- Global employers select six universities from Türkiye for their highly sought-after graduates

- Six Turkish universities rank among the world’s top 300 institutions whose graduates are most preferred by leading employers, up from four last year

- CoHE President Özvar: “It is a source of pride that our graduates are valued in the global business world”

- Bilkent University and Boğaziçi University join Koç University, METU, Sabancı University, and ITU on this year’s list

- Based on assessments by 15,665 qualified respondents from 40 countries, the study highlights the international visibility of universities in preparing graduates for the workforce

October 30, 2026

A significant development has taken place in the international visibility of Turkish universities in the business world. According to the results of the Global Employability University Ranking and Survey 2027 (GEURS 2027), which is based on employer assessments worldwide, the number of universities from Türkiye included in the ranking has risen to six.

Prepared by international higher education research organization Emerging Group and published by Times Higher Education (THE), the ranking included four universities from Türkiye last year. That number has increased to six in the 2027 results.

- Bilkent University and Boğaziçi University Join the List This Year

According to the results, Koç University, which ranked 209th last year, rose to 208th place, making it the highest-ranked university from Türkiye.

Sabancı University advanced from 212th to 211th place, while Middle East Technical University (METU) rose from 224th to 223rd. Istanbul Technical University (ITU) ranked 255th.

Bilkent University entered the ranking this year at 275th place, followed by Boğaziçi University at 277th.

- Özvar: “It Is a Source of Pride That Our Graduates Are Valued in the Global Business World”

In his assessment of the results, CoHE President Erol Özvar emphasized that university success is also measured by the competencies graduates acquire. He stated:

“The inclusion of six universities from Türkiye in a ranking based on assessments by leading employers worldwide shows that our graduates can compete globally with the knowledge, skills, and competencies they possess. The increase in the number of our universities on the list from four in 2026 to six in 2027 is no coincidence.

“We are proud of our universities, which educate graduates who can compete globally and are sought after by leading employers around the world. Our goal is not only to increase the international recognition of our universities but also to expand the number of institutions whose graduates are in demand around the world.

“We are continuously strengthening our higher education system to ensure that our young people become individuals who can compete in the international business world, develop technology, and drive innovation. We are determined to further advance Türkiye’s growing strength in higher education through our graduates’ success in the global business world.”

- Based on Assessments by 15,665 Respondents

The GEURS 2027 study is based on the views of 15,665 qualified respondents from 40 countries.

Conducted in 11 languages, the study allowed each respondent to vote for up to 15 higher education institutions they considered strong in terms of their graduates’ employability. The results were determined by giving equal weight to employer votes that passed eligibility and data-quality checks.

Participants were selected from managers with experience hiring recent graduates or working directly with them. The graduates hired by or working with participants over the previous two years reportedly totaled approximately 354,000. Rather than ranking universities by the number of academic publications or their general reputation, the study ranks them according to employers’ assessments of graduate employability.

- Academic Performance and Graduate Skills Stand Out in Employer Preferences

The study also revealed important insights into what employers expect from universities.

Academic performance ranked first among employers’ reasons for preferring particular universities, accounting for 19.3% of responses. This was followed by graduate skills at 18.6% and job-related expertise at 17.2%. Impact and leadership accounted for 13.4%, specialization for 12.6%, internationalization for 10%, and institutional reputation for 8.9%. These findings shed light on the factors behind employers’ university preferences and demonstrate that academic knowledge and professional skills are both important.

- MIT, Stanford, and Oxford Rank Among the World’s Top Three

In the global ranking, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took first place, followed by Stanford University in second and the University of Oxford in third. The University of Cambridge ranked fourth, while Harvard University placed fifth.

The GEURS 2027 results serve as an important indicator of higher education institutions’ international recognition in the business world and employers’ assessments of how well graduates are prepared for working life.

The inclusion of six universities from Türkiye in this global assessment marks a notable development in the international visibility of Turkish higher education in the field of graduate employability.