- Of the candidates who ranked among the top 1,000 in the quantitative score category, 490 enrolled in medicine and 434 in engineering programs

- Top-ranked candidates in the equal-weight category gravitated toward law, business administration and economics, while among verbal-score candidates, history and special education teaching were the most preferred programs

- New employment-oriented programs launched by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) in fields related to the professions of the future attracted students with high achievement rankings

- Students ranked among the top 100 chose artificial intelligence, while students ranked among the top 150 chose cybersecurity

- The “Business Administration and Artificial Intelligence,” “Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence,” and “History and Artificial Intelligence” programs, introduced this year, attracted high-scoring candidates.

- CoHE President Özvar: “The impact of the steps we have taken to prepare for the professions of the future is reflected in the high achievement rankings.”

September 1, 2026

The placement results for candidates who ranked among the top 1,000 in the quantitative, verbal, and equal-weight score categories of the 2026 Higher Education Institutions Examination (2026-YKS) have been announced.

Of the candidates who ranked among the top 1,000 in the quantitative score category, 490 enrolled in medicine and 434 in engineering programs. Among the top 1,000 candidates, 194 enrolled in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 135 in Computer Engineering, 43 in Electronics and Communication Engineering, 38 in Industrial Engineering, and 24 in Aeronautical Engineering.

Law became the program with the highest number of placements among candidates who ranked in the top 1,000 in the equal-weight score category.

In this score category, 185 of the top 1,000 candidates enrolled in law programs, followed by 181 candidates in business administration and 171 in economics. A total of 60 candidates enrolled in Psychology, 51 in Management Information Systems, 37 in economics, 33 in Management Sciences programs, 30 in International Relations, and 29 in Arts and Social Sciences programs.

Candidates who ranked among the top 1,000 in the equal-weight score category were also found to have opted for quantitative programs. Among these candidates, 57 enrolled in Medicine, 14 in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 12 in Computer Engineering, and 9 in Industrial Engineering programs.

History was the program with the highest number of placements among candidates who ranked in the top 1,000 in the verbal score category. 105 candidates enrolled in history programs.

History was followed by Special Education Teaching, with 83 candidates. Another 83 candidates who ranked among the top 1,000 in the verbal score category enrolled in law programs, which admit students based on the equal-weight score. 48 candidates enrolled in Turkish Language and Literature, while 46 enrolled in theology.         

- Strong demand for the professions of the future: “Business Administration and Artificial Intelligence” attracts students ranked among the top 100

The new programs launched by the Council of Higher Education as part of its employment-oriented higher education vision attracted strong interest from students.

The programs, which appeared in the 2026-YKS Preference Guide for the first time and bring artificial intelligence together with different disciplines, admitted students with high achievement rankings.

Ten candidates who ranked among the top 1,000 in the equal-weight score category enrolled in Business Administration and Artificial Intelligence. Seven of these students ranked among the top 500, while one ranked among the top 100.

Three students from among the top 1,000 were admitted to the Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence program. Two of these students ranked among the top 500.

Among candidates who ranked in the top 1,000 in the verbal score category, three were admitted to Business Administration and Artificial Intelligence, two to Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence, and two to History and Artificial Intelligence.

Nine candidates who ranked among the top 1,000 in the quantitative score category enrolled in Artificial Intelligence Engineering, a program introduced in previous years.

 - Student ranked among the top 150 chooses cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Analyst and Operator, one of the new programs introduced by the Council of Higher Education as part of its digital transformation and employment-oriented initiatives, also attracted students with high achievement rankings.

One candidate ranked among the top 1,000 in the TYT score category and among the top 150 in the equal-weight score category enrolled in the Cybersecurity Analyst and Operator program, which was introduced for the professions of the future.

- “Our transformation efforts have borne fruit”

Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education, said that their efforts to expand employment-oriented programs in higher education and launch new programs for the professions of the future have been strongly reflected in students’ preferences.

Noting that technological transformation makes it necessary to plan new programs and human resources in higher education, Özvar said they were reshaping programs in line with Türkiye’s development goals, the changing needs of the labor market, and technological developments around the world.

Emphasizing the importance of programs for the professions of the future, particularly AI and cybersecurity, attracting students with high achievement rankings, Özvar continued:

“It is particularly significant that, in their very first year, our newly launched programs have already attracted young people ranked among the top 100, top 500 and top 1,000. This demonstrates that our young people are closely following global developments and have a clear understanding of the fields that will shape the future.”

“We will continue to introduce new programs”

Özvar stated that they aim to ensure that university programs adapt more quickly to the changing world and employment market, adding:

“We do not want to settle for a higher education system that prepares young people only for today’s jobs. We aim to equip them today with the knowledge and skills that will be needed in the years ahead. We will continue to introduce new programs into our higher education system that have strong links to employment, keep pace with technological transformation, and directly respond to our country’s needs.”