Admission standards

University admission in Türkiye

Official minimum entry requirements and the school system, from the country's UNESCO classification and national sources.

Official entry requirements

As classified by the country with UNESCO (ISCED 2011), reference year 2020. Universities may set higher requirements.

School-leaving qualification (upper secondary)

General Upper Secondary School4 years, from age 13.75
Minimum entry: Completed lower secondary (ISCED 244)
Awards: High School Diploma
Open High School4 years
Minimum entry: Completed lower secondary (ISCED 244)
Awards: High School Diploma
Music and Stage Arts High School4 years, from age 13.75
Minimum entry: Completed lower secondary (ISCED 244)
Awards: Music and Stage Arts High School Diploma

Bachelor's or equivalent (first degree)

Bachelor's Programmes4 years, from age 18
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344, 354)
Awards: Bachelor's Degree Diploma

Short-cycle tertiary (diplomas)

Associate Degree Programmes2 years, from age 18
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344, 354)
Awards: Associate's Degree Diploma

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), ISCED 2011 mappings (country file). CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UIS terms).

School system (official durations)

Primary: 4 years from age 6
Lower secondary: 4 years from age 10
Upper secondary: 4 years from age 14
Compulsory education: 12 years
Tertiary enrolment (gross): 105.9% (2023)

Data year 2025. Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), https://api.uis.unesco.org/api/public, extracted 2026-11-10. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Licence.

Regulators and quality agencies

Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC)Listed by INQAAHE
Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Nursing Education Programs (HEPDAK)Listed by INQAAHE
Association of Evaluation and Accreditation of Health Sciences Programs (SABAK)Listed by INQAAHE

From INQAAHE. Network membership is not government recognition: confirm a body's role with the education ministry.

Universities and colleges

241 institutions in Türkiye

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