Ankara University — Ankara

Ankara University is one of Turkey's flagship public universities, located in the capital city. Founded in 1946 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, it holds a unique historical and political prestige and ranks 7th nationally and around 763rd globally.

Academic structure: 15 faculties, around 40 vocational programs, 115 undergraduate programs, 110 graduate programs, and 41 research and application centres.

TÖMER: Ankara University is the original home of the famous TÖMER Turkish-language teaching centre — the gold standard for Turkish language instruction internationally, used by students preparing for studies at universities across Turkey.

Kreiken Astronomical Observatory: Officially opened in 1963, this is one of Turkey's most important astronomical research facilities and is part of Ankara University's Faculty of Science.

Notable faculties and programs:

• Faculty of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy
• Faculty of Engineering — Computer, Biomedical, Electrical, Energy, Physics, Food, Geophysical, Geological, Chemical Engineering
• Faculty of Communications, Faculty of Political Science (historically Turkey's most important political science school)
• Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Educational Sciences
• Faculty of Science — Astronomy, Biology, Physics, Statistics, Mathematics, Chemistry
• Faculty of Fine Arts, Applied Sciences, Nursing, Law, Theology, Agriculture

Admission: Ankara University accepts SAT, YÖS, and Tawjihi (high school) certificates from international applicants. Apply at ugadmissions.ankara.edu.tr.

Tuition (international students): Approximately $400–1,200 per year for undergraduate programs; medicine and dentistry are at the higher end.

Scholarships: Eligible for Türkiye Bursları full government scholarship.

Accommodation: KYK state dormitories and private student housing are widely available. The cost of living in Ankara is noticeably lower than Istanbul — monthly expenses typically run $300–600.

Recognition: Ankara University's diplomas are YÖK-accredited and broadly recognised across Arab countries and Europe. Its Faculty of Political Science (Mülkiye) is particularly renowned in the Turkish public sector and diplomatic corps.