The number of international students in Turkey increases year after year due to the distinctive features of Turkish universities compared to other institutions, making the country a destination for many international students from all over the world. In this article, we will discuss the numbers of international students in Turkish universities and the reasons behind their enrollment, as well as mention the percentages of international students in the most attractive Turkish cities for them.
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An Overview of the Number of International Students in Turkey
The increase in the number of international students in Turkey has been record-breaking, especially in the last five years, with the number of international students exceeding 200,000. This has placed Turkey among the countries that host the most international students in the world, which in turn has a positive impact on the Turkish economy, as the influx of international students into Turkish universities contributes over one billion US dollars.
Moreover, Turkey implements the Bologna Process in the best possible manner in European higher education; indeed, Turkey scored 5 out of 5 points in the Bologna evaluation.
Turkey is also ranked among the top five European centers in terms of the number of international students, with the majority of these students concentrated at Anadolu University in Eskişehir, who have enrolled to study disciplines such as Business Administration, Medicine, and Computer Engineering.
As for the numbers of international students according to their educational stages, they are as follows:
- 190,000 students at the undergraduate level.
- Approximately 40,000 students in technical institutes.
- 10,000 students at the postgraduate level.
It is worth noting that international students coming to study at Turkish universities have arrived through obtaining Turkish scholarships provided by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), the scholarships offered by the Council of Higher Education in Turkey (YÖK), or through some Turkish scholarships provided by the Turkish Religious Foundation, in addition to students who come by their own means.
As for the countries from which students come to study in Turkey, they are:
- Syria at 28.7%
- Azerbaijan at 15.6%
- Turkmenistan at 8.1%
- Iran at 5.1%
- China at 4.0%
- Germany at 3.0%
- Egypt at 2.3%
- Afghanistan at 2.0%
- Uzbekistan at 1.9%
- Greece at 1.6%
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What Are the Reasons Behind the Influx of Arab and International Students to Turkish Universities
In recent years, there has been a significant influx of Arab and international students to study at Turkish universities, owing to a set of reasons that drive them to come to Turkey for the purpose of studying at its public and private institutions. Here are the most important reasons:
- The Turkish environment, which is very similar in customs and traditions to the Arab environment, so the Arab student finds it easy to adapt to Turkish society.
- The low tuition fees at Turkish universities compared to those of European and American institutions.
- Turkey's geographical proximity to Arab countries.
- The free Turkish scholarships offered annually by the Turkish government to international students, which often cover tuition fees, travel costs, and university accommodation.
- The fact that the majority of Turkish universities use English as the language of instruction in many academic programs, making it easier for international students without the need to master Turkish.
- Both public and private Turkish universities have strong infrastructures that enable students to receive an optimal academic education at the highest standards.
- The advanced global and local rankings of many Turkish universities, as the degrees issued by these institutions are recognized worldwide, facilitating the recognition of graduates’ certificates in their home countries.
- The benefits that an international student receives simply by securing a seat at a Turkish university, which include legal residence in Turkey, access to public hospital health insurance, and discounts on public transportation and entry to some tourist attractions.
- The strength of Turkish curricula, which keep pace with the latest scientific research in all fields.
- The support of Turkish universities for the Erasmus student exchange program, which enables international students to complete their university studies at any institution outside Turkey that participates in this program.
- The availability of state-of-the-art laboratories equipped with modern technological tools that help students conduct research and scientific experiments throughout their academic journey.
Which Turkish Cities Attract the Most International Students?
After discussing the number of international students in Turkey and the reasons for choosing its universities, we must also highlight the cities that attract these students the most, which include:
Istanbul
The number of international students at Istanbul universities has reached 50,000, especially in the last five years, making Istanbul the most attractive city among other Turkish cities and provinces for international students. Istanbul University alone has approximately 9,000 students.
Ankara
The Turkish capital, Ankara, is considered one of the best cities for studying in Turkey due to its high-quality educational standards—whether in the number of available universities and the diverse disciplines they offer or through its robust infrastructure. This has led nearly 5,000 international students to consider securing a university seat there. The most renowned universities in Ankara are:
- Ostim Technical University in Ankara
- Ankara Bilim University
- Medipol Ankara University
- Atılım University
- TED University
- Bilkent University
- Lukman Hekim University
- Turkish Aviation Foundation University
Izmir
One of the universities in Izmir announced that the number of international students reached 10,000 in the last academic year, distributed across academic levels as follows:
- 6,225 students at the undergraduate level
- 3,890 students in various institutes
Bursa
Bursa Province ranks fourth among the Turkish provinces that attract international students, with their number reaching approximately 5,417, which positively influences the standing of these institutions in both national and international rankings.
Eskişehir
At Eskişehir University, the number of international students in the last academic year 2021-2022 reached 2,440, including 1,897 undergraduate students, 95 students in various institutes, and 466 graduate students.
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Thus, we have reached the end of our article, in which we discussed the number of international students in Turkey and clarified the reasons that make Turkey a destination for international students due to its many advantages and the support it provides throughout their academic journey. For further details, feel free to contact us at Skyline Education to be your guide for studying in Turkey.