Turkey is one of the most popular study abroad destinations for international students. Statistics indicate that the number of international students in Turkey has increased from 50,000 to more than 200,000 during the past ten years. One of the main reasons for choosing to study in Turkey is the high-quality education with low tuition fees and affordable living costs.
If you are on a tight budget and looking for a suitable university to study in Turkey. Check our list of the Cheapest public universities in Turkey for international students with study costs in each university.
List of the Cheapest Public Universities in Turkey for International Students 2023
One of the best advantages of studying at Turkish universities is that it is a part of the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area. Therefore, all Turkish universities offer high-quality education with the best quality standards.
In addition, Turkey is one of the most successful countries participating in the Erasmus + cultural exchange program. This gives students the chance to travel and experience student life in several European countries.
Not to mention that Turkey has its own cultural exchange programs such as Mevlana and Farabi, which support transferring students and lecturers to universities in other countries.
Turkey is the first country in the European Higher Education Area with the largest number of students. More than 8 million students are enrolled in 207 institutions of higher education in Turkey. Almost every Turkish city has at least one university, which makes most Turkish cities vibrant with student life.
Study costs in Turkish universities are affordable for international students. Turkish Public universities usually are less expensive compared to private universities.
However, admission requirements for Turkish public universities are more challenging, So you need to carefully choose the Turkish public university so that will be able to comply with all admission requirements.
Check: Cheapest Private Universities in Turkey for International Students
In order to help you find a suitable public university for you, we made a list of the 9 cheapest public universities in Turkey.
All mentioned universities offer high-quality education and have a high acceptance rate for international students per year. Also, you will find detailed information about tuition fees at each university.
9. Boğaziçi University
This prestigious public university is located in Istanbul, Turkey, on the European side of the Bosphorus. It was founded in 1863 and is considered one of the best Turkish universities.
The reputation and high education standards make Boğaziçi University one of the most selective public universities in Turkey. However, a high number of international students are accepted into the university every year.
The university consists of six faculties, two schools that offer undergraduate degrees, and six institutes that offer postgraduate degrees. Most of the Boğaziçi University programs are taught entirely in English. Also, the university has the most preferred applied science, education, engineering, and social science programs in Turkey.
The cost of studying at Bogazici University
- Check university tuition fees on their official website.
The costs of studying undergraduate programs at Bogazici University in Turkey according to faculty:
- Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences: Tuition fees are 5940 Turkish Liras (US$660).
- Faculty of Applied Sciences: Tuition fees are 5,940 Turkish liras (US$660).
- Faculty of Education: Tuition fees are 5,940 Turkish liras (US$660).
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Science Programs): Tuition fees are 9900 Turkish Liras (US$1100).
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Social Sciences Programs): Tuition fees are 7,920 Turkish Liras (US$880).
- Faculty of Engineering: The fee is 9900 Turkish Liras (US$1100).
The cost of studying postgraduate programs at Bogazici University is 5940 Turkish liras (US$660).
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8. Ankara Üniversitesi
Ankara Üniversitesi is a public university based in the Turkish capital, Ankara. It is the first higher education institution that was established in Turkey after the formation of the republic in 1923.
Ankara University is one of the largest Turkish universities, with more than 66,000 enrolled students.
Ankara University has 40 vocational programs, 120 undergraduate programs, and 110 graduate programs. The university faculties are:
| Faculty of Political Science | Public Administration, Labor Economics, Business Administration and International Relations |
| Faculty of Law | Faculty of Language, History and Geography |
| Faculty of Science | Faculty of Medicine |
| Faculty of Veterinary Medicine | The School of Divinity |
| The School of Pharmacy | The School of Dentistry |
| Faculty of Educational Sciences | Faculty of Communication |
| The Çankırı Faculty of Forestry and the Health Education | Faculty of Fine Arts |
| Faculty of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Open and Distance Education |
The cost of studying at Ankara University
- Check university tuition fees on their official website.
It is one of the Cheapest Public Universities in Turkey for international students. The cost of studying an undergraduate degree varies depending on the faculty.
Tuition fees start from 6000 Turkish liras (US$670) for programs such as management, linguistics, and history.
However, fees reach up to 8000 lira (US$890) for undergraduate programs such as chemistry, mathematics, physics, and nursing. While programs like engineering will cost around 19,000 lira (US$2,100).
Finally, some medical specialties, such as dentistry and medicine, may cost up to 40,000 liras (US$4,500), but they are taught entirely in English.
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7. Abdullah gül university
This public university is supported by the AGUV foundation and it is located in Kayseri, Turkey. It is a newly founded university, in 2010.
