English-Taught Programs in Turkey: Where to Find Them (2026/27)

Turkey has a large number of English-taught programs at both public and private universities, from bachelor's to PhD. The best place to start is the official Study in Türkiye program search, which lets you filter by language, level, field and city. Then check each university's own page for its English requirements.

This guide shows which universities offer the most English-taught programs in FindUniPath's data, which English tests they accept, how the preparatory year works, and when you still need Turkish.

These are programs FindUniPath has catalogued from official university pages across 201 Turkish universities; the national total may be higher, and counts change each year.

Universities with the most English-taught programs

Some public universities list many English bachelor's programs too: Istanbul Technical University (27), Ankara University (26), Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University (22) and Hacettepe University (21).

Which subjects are taught in English?

In the program samples FindUniPath holds, engineering is by far the most common field, followed by business, social sciences, economics, humanities, education and computer science. Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy are also offered in English at several universities, but they are the most expensive programs.

Examples of English-taught bachelor's programs

• Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University (public): Psychology, Sociology, Business Administration, Finance and Banking, Management Information Systems, and Computer, Electrical and Electronics, Industrial, Civil and Mechanical Engineering.
• Boğaziçi University (public, all programs in English): Economics, Management, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Molecular Biology and Genetics, and English Language Teaching.
• Koç University (private): Economics, International Relations, Psychology, Sociology, History, Philosophy, Chemistry and Computer Engineering.
• METU (public): Architecture, City and Regional Planning, Industrial Design, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Mathematics, Physics and Psychology.

Always confirm on the university page that the specific program is taught 100% in English for your intake year.

English requirements: what you need and when

For most bachelor's programs, you do not need an English score to apply. At registration you either submit an accepted certificate, pass the university's own English proficiency exam, or take a one-year English preparatory program. For master's and PhD programs, an English score is often required at the application stage.

Accepted tests at selected universities

In FindUniPath's data, 21 Turkish universities explicitly do not accept or do not list IELTS. TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic appear much more widely. Several universities also reject home or online test editions, such as TOEFL Home Edition, so book a test-centre version.

English requirements for master's and PhD

Graduate programs usually want an English score with your application, and the minimum depends on the program. Examples from official 2026/27 pages:

• METU: TOEFL iBT 79–95, PTE Academic 70–75 or the METU exam, depending on the program; IELTS not accepted; scores valid for two years.
• Boğaziçi: TOEFL iBT 79 (writing 22), IELTS Academic 6.5 (writing 6.5), CAE grade C or its own exam.
• Sabancı: TOEFL iBT 78–80, PTE 48–69 or YDS 65–67; IELTS not accepted for graduate programs.
• Yıldız Technical University: YDS 55 for master's and 60 for PhD, or an ÖSYM-recognised equivalent.
• Anadolu University: YÖKDİL or an ÖSYM foreign-language score of 60–65 for English programs, waived if your bachelor's was 100% in English.
• Bursa Technical University: graduates of 100% English-taught bachelor's programs are exempt.

What are YDS and YÖKDİL?

YDS and YÖKDİL are Turkish foreign-language exams run by ÖSYM, and many Turkish universities list them next to TOEFL and PTE. Check whether they are offered where you live before relying on them. If you are applying from abroad, an internationally available test such as TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic is usually the practical choice, provided the university accepts it. If your bachelor's was fully taught in English, always ask whether you are exempt; it can save you a test fee and a lot of time.

The English preparatory year

If you do not meet the English requirement at registration, you join the university's English preparatory program, usually for one year. Some universities allow up to two years: Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt and Sakarya, for example. The prep year adds time and often money: at Istanbul Beykent the prep year costs the same as the program fee, and at Istanbul Medipol the English Foundation School fee equals the annual tuition.

• Take an accepted test before you arrive if you can, to save a year.
• Check the minimum score: thresholds differ (for example TOEFL iBT 72 at Okan, 85 at Sabancı, 87 at Bilkent).
• Check how long scores stay valid: Boğaziçi and Bilkent ask for scores from the last two years.

Do you need Turkish?

Not to enter a fully English-taught program. TR-YÖS does not require Turkish either. But some universities expect Turkish during your studies:

• Ankara University requires all international students to prove Turkish proficiency within at most two years, even in English programs.
• Yıldız Technical University requires Turkish B1 within one year (with one more year allowed) for its 100% English bachelor's programs.
• Hacettepe University's international students also take Turkish courses.
• Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt requires C1 Turkish before year four of Medicine (English).
• Türkiye Scholarships grantees without a C1 Turkish certificate must complete a one-year Turkish course, even for English programs.

Turkish proficiency is often measured by university language centres (TÖMER) or ÖSYM's TYS exam. TYS results are reported as B2, C1 or C2 and are valid for two years, according to Study in Türkiye.

How to find and check a program

1. 1

   Search

   Use the Study in Türkiye program search and filter by English, level and field.

2. 2

   Confirm the language

   Open the university's program page and make sure it says 100% English, not 30%.

3. 3

   Check English and Turkish rules

   Note accepted tests, minimum scores, test validity and any Turkish requirement.

4. 4

   Check fees

   Some public universities charge 1.5 times the normal fee for English programs. See the cost of studying in Turkey.

5. 5

   Check admission and dates

   Read the admission requirements and how to apply, then track deadlines for free on FindUniPath.

Note for applicants from Afghanistan and South Asia

If you studied in an English-medium school, ask the university whether it exempts you; Okan explicitly names Pakistan and India. If not, plan for TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic rather than IELTS, since these are accepted more widely in Turkey. And remember that the TR-YÖS exam itself can be taken in English.