Istanbul Technical University
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi
Türkiye's engineering powerhouse, founded in 1773, open to international students with SAT, A-level, IB or YÖS scores.
- Students
- 37,156
- Student–faculty
- 15:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- TRY 79,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1773
About ITU
Istanbul Technical University (ITU) traces its origins to 1773, when it was founded by the Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III, and it is often described as one of the world's oldest institutions dedicated to engineering education. Today it is Türkiye's best-known technical university, a public institution with about 37,000 students and 2,456 academic staff (a ratio of 15 students per academic), spread across campuses including the large, green Ayazağa campus in Maslak and historic buildings such as Taşkışla and Maçka in central Istanbul.
ITU is organised into faculties of civil, architecture, mechanical, electrical and electronics, mines, chemical and metallurgical, aeronautics and astronautics, naval architecture and ocean engineering, computer and informatics, textile technologies and design, management, science and letters, and a maritime faculty, plus the Turkish Music State Conservatory. It offered 96 undergraduate programmes in 2024-25, including 18 international joint degree programmes with universities such as SUNY and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
International students do not sit Turkey's national exam: they apply directly to ITU with a qualifying score such as SAT 1200, IB 30, A-levels or ITU-accepted national exams. Programmes are taught 100% or 30% in English (30% programmes require Turkish at C1). ITU suits strong maths and science students who want a rigorous, affordable engineering degree in one of the world's great cities.
Asırlardır Çağdaş
“Contemporary through the Ages” — university motto
Why students choose ITU
International tuition is modest: TRY 94,500 a year for engineering, architecture and computing faculties for students starting in 2026-27.
Many programmes are taught 100% in English, from Computer, Civil and Electrical Engineering to Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering, Cyber Security and Astronautical Engineering.
18 international joint undergraduate degree programmes with partners such as SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Graduates include two Turkish presidents (Turgut Özal and Süleyman Demirel) and the architects of Anıtkabir.
Admissions
2027-28 academic year (international applications in spring-summer 2027)
Selectivity
ITU does not publish an acceptance rate for international applicants. Each programme has a small international quota (for example 6 places for Astronautical Engineering and 2 for Architecture in the 2026-27 second round), and faculties rank applicants by their exam or diploma scores and up to three programme choices.
Typical entry requirements
| SAT | Minimum 1200 total with at least 650 in Math |
|---|---|
| A-levels | Three A-levels: Mathematics or Physics at grade A, the other two at least C |
| IB Diploma | Minimum 30 points |
| TR-YÖS | Minimum 400 out of 500 |
| ACT / AP | ACT 26; or three AP exams with a 5 in maths, computer science or a basic science and at least 4 in the other two |
| National exams (examples) | Gaokao 450/750; Abitur 1-2; French Baccalauréat 15/20; UTBK-SNBT 550 (Indonesia); STPM three Bs including Mathematics (Malaysia) |
| English language | TOEFL iBT 72 Needed at registration to skip the one-year English preparatory class. ITU accepts the ITU Proficiency exam (60-74 for the lower level, 75+ for full exemption), TOEFL iBT 72-90 or 91+ (new-format bands 4-4.5 and 5-5.5 from 21 January 2026), PTE Academic, OTE Advanced and e-Tep; TOEFL iBT and PTE must be taken at state-university test centres. IELTS is not on ITU's list. Programmes taught 30% in English also require C1 Turkish from ITU TÖMER or the Yunus Emre Institute. |
Deadlines
- First application round (2026-27 intake) Non-binding Passed17 July 2026
Pre-registration 18 May to 17 July 2026; results 27 July; final registration and fee payment 10 to 12 August 2026.
- Second application round (2026-27 intake) Non-binding Passed26 August 2026
Pre-registration 21 to 26 August 2026; results 1 September; registration 2 to 4 September 2026.
These are the 2026-27 dates from ITU's pre-registration calendar for international students; the 2027-28 calendar has not yet been published. Expect applications to open in May 2027. The Turkish Music State Conservatory has a separate calendar with qualifying exams.
How to apply
Apply online through the ITU Registrar's Office international pre-registration system, choosing up to three programmes. Upload your high school diploma (or expected-graduation letter) and transcript with Turkish or English translations, your qualifying exam or diploma score, passport copy, and, for some programmes, a statement of purpose. Faculties evaluate applications and ITU publishes the list of accepted students; you then pay tuition and complete final registration, and later present a Turkish equivalency certificate for your diploma.
What admissions looks for
- A qualifying score on one of ITU's accepted exams or diplomas, at or above the published minimum; higher scores improve your ranking for limited quotas.
- A high school curriculum equivalent to a Turkish high school diploma, confirmed by an equivalency certificate at registration.
- Strength in mathematics and science, reflected in requirements such as SAT Math 650 or an A in A-level Mathematics or Physics.
- For 100% English programmes, English at ITU's level (or completion of the preparatory year); for 30% English programmes, C1 Turkish.
Tips for applying to ITU
- 1 Pick your three programme choices carefully: quotas are small, sometimes only two places, and placement follows your stated priority.
- 2 Take TOEFL iBT at a state-university test centre if you want to skip the English preparatory year; ITU does not list IELTS among accepted tests.