It has 5 faculties offering 12 undergraduate and 11 postgraduate programs (7 master’s and 5 doctorates). All programs at Abdullah gül University (AGU) are taught in English. Among the most important faculties at the university and programs:
- College of Engineering: It offers many specializations, such as computer engineering, civil engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, electrical engineering, and computer engineering (MSc and Ph.D.), and others.
- Faculty of Architecture: Offers programs such as Architecture (Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D.).
- College of Leadership and Management: Business Administration (Bachelor) and Economics (Bachelor).
- College of Life and Natural Sciences: Molecular Biology and Genetics (Bachelor), Bioengineering (Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D.).
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences: Political Science and Public Administration (Bachelor), Psychology (Bachelor).
The cost of studying at Abdullah gül university
- Check university tuition fees on their official website.
The cost of studying an undergraduate degree at Abdullah gül university varies depending on the faculty. For example, the cost of studying engineering, architecture, life, and natural sciences is 8,218 liras (US$950) per year.
As for the College of Leadership and Administration, tuition fees are 7,038 liras (US$800) per year. Also, the cost of studying at the School of Social Sciences is 6256 lira (US$750).
For all programs available at Abdullah gül university, for master’s and doctoral degrees, the study cost is 4130 Turkish liras (US$475).
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6. Kırıkkale Üniversitesi
In the sixth place on our list of the 9 Cheapest Public Universities in Turkey is Kırıkkale University. It is a public university located in Kırıkkale, Turkey.
It was established in 1992. It offers nearly 70 bachelor’s programs, more than 100 master’s programs, and about 45 doctoral programs. The number of enrolled students exceeds 35,000.
The majority of university students are enrolled in undergraduate programs. Among the most important educational faculties at the university:
| Faculty of Dentistry | Faculty of Education |
| College of Arts and Sciences | College of Fine Arts |
| collage of Law | Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences |
| College of Islamic Sciences | College of Engineering and Architecture |
| College of Health Sciences | College of Sports Sciences |
The cost of studying at Kırıkkale University
- Check university tuition fees on their official website.
Kırıkkale University is one of the most affordable Turkish public universities.
The cost of studying at Kırıkkale University for undergraduate degrees ranges between 2,700 Turkish liras (US$300) and 5000 liras (US$560) per year. Specializations such as economics and fine arts are usually more expensive.
Tuition fees for studying medicine at Kırıkkale University are higher than other programs. Medical programs cost around 28,000 Turkish liras (US$3100), while dentistry and pharmacy cost around 10,000 liras (US$1100).
The cost of studying postgraduate programs starts from 2,000 Turkish liras (US$225) and may reach up to 4000 liras (US$450).
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5. Celal Bayar University
Manisa Celal Bayar University (MCBU) is a public research university located in Manisa, Turkey. This well-known university has 14 faculties, 3 schools, and 15 vocational schools.
It offers more than 70 undergraduate programs and more than 90 postgraduate programs. It is the only university in Turkey that offers the Tobacco Technology Engineering program.
In terms of the number of students enrolled, it is one of the largest universities in the Aegean region with more than 55,000 enrolled students. And around 1,000 of them are international students. Educational faculties at the university are:
| Faculty of medicine | Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences |
| College of Engineering | College of Arts and Sciences |
| Faculty of Education | College of Theology |
| College of Sports Sciences | College of Business Administration |
| College of Health Sciences | College of Literature |
| Hasan Ferdi Turgutlu College of Technology | College of Fine Arts, Design and Architecture |
| Al-Salihi College of Economic and Administrative Sciences | Faculty of Dentistry |
| College of Communication | Tobacco Experience School |
| Faculty of Applied Science | foreign language school |
| Graduate School of Natural Sciences | Graduate School of Health Sciences |
The cost of studying at Celal Bayar University
- Check university tuition fees on their official website.
The cost of studying undergraduate programs at this affordable Turkish public university is 2,100 Turkish liras (US$235) per year, for programs such as education, engineering, economics, and business administration.
However, the cost of studying medicine is a little bit higher, as it costs around 14,000 liras (US$1,560).
The university offers programs that are entirely taught in English, including Business Administration at a cost of 3350 liras (US$375), and engineering at a cost of 4100 liras (US$460).
The cost of studying at Celal Bayar University for postgraduate programs ranges between 2,100 liras (US$235) to 5,000 (US$560) per year.
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4. Nigde Omer Halisdemir University
In the fourth position on our list of the 9 cheapest public universities in Turkey is Nigde Omer Halisdemir University.
