Turkey's Growing Appeal as a Study Destination

Offering wonderful scenic beauty and unique cultural diversity, Turkey is already recognized at the global level in terms of its tourist attractions. While the country receives high footfalls from different parts of the world as tourists, there has been a splendid growth in the number of international students visiting Turkey to pursue higher education.  Though Turkish higher education system is one of the youngest universities in the world, the country has a rapidly growing academic reputation with new and old universities working to offer international students competitive education.

Government-Funded Scholarships for International Students

According to the Turkish Council of Higher Education, around 115,000 foreign students are currently studying at Turkish universities, putting the country among the top 10 host nations for international students. Above all, the Turkish government is keen to increase this number by introducing government-funded competitive scholarship programmes and aims to attract 350,000 international students over the next few years. As per Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), with the implementation of Türkiye Scholarships in 2012, which received around 4000 applications in its first year, a rapid increase was witnessed in the application numbers throughout the years, to reach around 130 thousand applications in 2018. Türkiye Scholarships is a scholarship program which not only provides financial support but also ensures university placement for students in their intended program of application.

World-Quality Higher Education

Turkish universities offer students the chance to gain a unique higher education experience. There are 183 higher education institutions in Turkey, in which 109 are state universities and the remaining 74 are private non-profit institutions. These institutions provide bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctoral degree. In the 2019 QS World University Rankings, two of Turkey’s universities are ranked amongst the top 500 list. There are a further 8 Turkish universities in the top 1000 ranking.

The Best Turkish Universities

Students pursuing higher education in Turkey can experience a safe, welcoming and rewarding multicultural environment filled with the goodness of both western and middle-eastern cultures. For international students who are looking for high-quality education in English medium, Turkey is one of the best options they can have. The Turkish higher education institutions are known for excellent education programmes with low tuition fees and many programs are taught in English. Non-English speaking students who attend traditional programs will also find many opportunities to learn the English language as they complete their primary studies.  Some of the top universities in Turkey are:

1. Koc University

2. Izmir University of Economics

3. Yasar University

4. Sabanci University

5. Bilkent University

6. Bahcesehir University

7. Yeditepe University

8. Istanbul Sehir University

9. Ozyegin University

According to the Studyportals.com, the most sought-after academic programme in Turkey is Masters in Computer Science following the Masters in Civil Engineering. Masters in International Relations, Masters in Psychology and Masters in Electrical Engineering are some of the popular study courses chosen by international students. Being the 18^th largest in the world and 7^th largest in Europe, Turkey’s economy expanded faster than both China and India in 2017 and ranked as the fastest growing economy in the G-20 group of nations, which is no easy feat. Having such exponential growth and a strong alliance with European and Middle-East markets, Turkey has opened up a plethora of job opportunities for its international students.