Private Universities in Turkey: List, Fees and Admission 2026

What a private university is in Türkiye

Türkiye has no for-profit universities. The Constitution says foundations may set up higher education institutions only on condition that they do not seek profit, and under the supervision of the state¹. These are the vakıf üniversiteleri, foundation universities, which everyone else calls private universities.

Each one is founded by a law of its own and has public legal personality. Its income may be spent only on the university itself³. Its revenue can never pass to the founding foundation, even temporarily².

The same law governs your degree

• Education rules, program lengths and student rights at foundation universities are subject to Law 2547, the same law that governs state universities².
• Their academic bodies work like those of state universities, and their academic staff must meet the same qualifications².
• They report their work to YÖK at the end of each academic year, and YÖK supervises their financial, administrative and economic affairs².
• A foundation university that wants a medical faculty must own a hospital with at least 200 beds before it may admit medical students².

How many private universities there are, and where

YÖK lists 74 foundation universities, and 44 of them are in Istanbul⁹. They teach 838,664 students on campus in 2025-2026, about one in five of Türkiye's campus students⁷. Yet they report 109,815 international students, more than a third of the 310,275 reported by all universities⁸.

The twelve foundation universities with the most international students are all in Istanbul⁸. Students from Iran are a clear example: universities report 17,920 Iranian students at foundation universities and 9,232 at state universities⁸. To compare the city's state and private options side by side, read our page on universities in Istanbul.

The full list of foundation universities

The table lists every foundation university, sorted by the number of international students it reports. Each name opens the university's card in our university finder, with its programs, contacts and application window.

How to read the table

• A high international count means an established international office and a community of students like you, not higher academic quality.
• The English column shows whether you can study without Turkish; a university with only a handful is mainly Turkish-taught⁶.
• 26 of the 74 are ranked by QS or THE 2027, 16 more only report data to THE, and 32 appear in neither¹⁰¹¹.
• The fee range spans the cheapest and the dearest program, so look up the exact program on the university's own fee list before you compare⁸.

How to tell a strong private university from a weak one

Foundation universities range from research universities ranked in the world's top 500 to young institutions with few full-time professors. The legal status is the same, so the signals below are what separate them.

1. 1

   Institutional accreditation (YÖKAK)

   YÖKAK, Türkiye's Higher Education Quality Council, grants full accreditation for five years or conditional accreditation for two, and it can end a conditional status⁵. The 2026 guide marks 46 of the 74 foundation universities as YÖKAK accredited, against 92 of 129 state universities⁶.

2. 2

   Program accreditation

   Bodies such as MÜDEK for engineering, MEDEK for social sciences and TEPDAD for medicine accredit single programs, and YÖK Atlas names them⁶. It shows the accreditation of each program, and 63 foundation universities have at least one accredited bachelor's program⁶. Check the program you want, not the university.

3. 3

   Rankings

   Five foundation universities are in QS 2027: Koç, Sabancı and Bilkent in the top 500, Istanbul Aydın and Özyeğin in the 1201-1400 band¹¹. A THE rank or listing tells you the university publishes research data at all¹⁰.

4. 4

   Students per academic staff

   Foundation universities have 25.9 students per academic staff member, against 20.3 at state universities⁷. Each university's own ratio is on its card in our finder; a much higher ratio than average means larger classes.

5. 5

   The program's own record

   YÖK Atlas lists each program's quota and the lowest score and rank it admitted in each of the last three years⁶. A program that admits Turkish students with very low scores year after year is a warning sign.

Admission to private universities without the Turkish entrance exam

International students do not take YKS, the exam Turkish students sit. YÖK lets each university choose its own methods: national exams of your country, international exams, your high school grade average or its own exam⁴. Since 2024-2025 only foundation universities may still admit with their own entrance exam⁴.

Exam results such as SAT and TR-YÖS count for two years, while school-leaving results such as IB or Abitur do not expire⁴. Foreign students who studied at a high school in Türkiye are not eligible for the international quota in 2026, except graduates of embassy schools and some international schools⁴.

1. 1

   Apply online

   Send your passport, transcripts and diploma, or your latest grades if you have not graduated yet¹⁴¹².

2. 2

   Receive a conditional offer

   Applications are reviewed against the minimums; Istinye says it answers in about two working days¹².

3. 3

   Pay the deposit

   The official acceptance letter usually follows a deposit, and you use that letter for the student visa¹³¹⁴.

4. 4

   Register in Türkiye

   Bring originals, certified translations and proof of payment, then sit the language test unless you are exempt¹²¹³.

Each university sets its own application calendar within its YÖK-approved quota⁴. The window is on each university's card in our finder. For exams, minimum scores and a model timeline across all university types, see our guide on how to apply to Turkish universities.

What private universities cost

Foundation universities set international tuition through their own boards, while state university fees have a floor and ceiling set by presidential decree⁴.

Since December 2025, Law 2547 ties fee rises after the first year to YÖK rules based on inflation². The law does not say how this applies to international students, so ask the university in writing how your fee may change each year.

Discounts exist, but the large scholarship numbers you see are mostly for Turkish students. The law requires foundation universities to teach at least 15% of each program free, for the top scorers in Türkiye's central placement².

For international students, ask about early payment, sibling and high-grade discounts on the university's own fee list. Our guide to tuition fees in Turkey compares foundation and state fees program by program.

Is a private university degree valid?

Inside Türkiye, yes. Turkish law has no separate category of private diploma: education rules and student rights at foundation universities follow the same Law 2547 as at state universities².

Abroad, recognition is decided by the country where you will use the degree, not by Türkiye. If you are from Iran and choose medicine, dentistry or pharmacy, check the list of approved foreign universities that Iran's Ministry of Health publishes before you apply, and read our page on recognition of Turkish degrees for each country's process.

Private or state university: an honest comparison

Private universities make sense when you need an English program, a later start or a place without a competitive exam, and when you can pay. A state university is usually the better value if you can meet its scores and study in Turkish.

How to choose a private university in five checks

• The program you want is listed in YÖK Atlas for 2026, with its language and accreditation⁶.
• The university is YÖKAK accredited, or you know why it is not⁵.
• You have the university's official fee list for your program and its rules on deposit refunds¹³.
• For medicine or another regulated field, the degree will be recognised in the country where you plan to work.
• You have compared at least three universities in our university finder on international students, English programs and rank.