This public university is located in Niğde, Central Anatolia in Turkey. It has six colleges, two institutes, and six vocational colleges.
It is a modern university, as it was established in 1992 and the number of enrolled students exceeds 20,000. Among the most important faculties in this affordable Turkish university:
Engineering, Science and Arts, Economics and Business Administration, Education, Architecture, Agricultural Science and Technology.
The cost of studying at Nigde Omer Halisdemir University
- Check university tuition fees on their official website.
The cost of studying for undergraduate programs at this cheap Turkish university is 2000 Turkish liras (US$225) per year, such as education, engineering, economics, and arts. However, the cost of medicine is around 20,000 liras (US$2,250) per year.
The cost of studying at Nigde Omer Halisdemir University for postgraduate programs ranges between 1500 liras (US$165) to 2500 liras (US$280).
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3. Dicle University
This public university is located in Diyarbakir, Turkey. It is one of the oldest and largest higher education institutions in Southeast Anatolia, Turkey.
The university is named after the Tigris River, which separates it from the historic city. It was established in 1962 and has approximately 18,000 enrolled students. Among the most important faculties in Dicle University:
| Faculty of Science | Faculty of Literature |
| Faculty of Dentistry | Faculty of Law |
| Faculty of Medicine | Faculty of Veterinary Medicine |
| Faculty of Agriculture | Faculty of Engineering |
| Faculty of Architecture | Faculty of Theology |
| Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences | Ziya Gökalp Faculty of Education |
The cost of studying at Dicle University
- Check university tuition fees on their official website.
The cost of studying at Dicle University for undergraduate programs ranges between 1,500 Turkish liras (US$165) and 3000 liras (US$330) per academic year. As for the cost of studying medicine at Dicle University, it is around 6000 lira (US$665) per year.
The study cost at Dijla University for postgraduate programs is not available on the university’s website.
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2. Ege University
Ege University is a public university, located in Turkey’s third-largest city, Izmir. It was established in 1955 and it is the first university to start courses in Izmir.
It is considered one of the largest Turkish universities when it comes to the number of enrolled students, with more than 65,000 students. In addition, it is one of the largest Turkish universities by the number of faculties, with 17 faculties, 9 schools, and 8 institutes.
| Faculty of Medicine | Faculty of Pharmacy |
| Faculty of Health Sciences | Faculty of Dentistry |
| Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture | Faculty of Sport Science |
| Faculty of Agriculture | Faculty of Fisheries |
| Faculty of Science | Faculty of Engineering |
| Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences | Faculty of Communication |
| Faculty of Education | Faculty of Letters |
| Faculty of Nursing | Faculty of Law |
The cost of studying at Ege University
- Check university tuition fees on their official website.
The cost of studying at Ege University for undergraduate programs ranges between 570 Turkish liras (US$65) to 1750 liras (US$200) per academic year. Most programs and specializations cost less than 1200 Turkish liras (US$135) per year, however, the cost of studying medicine is around 1770 Turkish liras (US$200).
The cost of studying at Ege University for postgraduate studies ranges between 1500 liras (US$165) to 2500 (US$280).
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1. Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University
Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University is located in Mugla, Turkey. It was established in 1975. Although it started with only 4 colleges, over the past 20 years the university has expanded to include 18 undergraduate colleges, 4 graduate colleges, 5 schools, 13 vocational schools, and 35 research and application centers.
It is known for its large campus surrounded by great mountain views and smaller university sites and schools across the province.
It is considered as a large university in terms of the number of enrolled students, whose numbers exceeded 40,000 students. Faculties in the university are:
| School of Architecture | College of Fisheries and Fisheries Technology |
| College of Science | College of Sports Sciences |
| College of Literature | Faculty of medicine |
| Faculty of Education | College of Engineering |
| Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences | College of Health Sciences |
| Bodrum College of Fine Arts | College of Technology |
| College of Tourism | Fethiye College of Agriculture |
| Fethiye College of Business Administration | Milas Veteriner Fakültesi |
The cost of studying at Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University
- Check university tuition fees on their official website.
Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University is the cheapest public university in Turkey for international students. Tuition fees for undergraduate programs are between 250 Turkish liras (US$30) and 768 liras (US$85) per academic year.
For example, the cost of studying medicine is 768 liras (US$85), engineering is 500 liras (US$55) and fine arts is around 411 liras (US$45) per year.
The cost of studying at Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University for postgraduate programs is 335 lira (US$37) for most majors.
This was a full list of the 9 cheapest public universities in Turkey for international students and the tuition fees in each university.
If you are planning to study in Turkey on a limited budget, I am sure that you will find the right choice between these affordable Turkish universities!
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