Studying in Türkiye without YÖS: admission with your school certificate (2026 guide)

Many students assume you must sit the YÖS exam to study in Türkiye. In fact, most private (foundation) universities in Türkiye and Northern Cyprus admit international students on the basis of their high-school certificate. Here is how it works.

What is YÖS and when do you need it?

YÖS (Yabancı Öğrenci Sınavı) is an entrance exam for international students. State universities and some highly selective private ones ask for YÖS, SAT or a similar score for admission or scholarships. At most of our partner universities, however, bachelor's admission is based on your school certificate and transcript.

Note: some universities (Sabancı, for example) offer large discounts for high SAT or YÖS scores, so sitting an exam can still pay off.

Which documents do you need?

• Passport copy
• School certificate (or a letter for current final-year students) and transcript — translated
• Passport-size photo
• For English-taught programs, a language certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.); if you don't have one, the university's own test or a preparatory year

How does the process work?

1. Choose a program. Compare programs in our search by field, city and budget.
2. Apply. Send your documents to us and we apply to the university — no application fee.
3. Conditional offer. With complete documents it usually arrives within 1–5 business days.
4. Deposit and final offer. After the first payment the university issues the final acceptance letter.
5. Travel and registration. You arrive in Türkiye, register at the university and apply for a student residence permit.

I don't speak Turkish — is that a problem?

No. Roughly half of the bachelor's programs on our site are taught in English. Turkish-taught programs require a TÖMER certificate or a preparatory year.

How do the discounts work?

Thanks to our agreements with partner universities, many programs carry tuition discounts. The discounted prices on our cards apply to students who apply through us.

Questions? Message us on WhatsApp and our counsellor will shortlist universities for you — free of charge.