Turkey is now a very well-known tourist hotspot, and for good reason too. It checks all the boxes in anyone’s list: food, sights, history, activities, etc. But what you may not know is that Turkey has been slowly but steadily rising as an affordable option for higher education. Universities across Turkey, especially in Istanbul, are now more attractive than ever to international students who want to experience a different culture while still being able to be a part of a high-quality education system.
There are many reasons why Turkey is now a popular option for students. It’s cheap but offers a standard of living that is exceptional. Universities here are pretty easy to get into, considering the ease of application and less complex admission requirements. The universities here are also internationally recognized, so students wouldn’t run into issues with their degrees. Most mode-of-study for international students is English, but students would pick up some Turkish, considering they’d spend 3-5 years here, living among the locals.
The academic year here runs from September to June. Undergrad admissions are usually open from mid-May to the end of August. Post-grad admission intakes begin typically from the start of November to the end of January for the spring intake and mid-May to end of August for the fall intake. This provides sufficient time for students to gather all required documents and academic requirements that they would need to reply. Universities would send an offer letter (upon completion of documents) around 10 working days after the application. Once students receive this offer letter, they’d need to pay the initial deposit to finalize their admission. Then universities will send the original acceptance letter within 10-15 working days after the deposit is paid. Once the university admission is finalized, visa applications can be submitted using the acceptance letter from the university.
Applying to universities here is an affordable fee of US$150, which is non-refundable. Undergrad programs are typically about 4-5 years long, depending on the course, and Post-grad programs such as Master’s are around 1-1.5 years long.
Some universities that offer great undergraduate programs are listed below. The tuition fees are listed in USD, per annum of the program.
· Bahcesehir University: 7900 USD
· Istanbul Aydin University: 6000 USD
· Istanbul Sehir University: 5500 USD
· Okan University: 5500 USD
· Istanbul Nisantasi University: 4000 USD
· Dogus University: 5500 USD
· Gelisim University: 3600 USD
· Istanbul Commerce University: 3000 USD
· European University of Lefke: 3000 USD
· Cyprus International University: 3000 Euro
Universities offering brilliant Master’s programs, which are internationally recognized and acclaimed are as follows. The tuition fees are listed in USD, for the entirety of the program:
· Bahcesehir University: 9000 USD
· Okan University: 8000 USD
· Istanbul Aydin University: 4200 USD
· Istanbul Sehir University: 4000 USD
· Gelisim University: 3300 USD
· Dogus University: 3500 USD
· Istanbul Commerce University: 3000 USD
· European University of Lefke: 4200 USD
· Cyprus International University: 3500 Euro
When applying for a Turkish student visa, students would require some specific documents. These include:
· Passport (valid for at least 6 months after the date of your arrival to Turkey)
· Passport-sized colored photographs of the applicant
· Travel health-insurance certificate
· Visa application form that has been filled completely, submitted, printed and signed by the applicant
· Polio vaccination certificate from the authorized hospitals or labs.
· Student acceptance letter
· Copy of flight reservation
· Bank account maintenance certificate and original bank statements of about the last 3 months of the applicant or applicant’s sponsor (the bank statement for the Bachelor’s program should be a minimum of US$5000 and for Master’s about US$3000)
· Consent letter of the applicant for verification of the documents
· Consent letter from the parents arranged by the notary IF the applicant is 18 years old.
If you’re interested in applying for your choice of program in Turkey, contact us at our Office number or email us for more details!
