Education System

If you want to study abroad then it can be confusing to learn about a whole new education system from scratch. Don’t worry, Turkey has a single national education system and it is not complicated if you have the right sources. Read More

For that reason, we are here for you to fully understand the Turkish Education System so you can decide the degree you want to pursue in ıstanbul. Istanbul hosts millions of students each year. You may be looking for a study opportunity in Istanbul. If so, this section is for you. Explore the education system’s essentials in the country, and find scholarships in Istanbul. From elementary school to higher education, you will find anything you need in this category. We have also gathered information about the cost of living for students, as well.

Academic Calendar

The Republic of Turkey is a peninsula that generally has a mild climate except for its far eastern and south eastern parts. For this reason, the academic calendars of universities are divided into two terms that stretch over autumn, winter, and spring. The academic year usually starts in the middle of September with the autumn term, and it continues for 14 weeks. The three and a half months of lecturing include midterms and quizzes as well. The national holidays may be on the same day as lectures, and it is up to the lecturers to have make-up courses before the end of the semester. The term ends with the 14th week, and the finals pursue the lectures.

Qualifications

Istanbul is a big city with many people inside it. There are 57 higher education places for the people in Istanbul. Suitable for a historical city, Istanbul has historical universities that have very good places in international rankings of universities. While even being nominated to such rankings is an honor in itself, some universities of Istanbul come home back with trophies. That is why Istanbul is a good place for a student to continue their higher education this decision needs some hard work. Regardless of the hardness, some of the most terrifying steps are in fact quite easy, as the qualifications process. In order to apply to a university in Istanbul, a student needs many documents, but the only qualification they need is their high school diploma. Once the student has a diploma equivalent to their high school, they can apply to higher education places all over Turkey. For the equivalence letter, students must work with the Ministry of National Education of Turkey and the Turkish Embassy at the student’s main address. With a high school diploma, any student can apply for an associate's or bachelor’s degree.

Credit System

Like many universities around the world, the universities in Istanbul use a credit system for their academic plans as well. In order to achieve closer relations with European countries and higher education counterparts, the Council of Higher Education in Turkey has encouraged the universities to change their credit systems into the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. All Turkish universities have been using the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) according to the rules of the council to determine course credits since 2011. The ECTS credit system is based on the student's course load, showing that it is student-centered. The calculation of ECTS credits is based on the course competencies of the students and it takes into account the amount of study time required to achieve these competencies.

Grading System

Istanbul is a very rich city; it is rich in history, rich in culture, and last but not least, rich in universities. There are 57 universities in addition to the vocational schools in the city which is the home of +15 million people. All universities in Turkey are under the direct control of the Council of Higher Education in Turkey regardless of the fact that whether they are public or private universities. Even though their tails are tied to the Council of Higher Education in Turkey, the universities have pseudo autonomy in their academic approaches. That is why some universities are different than others in minor subjects like grading.

Diploma Evaluation

There comes a time in a person’s life when they need to decide their next step. Some people choose for themselves an academic life in which they devote themselves to a life of research, or they just want to have a bachelor’s degree for higher education. Regardless of their motives, studying abroad is an option many people consider every day, and studying in Istanbul is a very popular idea for those who would like to have their higher education in a competent and laid-back environment.

Quality Assurance and Recognition

Studying abroad is a serious step in a student’s life as the students try to establish their lives on their own in a foreign country for at least two years if they complete their studies. However, some procedures are followed by almost all universities in the world to enable this dream of studying abroad to come true. Turkey's universities primarily participate in the international area of higher education institutions. In this way, international students are also welcomed to the country, as native students can go to foreign countries for their education. As higher education institutions award their graduating students with degrees, they also work with other institutions worldwide to recognize the degrees they have just been awarded.

Degrees

The heart of the Republic of Turkey, Istanbul, is a city of dreams in which any newcomer can find a thing to do with themselves. It is rightly presented as a touristic paradise, but the fame of the universities in Istanbul cannot be outshined. There is a great number of public and private universities in Istanbul so as to meet the demand of its +15 million people in addition to the people outside of Istanbul who would like to have a good education. There are 13 public universities that offer bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees within their academic plans. The public universities of Istanbul are the most rooted universities in the whole country because of the fact that some of them have been around for centuries. The ways of the academic plans have been preserved in most of these universities as a part of that university's culture.

Institutions

Istanbul is a city of attraction that houses millions of people every day. While it is a great place to visit for a brief period, the prestigious universities in Istanbul make the city a good choice for educational purposes. One of the reasons for the crowded population of Istanbul is the percentage of students in Istanbul. There are many old universities in Istanbul dating back to the Medieval Period or the Age of Enlightenment. While the majority of the universities in Istanbul are rather new, they are thriving quickly. There are 57 universities in total, and these universities generally focus on one particular branch of science. For example, one public university in Istanbul has excelled in fine arts.

Tuition Fees

Higher education is a direct choice of how one decides to continue living their lives most of the time. Based on the program the student studies, they choose their occupation and how they will get on with their lives. For this reason, higher education is a rather expensive option for people as it allows them to excel in certain areas. However, Istanbul proves to be a miracle place for higher education as well. With tuition fees that are significantly lower than most of the universities in Europe and the United States, Istanbul offers quality education in world-class universities. At Istanbul University, for example, you can attend all four types of higher education programs by paying the annual tuition fee. The most expensive annual tuition fee is 30.000 Turkish Liras for medicine in the bachelor’s program, and it is still below 2000 Euros for one year of education.

Scholarship

Generally, it is said that the poorest group of people are the students. The saying may be true as the new high school graduates try to establish their own lives through higher education away from their families most of the time. And if the student is an international student, their monetary condition may be rather worse. In these situations, scholarships and grants are the saviors of the students as they try to help and raise the condition of the student. Turkey is a great choice for higher education not only because of its remarkable higher education institutions but also for its scholarship opportunities. The country offers many types of scholarships that come from the Republic of Turkey, the university the student attends, the country of the student, and from various institutions and organizations both national and international. The length of these scholarships may go even as far as covering the transportation costs of the incoming student.

Higher Education

Higher education is the time for a student to decide for their lives. After their graduation from high school, the students are generally expected to enroll in a higher education institution. Higher education grants the students degrees in their capabilities once they graduate from the program they have chosen before attending university. In addition to universities, there is always the option of vocational schools of higher education for the students. In vocational schools of higher education, the students are instructed in various professions of daily life. They consist of four semesters, lasting for 2 years. Other than vocational schools of higher education, students can apply to programs that offer degrees in universities. There are four types of higher education programs, they are associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees. While the associate’s degree is optional and it also lasts for 2 years, the rest of the programs can be applied successively as they depend on each other. In a bachelor’s degree program, the students are lectured on the subject of their own choosing for 8 semesters.

Key Figures

Istanbul has many universities that equip its students with the quality education they provide. The city has 13 public universities that accept students from all over the world and the total number of universities is 57. Whether they are public or private, universities in Istanbul are prestigious universities with promising students and good locations in international rankings. Some of these universities compete in international areas to be ranked. These ranking lists consist of a small number of universities throughout the world, so being qualified enough to attend such a list is an indicator of the qualities of the universities in Istanbul. Istanbul University, for example, was one of the top 25 universities that were ranked in the “QS Universities in Emerging Europe and Central Asia 2021 Ranking.”