How to Get Into a University in Turkey as an International Student
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Turkey has no single national application portal for students who finished school abroad. Turkish students are placed through a national exam, but if your secondary school was outside Turkey you apply to each university yourself, within a quota that the university keeps for students from abroad. This guide describes the rules as published by the exam centre ÖSYM and by universities in October 2026.
Two routes, and which one is yours
- YKS route. The national university exam (YKS) is run by ÖSYM, and places are allocated by score. From 2026 the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) requires foreign nationals who enrolled in or graduated from a secondary school in Turkey to enter Turkish universities through YKS only. The exceptions are students who completed their whole secondary education at embassy schools or at international private schools in the national register, and students brought to Turkey under projects of the education ministry or YÖK.
- Quota for students from abroad. This is the route for foreign nationals who did not attend secondary school in Turkey. It also covers Turkish citizens who completed all of secondary school in a foreign country other than Northern Cyprus. Under the higher education law, YÖK sets the rules for admitting foreign students and students who finished secondary school abroad.
You must be in your final school year or already a graduate. If you have not graduated yet, TED University, for example, asks for a certificate from your school stating the expected graduation date and expected final score.
How universities choose
The TR-YÖS guide for 2026 sets the general principle. At state universities, admission from abroad takes into account the TR-YÖS exam, the average school grade set by the university senate, the national exam of your own country and international exams. Foundation (private) universities apply the criteria their senate sets and may also run their own admission exam.
Each university publishes its minimum scores. Two examples from their own pages, as read on 23 October 2026:
| Credential | TED University, Ankara | Ankara Social Sciences University |
|---|---|---|
| TR-YÖS | at least 250 of 500 | at least 250 of 500, evaluated with priority |
| SAT | 1000 of 1600 | 1100 of 1600 |
| IB Diploma | 29 of 45 | 28 of 45 |
| French Baccalaureate | 12 of 20 | 12 of 20 |
TED University also lists national school-leaving credentials by country, for example a maximum overall grade of 4 in the Abitur and a minimum of 6 out of 10 for the Spanish Título de Bachiller. Thresholds differ between universities and may change, so read the page of the programme you want. If you hold the IB, see IB Diploma admission to universities in Turkey.
The TR-YÖS exam
TR-YÖS is an exam for students who want to study in Turkey, and universities may use its result when you apply. It is not compulsory everywhere, but some universities rely on it. Facts from the guide for the 2026-TR-YÖS/2 session on 11 October 2026:
- Two tests of 40 multiple-choice questions each: numerical ability and basic mathematics, with 100 minutes to answer.
- A wrong answer subtracts a quarter of a correct one. The two tests are weighted 0.45 and 0.55, and the result is a score from 100 to 500.
- The exam can be taken in Turkish, German, English, French, Russian or Arabic. You do not need Turkish to sit it.
- The result is valid for 2 years from the exam date.
- Applications ran from 9 July to 3 August 2026, with late applications on 7 to 11 August. The fee depended on the country where you sit the exam: 3,700, 1,650 or 1,150 TRY (about €67, €30 or €21).
Dates and fees change with each session, and ÖSYM publishes a new guide every time. ÖSYM itself has nothing to do with university placement, housing, scholarships or residence permits.
Applying directly to the university
- Pick programmes in the catalogue, which covers 7,726 programmes at 209 institutions. 2,003 of them are taught in English.
- Open the international admissions page of each university for its quota, score table, application period and documents. Periods differ: universities set their own.
- Prepare your passport, diploma or school certificate, transcript, exam results and a photograph. Documents issued abroad need an apostille and a translation; see documents and recognition for Turkey.
- After admission, you register in person or as the university instructs, and then apply for the residence permit; see student visa and residence permit for Turkey.
Programmes in English require proof of English or a preparatory year, and programmes in Turkish require Turkish. See bachelor's degrees in English in Turkey and Turkish language requirements.
Where to look next
Official sources
- ÖSYM: 2026 TR-YÖS/2 guide, sections 1.1 to 1.10 and 4
- ÖSYM: TR-YÖS candidate system
- Study in Türkiye (YÖK): TR-YÖS
- Law 2547 on Higher Education, article 45
- TED University: admission criteria
- Ankara Social Sciences University: application conditions
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.