeditepe University has the most, with 53, followed by Bahçeşehir with 41 and Istanbul Bilgi with 35. Among state universities, Boğaziçi and ITU have 33 each.

Galatasaray University and the Turkish-German University have no bachelor's program fully in English¹⁶. Our admission guide explains which proof of English an English-taught program asks for.

European side or Asian side, and getting around

The Bosphorus splits Istanbul into a European side and an Asian side. By the main address in each university's Study in Türkiye profile, 39 universities are on the European side and 20 on the Asian side⁵. Many universities have several campuses, so check where your own faculty teaches.

Living near your campus keeps your commute and transport costs down. Students pay reduced fares with a student İstanbulkart. The card costs 140 TL plus a 65 TL validation fee¹², and the student monthly pass was 593 TL under the 2026 tariff¹³. International students enrolled at an Istanbul university can get the card. Bilgi University's international office lists a passport, a Turkish student certificate, a photo and your YÖK student number as the documents¹⁵.

What living in Istanbul costs a student

Istanbul is the most expensive student city in Türkiye, and rent is the reason. The average rent for a two-bedroom flat of about 100 m² reached 44,332 TL a month in the second quarter of 2026⁹. Sharing it with two others, and adding transport, health insurance and food, our student cost of living guide puts a realistic budget at about 20,000-35,000 TL a month.

Private dorm in Istanbul, per month, 2026¹⁰

15,000-80,000 TL

General Health Insurance for foreign students, per month, 2026¹¹

1,321 TL

Student monthly transport pass, 2026 tariff¹³

593 TL

Average 2+1 rent in Istanbul, Q2 2026⁹

44,332 TL

Private dorm meals often cost extra: about 7,000 TL a month for breakfast and 10,000 TL for dinner in Istanbul¹⁰. Rents rose by more than 30% in a year in several districts⁹, so check current listings before you sign.

Next steps: admission and residence permit

1. 1

   Build a shortlist

   Use the table above and our university finder to pick three to six Istanbul universities that teach your program in the language you need, within your budget.

2. 2

   Apply to each university

   Each university runs its own application for international students, with its own dates and documents. Our guide to applying to Turkish universities walks through exams, diplomas and deadlines.

3. 3

   Get your residence permit

   After you enrol, you apply for a student residence permit in Istanbul. Our student residence permit guide explains the documents, fees and timing.