Education in Turkey for Foreign Students

The Turkish education system is an education system that interacts with the education systems of different countries, applies modern education methods, and develops every year. Turkey with quality and qualified educational institutions accepts foreign students from around the world every year. Foreign students prefer to have education in Turkey for reasons such as increasing the quality of education every year, internationally valid diploma opportunities, economical and safe education opportunities, and facilities provided to students.

Education in Turkey starts with pre-school education. Children who complete pre-school education are enrolled in the 12-year compulsory education system. After 4 years of primary school, 4 years of secondary school, and 4 years of high school education, the 12-year compulsory education period is completed, and children are entitled to a "High School Diploma". The students who complete high school education start university education by entering the university exams and continuing their education life. After the undergraduate education, graduate and doctorate education can be taken optionally. 12-year compulsory education in Turkey is provided free in state schools. There are also many private education institutions that provide paid education.

Pre-School Education in Turkey

The pre-school education period is of great importance in the shaping of a personality of child, development, and preparation for life as a healthy individual. A child's education begins in the family from the first moment she/he is born. When the basic education given by the family is completed and the child reaches a certain age, the training continues at the school. There are private institutions and government institutions in Turkey, that provide pre-school education for all children in the 0-6 age group. Pre-school education is not compulsory in Turkey.

Preschool education institutions play an important role in the development of children's physical, emotional, scientific, and social skills. This education;

- enables children to socialize at an early age and develop their social skills.

- prepares children for future education life.

- improves children's self-expression skills.

- provides to make children aware of their abilities.

- provides to make children aware of their limits.

“The passport, student visa, and at least 6-month residence permit requirements are required for foreign students, who will enroll in the pre-school education system in Turkey. The study visa is not required during registration from the children of foreign parents with a residence permit in Turkey. There is no residence permit or student visa in Turkey requirement for foreign students who have acquired Turkish citizenship.”

12-Year Compulsory Education in Turkey

The students who have completed pre-school education in Turkey pass the 12-year compulsory education system. 8 years of compulsory education in Turkey was increased to 12 years in 2012-2013. A 12-year compulsory education system was arranged such as 4 years of primary school, 4 years of secondary school, and 4 years of high school. In the new system that has been implemented, it is compulsory for all children who have completed 66 months to participate in education.

The primary school in Turkey

In the primary school education process, children are equipped with basic reading and writing skills. Basic education is given in areas such as Turkish, mathematics, life sciences, science, social studies, and foreign languages.

Secondary school in Turkey

After 4 years of primary education, a 4-year secondary school education period begins. Secondary school is a period in which more detailed versions of the lessons given in primary school are given to the students. The lessons seen in the primary school are detailed and the students are directed to the departments they will choose in the high school by their teachers according to their abilities and skills.

High School in Turkey

The students who complete 4 years of secondary education transfer to 4-year high school education. Different pieces of training are given according to the fields in the high schools where the transfer is made with or without an examination. There are many high schools, which is providing high-quality education in Turkey such as a science high school, an Anatolian high school, and a vocational high school. The students who successfully complete their 4-year high school education are entitled to a "High School Diploma".

“The passport, student visa, and at least 6-month residence permit requirements are required for foreign students, who will enroll in the 12-year compulsory education system in Turkey. The study visa is not required during registration from the children of foreign parents with a residence permit in Turkey. There is no residence permit or student visa in Turkey requirement for foreign students who have acquired Turkish citizenship. For the enrolment of foreign students in the school, some documents stating equivalence are requested or students are interviewed. After the interview, foreign students whose equivalence is determined are placed in the relevant schools and they are supported to learn Turkish.”

University Education in Turkey

After 12-year of compulsory education, students who want to continue their education can choose the department they want by taking the university exams. A university education in Turkey (4 years) and associate degree (2-year) are given.

There are many Turkish universities that rank highly in the world university rankings. In addition, the university degree obtained from Turkish universities is recognized by European countries and has international validity.

There is an exam before they have to enter college applications for foreign students who wish to continue their education in Turkey. Students who get enough points from this exam, called the Foreign Student Exam (YÖS), may enroll in a university in Turkey of their choice. The validity of YÖS is 2 years. This exam is conducted within universities. In other words, the student will take the exam to be organized by the university he/she wants to study and will be able to register and start his/her education according to the score he/she gets. Information such as exam information for foreign students, tuition fees to be paid and application conditions can be easily accessed from the official pages of the universities.

The Foreign Student Exam is prepared in two languages, English and Turkish. In this exam, students' "Basic Learning Skills" and "Turkish" proficiency are tested. The basic learning skills test includes questions for areas such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, geometry, geography, and biology. In the Turkish proficiency test, the Turkish level of the student is measured. The students who do not get enough points on this test are taken to Turkish preparatory classes for one academic year and continue their education according to their success at the end of one year.

The documents requested from students who want to take university education in Turkey;

- Student acceptance form (each university has its own admission form)

- High school or equivalent school diploma (must be translated into Turkish and approved by Turkish Foreign Representatives)

- Financial guarantee letter

- Registration fee

“The passport, student visa, and at least 6-month residence permit requirements are required for foreign students, who will enroll in a university in Turkey. The study visa is not required during registration from the children of foreign parents with a residence permit in Turkey. There is no residence permit or student visa in Turkey requirement for foreign students who have acquired Turkish citizenship."

Postgraduate Education in Turkey

There are many universities in Turkey offering quality graduate education. Nowadays, with the increase in the educated population and the number of people who have completed undergraduate education, a master's degree has become an important issue for the competition in the business environment. Each university has different admission requirements for graduate education, which has an important place for professional competence. Required conditions for application can be found on the official website of the university to be applied.

The original diplomas from students who want to graduate education in Turkey or a certified copy are required. An "Undergraduate Equivalency Certificate" is required for students who have completed their undergraduate education abroad. This document must be translated into Turkish and must be approved by the Turkish Foreign Representative Office. In addition, a transcript that has been translated and approved in Turkish showing all courses, credits, and grades taken during undergraduate education is required.

“The passport, student visa, and at least 6-month residence permit requirements are required for foreign students, who will enroll in graduate education in Turkey. The study visa is not required during registration from the children of foreign parents with a residence permit in Turkey. There is no residence permit or student visa in Turkey requirement for foreign students who have acquired Turkish citizenship."

Doctorate in Turkey

Turkey, which has a high quality of doctoral education, offers unique opportunities for foreign doctoral students. The doctoral education in Turkey is given with low tuition fees. The doctoral education in Turkey with the low tuition fees, the quality of education, and English training opportunities are often the preferred education program by foreign students. The doctoral education in Turkey is largely similar to the doctoral education in Europe. Students who have completed their postgraduate education and have fulfilled the necessary conditions on the side of the universities can apply for doctorate education. To apply for English doctoral programs, proficiency in language tests such as TOEFL and IELTS is required. In addition, in order to measure academic knowledge, sufficient success is expected from exams such as ALES, GMAT, and GRE.

“The passport, student visa, and at least 6-month residence permit requirements are required for foreign students, who will enroll in a doctorate in Turkey. The study visa is not required during registration from the children of foreign parents with a residence permit in Turkey. There is no residence permit or student visa in Turkey requirement for foreign students who have acquired Turkish citizenship."