1.Koç University
Koç University was founded in 1993 as a non-profit private university in Istanbul and has quickly become one of the leading universities in Turkey and the region. Koç University is ranked in the top 10 best small universities, top 50 best young universities worldwide and top 30 best Asian universities according to the Times Higher Education 2016 rankings.
Koç University benefits from having six of its seven academic colleges on one campus. This allows an interdisciplinary liberal arts approach to teaching and research that encourages collaboration and an appreciation for the connection of knowledge across fields.
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Every year we welcome talented international students from over 50 countries to our Undergraduate, Masters and PhD programs. These programs are offered by our Colleges of Social Sciences and Humanities, Administrative Sciences and Economics, Science, Engineering, Law, Nursing and Medicine. We also offer many semester exchange and summer programs. All programs are taught in English.
The university offers small class sizes and dedicated faculty time to support our students (11:1 student-faculty ratio at undergraduate level).
77% of our alumni receive job offers before graduation or within 3 months of graduation in national and international organizations in Turkey or abroad. 40% of our undergraduate students complete at least 2 internships during their studies.
Full and partial scholarship opportunities are available for high caliber students applying to graduate and undergraduate programs.
All our 2 year Master with Thesis and 4 year PhD programs are offered with full tuition scholarships.
A RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
Koç University has established an impressive research track record and is currently the recipient of Turkey’s second largest number of research grants from the Turkish Government and the European Union.
Koç University faculty members also received significant grants from prestigious institutions such as the European Research Council for projects in a variety of fields..
The main goal for the years ahead is to continue generating high impact scholarly output in reputable publications and match the record of institutions among the top 100 in the world.
LIFE AT KOÇ UNIVERSITY
Located in the hills of Sariyer in the cosmopolitan and vibrant city of Istanbul, Koç University is twenty minutes from the beaches of the Black Sea, surrounded by charming villages and rolling green natural landscape. The university is connected to the city center through regular and convenient transportation options.
Koç University offers a full residential campus experience that includes a 24/7 library, state of the art indoor and outdoor social and sports facilities, 24 hour health center, support offices (career support, psychological counselling, academic skills), student dormitories and seamless Wi-Fi throughout campus. Other on-campus conveniences include a grocery store, hair dresser, full-service bank, post office, dry-cleaners, bookshop, cafeterias and other dining options.
As a student you are encouraged to join one of the 80+ student clubs and societies on campus or create your own!
2.Sabancı University
With science, technology, and social structures advancing rapidly, the world needs more qualified individuals who possess the knowledge and skills required to pursue a career anywhere in the world. Aware of this pressing issue, in 1994 the Sabancı Group of Turkey decided to establish a "world university" led by the Sabancı Foundation.
The seeds of Sabancı University, were sown in the summer of 1995, at a search conference in which more than fifty academicians from twenty two countries as well as students and representatives from the private sector participated.
The conference, however, was just the beginning, as it marked the start of an extensive process during which the leading educational institutions in Turkey and across the world were examined to find out how they work and identify the fundamentals that made them successful.
In the end, instead of choosing one university as a template or replicating existing examples and institutions, a new and unique university was designed. Sabancı University’s first students were enrolled in 1999.
Undergraduate and graduate programs at Sabancı University differ in their design and approach from those programs of other universities. The principles that form the foundation of our academic programs and institutional structure are based on an interdisciplinary approach with the absence of traditional departments.
Sabancı University offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as minor honor degrees and double degrees under the roofs of three faculties: Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences; Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Faculty of Management.
The educational system of the University is based on the Common “Foundations Development Year”, which all students must complete regardless of their subsequent program choices. During this year, students develop a foundation of knowledge, critical reasoning and an interdisciplinary approach. In the second phase of Foundations Development, students are free to choose the introductory courses of their preferred diploma program among 13 different options.
When Sabancı University was founded, it was aimed to accommodate an optimal number of 3.500 students. We have currently reached that goal. Approximately 90% of faculty members obtained their PHD’s abroad. The number of faculty members is 368, while the number of students per full time faculty member has remained at 14.
We believe that together with teaching, research and integration with the society are the inseparable functions of a university. At Sabancı University, all research efforts are conducted on an interdisciplinary basis.
Our Istanbul Policy Center is an independent policy research institute with global outreach. Its mission is to foster academic research in social sciences and its application to policy making.
Our nanotechnology center (The Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center - SUNUM), with a contributing team of 40 faculty members, about 40 post-doctoral researchers, and hundreds of Ph.D. students, is engaged in highly effective multidisciplinary research programs, bringing together researchers with expertise in advanced materials, basic sciences, and nano-engineering, to address applications in electronics, photonics, healthcare, construction, the environment, agriculture and packaging industries.
Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum allocated to the cultural enrichment of the society, presents a versatile museological environment with its rich permanent collection, the comprehensive temporary exhibitions that it hosts, its conservation units, model educational programs and the various concerts, conferences and seminars held there.
