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The annual tuition fee at Istanbul Nişantaşı University Faculty of Medicine reached TRY 3.74 million for the 2026–2027 academic year—more than six times the average undergraduate tuition fee announced by foundation universities for the same period. Tuition fees at foundation universities increased by between 40% and 159% overall this year, while the average annual fee for four-year undergraduate programmes rose from TRY 428,681 to TRY 573,117. Before finalising your university preference list, it is essential to understand the actual cost of each programme, how scholarship quotas are allocated, and whether you have the right to challenge a tuition fee increase.
Contents:
Overview of Foundation University Tuition Fees for 2026–2027
The Tuition Increase Cap Applies Only to Continuing Students
Tuition Fee Differences in Engineering, Psychology and Economics
Overview of Foundation University Tuition Fees for 2026–2027
Tuition fees have followed the same upward trend for three consecutive years. The average annual tuition fee for four-year undergraduate programmes increased from TRY 257,854 in 2024 to TRY 428,681 in 2025 and then to TRY 573,117 for the 2026–2027 academic year. This represents an increase of approximately 33.7% compared with the previous year. The average tuition fee for two-year associate degree programmes followed a similar trend, rising by 34.4% to approximately TRY 304,000. These averages conceal a wide range of prices: while the admissions guide includes undergraduate and associate degree programmes starting from TRY 154,000, annual fees for programmes such as medicine and dentistry can exceed TRY 3 million.
In the 2026-YKS, the number of available places decreased by 47,000 compared with the previous year. The combination of reduced quotas and rising tuition fees directly affects the number of applicants choosing foundation universities. Indeed, of the 193,847 available places targeted last year, only 145,319 were filled.
The Tuition Increase Cap Applies Only to Continuing Students
According to the decision adopted at the 8 July meeting of the Council of Higher Education General Assembly, tuition fee increases applied by foundation higher education institutions during the 2026–2027 academic year may not exceed 25% for students beyond the preparatory and first-year classes. This is an important distinction: the cap does not apply to newly enrolled students. Each university’s board of trustees is free to determine the tuition fee charged to students in their first year.
This distinction explains the broad range of tuition increases observed in the market, which varies from 40% to 159%. While the maximum increase is clearly defined for continuing students, universities may establish an entirely new tuition fee for incoming students. The Procedures and Principles Governing the Determination of Tuition Fees at Foundation Higher Education Institutions, published among the Council of Higher Education’s relevant regulations, provides the legal basis for this distinction.
The Most Expensive Programmes: Medicine, Dentistry and Law
Health sciences programmes are at the top of the tuition fee rankings. With an annual fee of TRY 3.74 million, Istanbul Nişantaşı University Faculty of Medicine has the highest tuition fee listed in the 2026-YKS admissions guide. It is followed by Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University Faculty of Medicine at TRY 3.3 million. Tuition fees for dentistry programmes can also comfortably exceed TRY 2 million. The TRY 2.057 million fee recorded for a midwifery programme demonstrates that high tuition fees in health sciences are not limited to medicine and dentistry.
The range of tuition fees is somewhat broader in law programmes. According to a comparison covering 46 universities across Türkiye, Işık University stands out with a fee of TRY 1.28 million, followed by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University at TRY 1.221 million and Istanbul Aydın University at TRY 1.2 million. All three figures reflect fees after upfront payment or university preference discounts have been applied; the official list prices stated in the admissions guide are often higher.
Tuition Fee Differences in Engineering, Psychology and Economics
Annual tuition fees for computer engineering programmes can reach as high as TRY 1.812 million, while the full tuition fee at the two universities at the lower end of the ranking remains below TRY 150,000. In other words, programmes with the same name can differ in price by almost tenfold. A similar pattern can be observed in psychology. According to a comparison of 75 universities, full tuition fees start at TRY 273,000 at Ada Kent University in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and rise to as much as TRY 2,373,856.
Koç University is the notable exception among economics programmes. For the 2026–2027 academic year, the programme’s tuition fee reached TRY 2.18 million, making it the only economics programme in the comparison to exceed TRY 2 million. By contrast, full tuition fees remain below TRY 1 million at nine universities, while fees for students receiving scholarships can start from as little as TRY 255,000.
Tuition Fees at Established Foundation Universities
Bilkent University, one of Ankara’s long-established foundation universities, set a single tuition fee for all departments and programmes for the 2025–2026 academic year: TRY 950,000, including VAT. The fee had been TRY 620,000 in the previous year, representing an increase of approximately 53%. TOBB University of Economics and Technology, also located in Ankara, set its tuition fee at TRY 930,000 for all undergraduate programmes other than medicine.
In Istanbul, Sabancı University announced a tuition fee of TRY 1.595 million for all undergraduate programmes and preparatory language education, compared with TRY 1.1 million in the previous year. At Koç University, the standard tuition fee increased by approximately 48%, rising from TRY 1.075 million to around TRY 1.591 million. However, as noted above, the economics programme is now priced separately and is no longer included within this standard rate. This is a clear example of how a single university may apply different pricing policies to different programmes.
How Do Scholarships and Tuition Discounts Work?
