Kadir Has University

Key Highlights

• Operating nonprofit foundation university founded in Istanbul in 1997
• Five faculties plus an Institute of Graduate Studies
• Urban Cibali Campus occupies a restored former tobacco factory beside the Golden Horn
• Separate application routes for international undergraduates and graduate students

Student Life & Environment

Student life is coordinated in part through the Campus Life Office, which works with student clubs and organizes conferences, discussions, training, concerts, and other cultural activities. The official club directory includes academic, artistic, civic, cultural, and interest-based organizations. Students can also seek places on university sports teams; KHAS lists activity in more than 20 branches, including basketball, volleyball, football, swimming, rowing, tennis, sailing, martial arts, and table tennis. Support services extend beyond clubs. The Dean of Students brings together the Campus Life, Career, Alumni, and Erasmus and Exchange offices, while psychological counseling and guidance is also identified among student-facing services. These offices give students routes for personal support, exchange planning, campus participation, and career preparation. Housing is available but should not be assumed to cover every student. The university’s female dormitory opened in the 2024–2025 academic year with 69 beds and is immediately behind the Cibali Campus. It offers accessible, double, and triple rooms plus study, lounge, kitchen, and laundry areas. KHAS also points students toward nearby private and Ministry of Youth and Sports dormitories. Applicants should request current 2026–2027 availability, eligibility, and prices directly, especially because scholarship-supported housing and ordinary paid accommodation follow different arrangements.

Location & Surroundings

The university’s central address is in Cibali, within Istanbul’s Fatih district, close to the Golden Horn and the city’s historic peninsula. This is a dense metropolitan environment with access to Istanbul’s cultural institutions, businesses, public spaces, and transport network. Students should expect the opportunities and practical complications of living in a very large city, including variable commuting times and significant differences in housing cost by neighborhood. The Cibali Campus is itself part of the location’s character. Its main buildings adapt the former Tekel Cibali Tobacco Factory, while the campus also incorporates courtyards, laboratories, social areas, performance halls, and the Rezan Has Museum. The university describes the site as open to public visitors for parts of its cultural and heritage offer. For housing decisions, proximity matters. The university residence for women is directly behind the campus, and KHAS identifies other public and private dormitories in the surrounding accommodation market. Students considering off-campus rooms should independently compare commute, contract conditions, deposits, utilities, and building safety rather than relying only on distance shown in listings.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Costs differ sharply by applicant category. For Turkish students first enrolling in 2026–2027, the official domestic fee table lists program-specific cash prices in Turkish lira and distinguishes discounted from full-fee places. Published examples range from TRY 676,500 after a 50% discount to full prices of TRY 1,495,000; installment payment adds 15% to the stated cash amount. These are tuition figures, not a complete cost of attendance. The international undergraduate page lists annual tuition of USD 20,000 and says scholarships are available, but it does not label that figure with an academic year. International applicants should therefore obtain a dated written fee and scholarship offer for 2026–2027. The graduate school explicitly sets 2026–2027 international tuition at USD 20,000 per year for thesis master’s and doctoral study, and USD 20,000 per program for non-thesis master’s study. Housing, food, transport, insurance, residence-permit costs, preparation study, and personal expenses should be budgeted separately. No verified university-wide graduate salary or employment-rate data were found, so career outcomes should not be inferred from the support services alone. The Career Office provides counseling, CV review, interview simulations, company visits, career events, and internship and job listings. It also supports compulsory and voluntary internship processes. Students can use these services to build experience, but access to support does not guarantee a placement or job.