Our Gender and Women’s Forum, is a hub where diverse research and activities on gender issues are conducted. We have an International Center for Energy and Climate, designed to conduct objective, high-quality economic and policy studies in energy studiesand climate. We have an organization that provides research and training resources for entrepreneurs seeking to turn innovative ideas into business models.
Our Research and Graduate Policy Directorate fosters a culture of research and innovation that turns scientific and technological developments into social and economic benefits.
SU Research Labs represent excellence in many respects. Equipped with the latest state-of-the-art infrastructure these labs do not only provide extensive research capacity for SU faculty members and students but also serve as a shared resource with the industry.
Another significant role player within the research environment is the Information Center. Occupying a total space of 9.165 square meters, the Center has a shelving capacity of 300.000 volumes and seating capacity for 600 patrons. There are 480 internet access points within the Center, including 56 electronically equipped study carrels and 13 multifunctional rooms.
As a young university with twenty years of history, Sabancı University aspires to become an international reference point for innovation in education and research.
3.Bilkent University
Bilkent is an English-medium, private, non-profit research university located in Turkey. Situated in the country's capital Ankara, a vibrant metropolis of 5 million, Bilkent is a hub of academic, social, and cultural activity.
Currently, there are 13,000 students seeking degrees in 29 undergraduate and 58 graduate programs. 62% of Bilkent University's student body benefits from a variety of scholarships. 43% of the undergraduate students are awarded scholarships that are equivalent to full scholarship.
Bilkent University has a truly international perspective. The international community of scholars and students forms an essential component of academic programs, research activities, and social life. International faculty members make up more than a quarter of all academic staff, representing 40 countries. There is a growing body of full-time international students, as well as exchange students from some 293 partner institutions worldwide.
Bilkent faculty members are prolific scholars in their fields. Academic papers published by faculty have a sizable footprint in literature and many get highly cited. The university ranks highest in Turkey in terms of the number of external research grants from national funding agencies. Collaborations with a network of scholars around the globe are a vital component of the University’s interdisciplinary research climate.
Bilkent University is proud to provide an environment for learning and intellectual growth encompassing the sciences, technology, humanities, and the arts.
4.Boğaziçi University
Established as Robert College in 1863, Boğaziçi University (or Bosphorus University) was the first American university founded outside the US. Its founders, wealthy philanthropist Christopher Robert and missionary Cyrus Hamlin, struck up a partnership after meeting during the Crimean War and less than a decade later the university opened its doors to students for the first time, with Dr Hamlin as president.
In 1971 the university was handed over to the Republic of Turkey and took on the name it has today, which comes from the university’s position overlooking the Bosphorus river in Istanbul. There are six university campuses, most of which are located on the European side of the Bosphorus.
The South Campus is home to some of the oldest university buildings as well as a number of faculties. The North Campus, Hisar Campus and Uçaksavar Campus are all located close to the South Campus and are home to some of the university’s newer facilities and departments. On the other side of the river is the Kandilli Observatory on the Kandilli Campus while the newest campus, Saritepe Campus, is near Kilyos on the Black Sea coast, around 34 kilometres from Istanbul.
Today the university boasts six undergraduate faculties and six graduate institutes, divided into a wide variety of departments. It offers a range of sports facilities and the annual Fall Games Tournament and Interfaculty Tournament are big events on the university calendar. Alongside the clubs and societies that cover a range of hobbies and interests, the university organises weekly classical music concerts, bringing world-renowned artists to perform in Boğaziçi University’s Albert Long Hall.
Notable alumni include former prime ministers Tansu Çiller and Ahmet Davutoğlu, the chairman of Turkey’s largest food producer Murat Ülker, and ocean rowing world record holder Erden Eruç.
5.Istanbul Technical University (ITU)
Istanbul Technical University (ITU) was founded in 1773 by Sultan Musafa III as the Imperial School of Naval Engineering, making it the third oldest technical university in the world. Over the years, its functions have widened from the training of military staff to architects in the 19th century and civil engineers in the 20th century. Today, its primary focus is engineering, although it is also known for its social sciences and history.
ITU has 13 faculties – including Aernoatuics and Astronautics, Mechanical Engineering and Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering – which offer nearly 40 postgraduate and doctoral programmes. There are also a number of research institutes, such as the Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Genetics Research Center and the Center for Satellite Communications and Remote Sensing, and more than 350 laboratories.
More than 20 of ITU’s engineering programmes are certified by ABET Accreditation and the university offers many opportunities for students to study abroad. Its international graduate exchange programmes allow students to earn dual diplomas at American partner institutions, and there are many double major programmes on offer, along with more than 900 international partnerships and a large number of programmes on offer via Erasmus.
ITU has a strong focus on research and development and its ITU Seed programme supports the entrepreneurial endeavours of its students. Many firsts have been developed at ITU, including Turkey’s first communication satellite, its first hydrogen-powered boat and its first driverless car. The first television broadcast in Turkey was also made from ITU.
