- Türkiye makes a strong mark in the QS World University Rankings 2027: Turkish universities stand out among employers worldwide.

- Three Turkish universities ranked among the world’s top 100 for Employer Reputation.

- Six Turkish universities placed in the global top 500, while eleven ranked within the top 1,000.

- Twenty-five Turkish universities were included in the rankings, which evaluated more than 1,500 - higher education institutions from 106 countries.

- President of the Council of Higher Education Erol Özvar: “Our graduates are emerging as highly competitive individuals who are sought after not only in Türkiye but also on a global scale.”

- “The growing confidence employers place in Turkish universities is one of the most significant achievements of our higher education system.”

June 18, 2026

Turkish universities have secured their place among the world’s leading institutions in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published by the international higher education ranking organization Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

Turkish institutions delivered particularly strong performances in the areas of employer reputation and graduate employability. Three Turkish universities ranked among the world’s top 100 universities for Employer Reputation.

The QS World University Rankings 2027 assess institutions based on indicators including academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty member, international faculty ratio, international student ratio, international research network, employment outcomes, and sustainability.

Among the 1,504 universities evaluated from 106 countries and territories worldwide, six Turkish universities ranked within the global top 500, while eleven secured positions within the top 1,000. The highest-ranked Turkish institution was Istanbul Technical University, which rose to 279th place globally. It was followed by Middle East Technical University in 305th place, Koç University in 329th, Boğaziçi University in 345th, Sabancı University in 357th, and Bilkent University in 454th, all of which placed within the world’s top 500.

Within the top 1,000, Hacettepe University ranked 570th, Istanbul University 629th, and Yıldız Technical University 634th. Ankara University was ranked in the 731–740 band, while Gebze Technical University placed within the 851–900 range. As a result, eleven Turkish universities were represented among the world’s top 1,000 institutions.

Other Turkish universities included in the rankings within the 1,000–1,500 range were Ege University, Gazi University, Marmara University, Atatürk University, Dokuz Eylül University, Erciyes University, Istanbul Aydın University, Izmir Institute of Technology, Özyeğin University, Selçuk University, Akdeniz University, Çukurova University, Karadeniz Technical University, and Sakarya University. This brought the total number of Turkish universities represented in the rankings to 25.

- Turkish Universities Rise Through Graduate Success

In the Employer Reputation indicator—one of the most influential measures in the QS methodology—three Turkish universities ranked among the world’s top 100. Middle East Technical University placed 63rd globally, followed by Istanbul Technical University in 73rd place and Boğaziçi University in 75th place. Boğaziçi University also achieved notable success in the Graduate Employability indicator, ranking 93rd worldwide.

- Özvar: “The Results Confirm Our Progress”

President of the Council of Higher Education Erol Özvar stated that the quality-oriented policies implemented in recent years, efforts to strengthen research capacity, internationalization strategies, and university-industry partnerships continue to positively influence the global performance of Turkish universities.

According to Özvar, the QS results once again confirm both the value employers place on graduates of Turkish higher education institutions and the growing international recognition of Turkish universities. “Our graduates are emerging as highly competitive individuals who are sought after not only in Türkiye but also on a global scale. The growing confidence employers place in Turkish universities is one of the most significant achievements of our higher education system. These results demonstrate that our universities are strengthening their positions not only through academic output but also through the quality of the human capital they produce.”

Özvar emphasized that Türkiye’s achievements in international rankings are not coincidental and expressed confidence that the global visibility and competitiveness of the Turkish higher education system will continue to grow.