English-Taught Programs in Turkey: Admission and Costs

Yes, you can complete English-taught programs in Turkey, from a bachelor's degree through to a doctorate, without ever sitting an exam in Turkish. Dozens of Turkish universities, public and private, teach entire programs in English, from engineering to medicine, business to international relations. This guide explains which programs exist, how to get admitted, what English level is required and what it costs.

One point to fix in your mind before you start: admission rules, English thresholds and fees are set by each university, not nationally. Read what follows as the general pattern, then confirm the detail with the institution you are applying to. The guide is written for high school graduates aiming at a first bachelor's degree as much as for graduates looking at a master's.

Can You Study in English in Turkey?

Yes, you can study in English in Turkey, and the practice is far more common than most families expect. Turkish universities have opened fully English-taught programs steadily over the past fifteen years or so to attract international students. These programs follow the curriculum approved by the Yuksekogretim Kurulu (YOK), the body that oversees higher education in Turkey, but the classes, the exams and the theses all take place in English.

In practice, a student enrolled in an English-taught program attends lectures in English, submits assignments in English and sits exams in English. Turkish becomes the language of daily life, useful for living in Istanbul or Ankara, but it is not required to complete the degree. Many French-speaking families ask us the same question at the start: can you study in English in Turkey without speaking a word of Turkish? The answer is yes, provided you target the right programs from the outset.

What English-Taught Programs in Turkey Are Available?

English-taught programs in Turkey cover almost every discipline and every level, from bachelor's to master's and doctoral degrees. English-taught degree programs in Turkey cluster in the fields international students ask about first.

• Engineering: computer science, civil, mechanical, electrical and industrial engineering.
• Medicine, dentistry and health sciences, often in English at private universities.
• Business, management, economics and finance.
• International relations, political science and international law.
• Architecture, design and social sciences.

At master's and doctoral level, the English-medium offering is even broader, because research is often carried out in English. A French-speaking candidate aiming for a master's in Turkey will almost always find an English version of their specialty, whether in engineering, management or the social sciences.

Coverage is uneven, though. The same faculty can run a Turkish-taught program and an English-taught one side by side, with different places, different fees and different admission conditions. Check on the university's own website that the specific program you want exists in an English-medium version, not just the faculty in general.

English-Medium Universities in Turkey to Know

Bogazici University, the Middle East Technical University (ODTU, in Ankara) and Istanbul Technical University (ITU) are among the best known English-medium universities in Turkey. Several institutions have taught in English for decades and carry a strong academic reputation. Some are public, some are private, and that distinction mainly changes the admission route and the fees.

• Bogazici University, in Istanbul: public, English-medium by tradition, and highly selective.
• Middle East Technical University (ODTU), in Ankara: public, English-medium, strong in engineering and the sciences.
• Istanbul Technical University (ITU): public, with many English-taught engineering programs alongside Turkish-taught ones.
• Koc, Sabanci and Bilkent: private, operating mainly in English, with a large international community.

These are examples, not a shortlist. The list of English-medium universities in Turkey is much longer, and the right choice depends on your discipline, your budget and your application file.

In our experience with French-speaking students, the best approach is not chasing a ranking, but starting from the program you want, then checking which universities teach it in English and under what conditions. Our guidance toward English-taught degree programs in Turkey, through Turkish universities, exists for exactly this.

How to Get Into an English-Taught Program

You get into an English-taught program in Turkey through an application file, with or without an entrance exam depending on the university. Turkish universities admit international students through several routes, which often coexist for the same program.

The YOS (Yabanci Ogrenci Sinavi) is the entrance exam for international students: it mainly tests mathematical reasoning and logic, so it does not require Turkish. Each university sets its own criteria, dates and places; there is no single national procedure. To study in English in Turkey, add proof of English level to these routes, which we cover next.

What English Level Do These Programs Require?

For an English-taught program, most Turkish universities ask for proof of English level, most often a TOEFL or an IELTS score. The threshold varies from one institution to another and by discipline, with engineering and medicine generally more demanding. Published thresholds also move from one intake to the next, so read the current admission page of the university rather than an old forum thread.

If you do not have a certificate, you still have two options. Many universities run their own internal English test, and passing it exempts you from the TOEFL or the IELTS. If your level falls short, the university offers a preparatory English year, commonly called the prep class or hazirlik, before the program itself begins.

This preparatory year is common and should not worry you: it exists precisely to set you up for what follows. Prepare your certificate several months in advance, because exam sessions and results take time. Students who come from a French-speaking high school often have a solid written level but underestimate speaking, which counts for a great deal in class.

How Much Do English-Taught Programs in Turkey Cost?

The cost of an English-taught program in Turkey depends mainly on whether the university is public or private, and on the discipline. As of the time this article is written, annual fees at public universities for an English-medium program are often a few hundred dollars, while private universities charge several thousand dollars a year, with medicine remaining the most expensive.

These figures are indicative and move every year, with the exchange rate as much as with the fee itself: confirm the exact amount on the website of the university concerned, because that is the only source that counts. The total budget for a year combines tuition with the cost of living, which varies a great deal between Istanbul, the most expensive city, and places such as Ankara or Konya. Add housing, health insurance and the student residence permit, which is issued by the Goc Idaresi Baskanligi once you have arrived.

Scholarships exist, including the national Turkiye Burslari program run by the Yurtdisi Turkler ve Akraba Topluluklar Baskanligi (YTB). Application windows, coverage and amounts change from one year to the next, and the competition is heavy. Build the budget as though you will pay the fees yourself, and treat a scholarship as good news if it arrives.

