Istanbul University
About the university
Istanbul University is Turkey's oldest and largest public university, with roots from 1453 and reorganisation in 1933. Over 60,000 students and 112 academic units across 9 campuses; main campus at Beyazıt (Fatih). Faculties include Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Science, Letters, Economics, Business Administration, Political Science, Communication, Theology, Engineering, Veterinary, Forestry, and others. Strong in clinical medicine, neuroscience, biology, chemistry. Teaching in Turkish and partly in English (e.g. Faculty of Science). Two Nobel laureates among alumni. Career Center (kariyer.istanbul.edu.tr) and national internship programmes.
Key information
- Location: Istanbul, TR
- Ranking #9
- QS #621
- THE #1201
- US News #769
- National ranking #2
- Institution type: public
Popular faculties
- Medicine
- Law
- Dentistry
- Pharmacy
- Faculty of Science
- Economics
- Business Administration
- Political Science and International Relations
- Letters
- Communication
- Engineering
Programs (32)
- Dentistry
- Journalism and Communication
- Philology and Languages
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Pharmacy
- Business Administration
- Economics
- Finance and Accounting
- Marketing
- Tourism and Hospitality
- Law
- Political Science
- International Relations
- Philosophy
- History
- Linguistics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Environmental Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Education
- Fine Arts
- Music
Campus life
Main campus at Beyazıt (Fatih), on the European side; historic buildings, central location. Nine campuses in total; many students live in dorms or in Fındıkzade, Fatih, Çapa. Numerous student clubs (academic, arts, debate, Erasmus). Career Center offers job and internship listings, counselling. National internship scheme (Staj Seferberliği) for eligible students. Large, diverse student body; Turkish-medium programmes dominate; some English-taught options in sciences.
Housing & accommodation
Housing cost: $50 - $600 / per month
Housing options
- university dormitories
- state (KYK) dormitories
- private dormitories
- shared apartments
- private apartments
Student clubs and organizations
- Economics Club
- Political Science Club
- Law clubs
- Computer Science Club
- Cinema
- Theatre
- Music
- Photography
- Dance
- Debate
- Erasmus Club
- Environmental and animal rights clubs
- Astronomy
- faculty-based clubs
Career & internships
Internships: Career Center (kariyer.istanbul.edu.tr) publishes job and internship offers. National Internship Mobilization (Staj Seferberliği) allows eligible students (e.g. 3rd/4th year, GPA ≥2.0) to apply for placements in public institutions via Kariyer Kapısı. Students find placements and get faculty/institutional approval; insurance is arranged. KAGEM (Career Development Centre) operates in Psychology/Letters.
Admission requirements
Required tests
- SAT
- ACT
- IELTS
- TOEFL
Required documents
- Application form
- high school diploma (with sworn translation if needed)
- official transcript
- certificate of equivalence to Turkish secondary education
- exam results (SAT/ACT/GCE/IB/ABITUR/Matura/Bac or TR-YÖS)
- proof of English or Turkish (e.g. TOEFL iBT 80
- TÖMER C1 for Turkish programmes)
- passport copy
- photos; originals at registration
Tuition costs
- $2,000 - $10,000 / per year
- Acceptance rate: 35.00%
- Scholarships available: Istanbul University does not publish a detailed central scholarship list for international students. Applicants may be eligible for Turkish government scholarships (e.g. Türkiye Scholarships / YTB) and bilateral agreements. Faculty- or programme-specific aid may exist; contact the International Office ([email protected]) and check studyinturkiye.gov.tr for national schemes.
Quick facts
- Founded: 1453
- Teaching languages: turkish, english
- Study formats: offline
Contact
- Website: https://www.istanbul.edu.tr
- [email protected]
- +90 212 440 00 51