More Turkish Universities Among World’s Best Institutions, Rankings Reveal

More universities in Turkey have been included in the list of top global universities this year, which shows some progress in Turkish higher education.

According to QS 2025 World University Rankings, five Turkish universities are now listed among the 500 best universities in the world. Previously, there were only three universities on the list, Erudera.com reports.

Additionally, the number of institutions in the top 1,000 increased from 10 to 11, and Turkey is now one of the top five countries in the world recognized for the progress of its universities.

Universities included in the top 500 are:

• Middle East Technical University (METU) ranked 285th.
• Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) ranked 326th.
• Koç University ranked 401st.
• Boğaziçi University ranked 418th.
• Bilkent University ranked 477th.

Commenting on this list, the President of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE), Erol Özvar, said it is the outcome of a planned strategy universities have implemented during the past three years.

“The results show that our entire higher education system is on an upward trend. We are taking firm steps towards the target of 10 universities to enter the top 500 in the period 2024-2028’ in the 12th Development Plan. I hope we will reach this target with the increasing performance of our universities,” Özvar said.

Additionally, universities that ranked in the top 1,000 last year climbed higher in the rankings, and include:

• Sabancı University ranked 516th, meaning it was close to the top 500.
• Istanbul University ranked 621-630th.
• Hacettepe University 641-650th.
• Ankara University 801-850th.
• Yıldız Technical University 851-900th.
• Gazi University 901-950th.

According to QS’s Türkiye report, the country's academic and employer reputation has also improved, with scores on the rise.

Data by the Turkish Council of Higher Education revealed Turkey hosted a total of 301,694 international students in the 2022/2023 academic year, achieving its international enrolment target set by the Turkey Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) in 2022.

These students pursued associate, bachelor, master, or doctorate degrees in the country. Most of them enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program, with 131,000 men and 86,000 women.

International students in Turkey in 2022/23 mainly hailed from 34 countries, but the majority from:

• Syria (58,213 students)
• Azerbaijan (34,247 students)
• Iran (22,632 students)
• Turkmenistan (18,250 students)
• Iraq (16,172 students)

The number of international students in Turkey increased by 526 percent between 2013/14 and academic years, from 48,183 to 301,694 students, respectively.