Do You Need Turkish If You Study in English?

No, Turkish is not required to complete an English-taught program, but it remains genuinely useful day to day. You earn your degree in English, without a Turkish exam, and many students finish their studies this way.

That said, living for several years in Istanbul without a word of Turkish makes paperwork, finding housing, internships and social life harder. Learning the basics changes daily life, and it counts on the local job market after graduation. That is why many of our students take Turkish language courses alongside their program, with us in Istanbul or at a university TOMER centre, often just at the A1 and A2 levels of the CEFR scale. Studying in English in Turkey and learning Turkish on the side are not opposites; the two support each other.

Common Mistakes Before Choosing an English Program

Most difficulties come from information that was checked too late, once the application is already underway. Here are the mistakes we see most often among candidates for English-taught programs for international students.

• Assuming that a faculty known for teaching in English offers every program in English, when the specific one you want only exists in Turkish.
• Waiting until the last moment to sit the TOEFL or the IELTS, when your place can depend on that score.
• Confusing admission with enrollment: an acceptance letter does not cover the fees, the insurance or the residence permit.
• Building a budget around a scholarship that has not yet been awarded.
• Overlooking the preparatory English year in the timeline and in the total cost.

Taking these points one at a time, early in the year, avoids the great majority of unpleasant surprises. An application file for English-taught programs for international students should be prepared several months in advance, not a few weeks before term starts.

English-taught programs in Turkey open a real path to a recognized degree, in a country where the cost of study stays reasonable and student life is busy, without requiring Turkish from day one. Start from the program you want, confirm it exists in English, prepare your proof of level and your budget early, and check every figure with the university itself. So, can you study in English in Turkey without a stressful first year? Yes, if you begin the paperwork months rather than weeks ahead.

Talk to Campus Turquie about your studies

Campus Turquie is an educational and cultural institution based in Istanbul. Since 2020 we have guided international students through admission to Turkish universities and taught Turkish at every level. To talk about your own plans, call or message us on WhatsApp at +90 532 431 80 50, write to contact@campusturquie.org, or visit us at Sisli Merkez Mahallesi, Hasat Sokak No:12A, 34384 Sisli, Istanbul. Our offices are open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00. You can also see our Turkish language courses and our university admission support, or reach us through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you study in English in Turkey without Turkish?

Yes, you can complete an entire program in English in Turkey without speaking Turkish. Classes, exams and the thesis are all done in English in English-taught programs, and no Turkish exam is required for the degree. Learning the basics of Turkish is still advisable for everyday life.

Which Turkish universities teach in English?

Many Turkish universities, public and private, teach in English. On the public side, Bogazici, ODTU and ITU offer well-regarded English-taught programs; on the private side, institutions such as Koc, Sabanci or Bilkent operate mainly in English. Always check that your specific program exists in an English-medium version.

What English level do Turkish universities ask for?

Most universities ask for a TOEFL, an IELTS, or a pass on their own internal English test. The threshold depends on the institution and the discipline, with engineering and medicine often more demanding. If your level is not sufficient, a preparatory English year precedes the program.

Are English-taught degrees recognized?

Yes, a degree earned in an English-taught program at a Turkish university recognized by YOK carries the same value as one taught in Turkish. The language of instruction does not change the status of the degree. To use it in another country, check the local equivalence procedure.

How much does a year in an English-taught program cost?

Fees range from a few hundred dollars a year at public universities to several thousand at private ones, with medicine the most expensive, based on the figures known as of the time this article is written. Add housing, daily living costs and insurance. Confirm the exact figure on the university's website.

Do you need the YOS for an English-taught program?

Not always: the YOS is required by some universities, often public ones, but many admit students on their transcript or on international test scores. The YOS exam covers mathematics and logic, not Turkish. Check the admission route specific to each program.

Can you work in English after these studies?

Yes, an English-taught degree from a Turkish university opens opportunities in Turkey and internationally. Adding Turkish to that degree widens your options on the local job market considerably. Look into work permit conditions early, since they change over time.

About Campus Turquie

Campus Turquie is an educational and cultural institution based in Istanbul, founded in 2020. We provide Turkish language courses at every level and end-to-end support for admission to Turkish universities: choosing the university and the programme, preparing the application file, diploma equivalence, entrance examinations, enrolment and the residence formalities that follow. The institution is led by Burak Unal, its founder, who holds an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics and a BSc in Business Management from Bogazici University, is a Chevening alumnus and a Congress Member of Galatasaray Sports Club. He has worked in education consulting since 2020. Campus Turquie is an education services provider: we are not a law firm and we do not represent any government authority.

Disclaimer

This article is published as general information. It is not legal advice, not immigration advice, and not advice tailored to your circumstances. Campus Turquie is an education services provider: we are not a law firm and we do not represent any government authority.

Visa, residence permit and admission requirements in Turkey change, sometimes without notice. An article that was accurate when written can go out of date. Before you file an application, spend money or book travel, confirm the details with the official source that applies to you: the migration authority for residence permits, the Turkish consulate or embassy in your country for visas, and the university itself for admission. What the authority tells you always overrides what you read here.

Campus Turquie accepts no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of this content, or for the consequences of those decisions, including a refused application, fees you cannot recover, or delays. Our full editorial policy is on the Disclaimer and editorial policy page.