Universities in Turkey

Disadvantages of universities in Turkey

• Centralized system. The Turkish government regulates both private and public universities at the legislative level. Universities are not given the freedom to self-manage: all decisions are made with the approval of the Higher Education Council, as a result of many bureaucratic procedures. Thus, the lack of autonomy hinders the development and improvement of educational institutions.
• Dormitories. Many students complain about dormitories. Often the rooms are crowded: up to 8 people can live together. Alternatively, students can choose a private dormitory or a separate apartment. At the same time, the issue of housing is also relevant for those who go to Turkey for short-term programs and courses. As a rule, international students do not live in host families, because in Turkish culture the idea of ​​living together in the same house with a “foreigner” is not accepted^[3]. They may be provided with a dormitory, but in order to avoid problems, they should be aware of all the conditions in advance.
• Lack of experience. Despite the increase in the number of international students in Turkey, foreigners often face a lack of information and assistance from universities. It begins even before arriving in the country and continues while studying. Students complain that universities may forget to mention important documents for admission or not know what procedures must be followed upon arrival. This is mainly due to the lack of staff training^[4]. But a lot depends on the university. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether a university is suitable for you at the stage of submitting documents.
• The difficulty of communication. Many students of Turkish universities are faced with the problem of misunderstanding teachers due to poor knowledge of Turkish or English. Some students even emphasize that language training at the university is insufficient for academic studies^[4]. Therefore, the applicant must take a responsible approach to the choice of language courses and independently make efforts to learn a foreign language.

Requirements for admission to universities in Turkey

To enter Turkish universities, the applicant must provide:

• Bachelor's / master's degree or a high school diploma;
• Language certificate of English / Turkish (TOEFL/CAE/TÖMER);
• SAT/ACT/GMAT/GRE exam results (or YÖS);
• Copies of passport and photo.

Document and exam requirements depend on the type of program, university, and degree. For example, not all universities require TOEFL, since entrance exams (SAT, etc.) already confirm the language proficiency of the candidate. The application form and documents are submitted through the website of the selected university.

All prices must be clarified on the websites of universities.

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State and private universities

State universities charge a low tuition fee but are harder to enter. High standards and requirements are set here. A foreign student needs to prepare a package of documents and pass the language and entrance exams. Many international applicants come to the country a year earlier in order to spend this extra year on improving or learning Turkish / English in the Foundation program. This is especially true for those wishing to enter the best universities in the country.

State universities are funded from the government budget. Thus, universities do not manage their own finances, for example, do not determine the salaries of professors. The teaching staff elects 3 candidates for the position of rector, and the President of the Republic makes the final decision.

In demand programs in state universities are in the fields of applied sciences, education, engineering, art, and social sciences. Examples of state universities: Bogazici University, Middle East Technical University, Istanbul University, Istanbul Technical University, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and others.

Private universities (Foundation) established by large private foundations. Most of them are created by wealthy Turkish families, and the rest is funded by other countries (mainly the USA). One of the main goals of such financing is the development of higher education in the country. Therefore, it is not surprising that private universities are more likely to be on the ranking lists than state universities. Nevertheless, several public universities compete with private ones for the title of the best higher educational institution in Turkey.

Over the past 15 years, about 75 private universities have been opened in the country^[5]. More than half are located in Istanbul, the rest — in Ankara, Izmir and other cities. Universities gather a strong teaching staff, carefully monitor the quality of curricula, and maintain international standards. To do this, they collaborate with foreign universities and offer joint and exchange programs.

Tuition fees are generally higher than in state educational institutions. However, private universities help students pay for tuition: usually, almost 40% of all students receive some financial support^[6].

Most private universities have dormitories, small shopping centers, banks, and post offices on campus. The leadership of universities also builds sports facilities: tennis courts, gyms, basketball and football fields, and even swimming pools.

Foundation universities operate freely under the supervision of a board of trustees. The Council appoints deans and rectors independently with CoHE consent. Universities have three different sources of funding:

• Equity deposits;
• Student tuition fees;
• State aid.

Some of the private universities in Turkey are included in the world ranking of the best universities QS. For example, Koç University (451st place), Bilkent University (501st place), Sabanci University (521st place).

To enter these universities, an entrance exam is not required, but GPA requirements are quite high, on average — 80%. The language of instruction is English, so universities require a high TOEFL score or one year of a language training program. In addition to top private universities, there are universities with more flexible entry criteria. They conduct studies in English and Turkish, and the required GPA is about 60%.

Groups and associations of educational institutions

International Student Services Association (ISSA TURKEY) is the first NGO created to promote Turkish universities abroad. ISSA was founded in Ankara in 2015. Its goals and responsibilities include:

• Attracting foreign students to Turkey;
• Promoting Turkish universities abroad;
• Defending the rights of foreign students in Turkey;
• Advising international students;
• Assisting foreign graduates in finding employment;
• Organizing training and sports events for international students and graduates.

The association includes 10 state and 10 foundation universities.

Turkish Education Association (Türk Eğitim Derneği) was founded on January 1, 1928, in accordance with the vision and leadership of Ataturk. He always believed in the important role of education in the modernization of Turkey. On December 12, 1939, the organization received the status of "Association for the Public Good" and has since been active in the field of education.

The mission of the association includes:

• To create schools offering quality education in Turkish and foreign languages;
• Provide housing and scholarships to students;
• Take an active part in the development of Turkish educational policy.

Association founded TED University.

Turkish universities are also members of various international associations:

This is not an exhaustive list.

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