Additional Article 9 of Law No. 2547 requires at least 15% of students in every programme offered by a foundation university to receive tuition-free education. Universities may supplement this minimum legal requirement with their own scholarship policies. The distribution of places for 2026 is as follows: 14% are fully funded, 68% carry a 50% tuition discount, 4% carry a 25% tuition discount and 13% are full-fee places. Last year, places offering a 50% tuition discount accounted for approximately 70% of the total. The decline in this proportion indicates that universities are allocating a greater share of their quotas to full-fee places.
The tuition fee listed in the admissions guide often does not reflect the amount that students will actually pay. At Istanbul Nişantaşı University, for example, combining a 30% first-preference scholarship, a 15% on-campus preference scholarship and a 10% upfront payment discount can reduce the listed tuition fee of TRY 3.74 million to TRY 2,002,770. Occupancy rates also influence this picture. While occupancy remained between 96% and 98% from 2022 to 2024, it is expected to decline to between 70% and 75% this year because of current economic conditions.
Are Universities in the TRNC Really More Affordable?
Full tuition fees at nine universities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for the 2026–2027 academic year range from TRY 341,250 to TRY 890,862. This range is significantly lower than the listed tuition fees at many foundation universities in Türkiye. However, not every programme is equally affordable: the dentistry programme at Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University can cost as much as TRY 1.05 million.
The cost of relocating to the island is not limited to tuition fees. Once expenses such as flights, dormitory accommodation or rent, customs costs and health insurance are included, the financial difference between the two options may narrow considerably. Applicants should therefore compare total annual living and education costs rather than focusing solely on tuition fees.
Foundation or State University: Calculating the True Cost
A zero tuition fee does not mean that studying at a state university is entirely free. When accommodation, rent, transportation and food expenses are taken into account, the cost of attending a state university in another city may reach a level comparable to the tuition fee of a foundation university offering a 50% scholarship, particularly for a family living in Istanbul. Families residing in major cities who do not want their children to move away from home frequently make this comparison.
Another detail is often overlooked: at some foundation universities, the net amount paid can be considerably lower than the advertised list price. According to an analysis published by a law firm, the difference in net payments between students receiving different levels of scholarship can sometimes narrow to as little as TRY 10,000. At certain universities, a student with a high scholarship rate may pay an amount close to the minimum tuition charged at a state university. The figure stated in the admissions guide is only a starting point; the final decision should be based on whether the scholarship is guaranteed to continue and on the conditions students must satisfy to retain it.
Rights to Challenge Tuition Increases and Request Refunds
Foundation universities may not increase tuition fees by more than the average Consumer Price Index rate recorded over the preceding 12 months. Where an increase exceeds this rate, the student or parent may bring legal proceedings to request an adjustment of the contract and reimbursement of the excess amount paid. A concrete example occurred at Istanbul Bilgi University: tuition increases exceeding 100% for the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 academic years were reduced to the corresponding 12-month average CPI rates of 57.45% and 64.91% following legal proceedings and interim court orders. The process also opened the way for the reimbursement of excess payments made in previous years.
In cases of withdrawal after enrolment, the applicable refund rate varies between universities and may also depend on the provisions of the enrolment agreement. Some university agreements provide a full refund for students who cancel their enrolment within the first week after classes begin, followed by progressively lower refund rates in subsequent weeks. Reviewing these provisions before enrolling can help prevent disappointment at a later stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is covered by the tuition fee increase cap for foundation universities in 2026–2027?
According to the Council of Higher Education General Assembly’s decision of 8 July, the 25% tuition increase cap applies only to continuing students beyond the preparatory and first-year classes. Tuition fees for newly enrolled students may be determined freely by the university’s board of trustees.
Which foundation university programme has the highest tuition fee for 2026–2027?
According to the 2026-YKS admissions guide, the highest annual tuition fee was announced by Istanbul Nişantaşı University Faculty of Medicine at TRY 3.74 million. Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University Faculty of Medicine ranks second at TRY 3.3 million.
What proportion of places at foundation universities must legally be fully funded?
Additional Article 9 of Law No. 2547 requires at least 15% of students in every programme offered by a foundation university to receive tuition-free education. University preference, academic achievement and upfront payment discounts may also be added to the scholarship opportunities available under the 2026 quotas.
How can a student challenge an increase in foundation university tuition fees?
If the annual increase exceeds the average Consumer Price Index rate recorded over the preceding 12 months, the student or parent may bring legal proceedings to request an adjustment of the contract and reimbursement of the excess amount paid. Legal actions brought against Istanbul Bilgi University previously resulted in tuition increases exceeding 100% being reduced to the corresponding average CPI rates.
Are universities in the TRNC really more affordable than foundation universities in Türkiye?
For the 2026–2027 academic year, full tuition fees at nine universities in the TRNC range from TRY 341,250 to TRY 890,862, which is lower than the tuition fees charged by many foundation universities in Türkiye. However, the difference may narrow once accommodation, transportation and other living expenses are included.
Before adding a foundation university programme to your preference list, consider three factors rather than focusing on a single figure: the advertised tuition fee, the conditions for retaining the scholarship and possible tuition increase scenarios in subsequent years. The fee stated in the admissions guide provides only a snapshot of the first year; the actual financial commitment extends over four or six years. Before making your decision, request written confirmation of the scholarship retention requirements and a copy of the enrolment agreement from the student affairs office of the university you are considering.