- 3 If you choose a 30% English programme, plan for a year of Turkish study: you need C1 Turkish from ITU TÖMER or the Yunus Emre Institute before starting.
- 4 Watch for the second round in late August if you miss the July deadline; it had its own pre-registration window in 2026.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in TRY
ITU and its partners paid TRY 275 million in cash scholarships to students in 2025, including ITU merit, dormitory, sports and meal scholarships and awards from the ITU Development Foundation. The ITU-TRNC programmes offer international-quota places with full or 50% scholarships.
- TRY 275,051,146
- Cash scholarships paid to ITU students (2025)
- TRY 94,500 per year, paid in two instalments
- Tuition for engineering faculties (international, 2026-27)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (fall and spring)
Computer Engineering (100% English)
In the Faculty of Computer and Informatics Engineering, alongside newer 100% English programmes in AI and Data Engineering and Cyber Security Engineering.
Astronautical Engineering (100% English)
Taught in the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics; ITU built ITUpSAT1, Turkey's first university satellite.
Civil Engineering (100% English)
The field of alumnus Süleyman Demirel, also offered as a joint degree with SUNY Buffalo.
Architecture (100% English)
Rooted in the historic Taşkışla campus; ITU alumni designed Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum.
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Offered in 30% English and as a joint degree with the University of Strathclyde; alumnus Binali Yıldırım studied in this field.
Turkish Music State Conservatory programmes
Including the 100% English Musicology programme, with admission by qualifying exams.
Research
- Institutes include the Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, the Informatics Institute, the Energy Institute, the Aviation Institute and the Disaster Management Institute.
- ITU built ITUpSAT1, the first Turkish university satellite.
- The Mustafa İnan Library holds around 533,000 books and 6,000 rare Ottoman works.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Civil Engineering
- Faculty of Architecture
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Faculty of Computer and Informatics Engineering
- Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering
- Faculty of Mines
- Faculty of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
- Faculty of Management
- Faculty of Science and Letters
- Turkish Music State Conservatory
Student life
Most undergraduates study on the Ayazağa campus in Maslak, a large, leafy campus with its own lake, the Mustafa İnan Library and the ITU Stadium, next to Istanbul's business district. ITU also uses historic buildings in central Istanbul, such as Taşkışla and the Maçka campus, which are linked by a cable car. ITU has 8 outdoor and 6 indoor sports facilities, an on-campus health service and student dormitories, and new international students can join a one-year English or Turkish preparatory year before starting their degree.
- The ITU Stadium at Ayazağa hosts football, American football and athletics.
- The Maçka cable car links the Maçka and Taşkışla campuses.
- ITU's bee mascot and a sports club competing in Turkish basketball.
- An English preparatory year and ITU TÖMER Turkish courses for newcomers.
Housing. ITU's Scholarships and Dormitories Coordination office manages university dormitories; availability for international students should be checked with the office after admission.
Location
Istanbul is Türkiye's largest city, spread across Europe and Asia on the Bosphorus. ITU's main Ayazağa campus sits in Maslak on the European side, beside the city's skyscraper business district, while its historic Taşkışla and Maçka campuses are in the city centre. Students live in one of the world's great historic cities, with the Bosphorus, bazaars and ferries on their doorstep.
Nearest airport: Istanbul Airport (IST)
Notable alumni
- TÖ Turgut Özal8th President of Türkiye; electrical engineering graduate
- SD Süleyman Demirel9th President of Türkiye; civil engineering graduate (1949)
- NE Necmettin ErbakanPrime Minister of Türkiye; mechanical engineering graduate (1948)
- BY Binali YıldırımPrime Minister of Türkiye; naval architecture and ocean engineering graduate
- EH Emin Halid OnatArchitect of Anıtkabir and former ITU rector
- OP Orhan PamukNobel Prize-winning novelist; studied architecture at ITU
Frequently asked questions
What SAT score do you need for Istanbul Technical University?
At least 1200 total with 650 in Math. ITU also accepts ACT 26, IB 30, TR-YÖS 400, A-levels with an A in Maths or Physics, and several national exams.
How much does ITU cost for international students?
For students entering in 2026-27, engineering, architecture and computing faculties charge TRY 94,500 a year, paid in two instalments; management is TRY 86,500 and science and letters TRY 79,000.
Is ITU taught in English?
Many programmes are 100% English; others are 30% English and require C1 Turkish. Without an accepted English score at registration, you take a one-year English preparatory class first.
Does ITU accept IELTS?
IELTS is not on ITU's list of valid English tests. It accepts the ITU Proficiency exam, TOEFL iBT (taken at state-university centres), PTE Academic, OTE Advanced and e-Tep.
When do international applications to ITU open?
For 2026-27, the first round ran from 18 May to 17 July 2026 and a second round from 21 to 26 August 2026. The 2027-28 dates are not yet published.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- QS World University Rankings 2027 (topuniversities.com)
- THE World University Rankings 2026
- ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026
- ITU Registrar's Office: International undergraduate application process
- ITU Registrar's Office: Valid exam results for international applicants
- ITU Registrar's Office: Valid English tests and minimum scores
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