Yildiz Technical University
Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi
A public technical university in Istanbul, founded in 1911, with its own technopark on the Davutpaşa campus.
- Students
- 37,514
- 26,094 undergraduates
- International
- 6%
- of students
- Tuition
- TRY 70,000
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1911
About YTU
Yildiz Technical University (YTU) traces its roots to the Conductors School, officially announced on 31 July 1911 to train technicians for Ottoman road, railway and bridge building. It became the Public Works Science School, then a technical school, the Istanbul State Academy of Engineering and Architecture, Yıldız University in 1982 and Yildiz Technical University in 1992. Today it reports about 37,500 students, including 26,094 undergraduates, and 1,797 academic staff.
YTU is organised into 11 faculties and 3 graduate institutes, with engineering at the centre: electrical and electronics, civil, mechanical, chemical and metallurgical, and naval architecture and maritime, alongside architecture, arts and sciences, economics and administrative sciences, education, and arts and design. Most teaching happens on the Davutpaşa campus in Esenler, built around the 1830s Davutpaşa Barracks, and on the original Yıldız campus on the hill above Beşiktaş.
Many programmes are taught 30% in English, and several run a 100% English-medium version, such as Civil, Industrial, Chemical and Mechatronics Engineering, Architecture and Economics. Turkish students enter through the national YKS exam; international students apply directly to YTU with SAT, TR-YÖS, IB, A-level-type national diplomas and other accepted results. It suits engineering-minded students who want Istanbul, low public-university fees and close ties to industry through the Yıldız Technopark and a CO-OP work-placement model.
Why students choose YTU
Low fees: Turkish students in regular programmes pay no tuition within the normal duration, and international students starting in 2026-27 pay a flat 70,000 TRY a year across all faculties.
The Yıldız Technopark on campus hosts more than 500 R&D companies and incubators and over 8,000 R&D staff, and ranked first in the Ministry of Industry and Technology's performance index three years running.
A CO-OP Education Model lets students spend a full semester working at partner companies before graduating.
Several key programmes run in a 100% English-medium version, including Civil, Industrial, Chemical, Mechatronics and Metallurgical Engineering, Architecture and Economics.
Admissions
2027-28 entry (2026-27 dates shown as past; 2027 dates not yet published)
Selectivity
YTU publishes no acceptance rate. Turkish students are placed centrally through ÖSYM's YKS exam: in 2025, Computer Engineering (100 places) filled with a lowest SAY score of 509.09 (national rank 7,395), Industrial Engineering at rank 13,503, and Civil Engineering and Architecture at ranks around 60,000. International applicants are ranked within fixed quotas on a 100-point score converted from their exam or diploma.
Typical entry requirements
| YKS (Turkish students) | 2025 lowest placement ranks (SAY score type): Computer Engineering 7,395; Industrial Engineering 13,503 (10,264 for the English-medium version); Civil Engineering 61,358; Architecture 59,778 |
|---|---|
| SAT | Minimum 1100/1600, including at least 550 Math for engineering, architecture and science programmes (800 for the Faculty of Art and Design); minimums do not guarantee placement |
| TR-YÖS | Minimum 450/500 |
| International Baccalaureate | Minimum 30/45 points |
| Abitur / Austrian Matura | Grade 3.0 or better |
| Gaokao | Minimum 450/750 (375 for the Faculty of Art and Design) |
| English language | TOEFL iBT 72 For programmes taught 30% or 100% in English, students are exempt from the one-year English preparatory programme with YTU's own proficiency exam (İYS) score of 60, TOEFL iBT 72, PTE Academic 55, YDS/YÖKDİL 60 or other listed tests; IELTS is not on YTU's list of equivalent exams. International students in 100% Turkish or 30% English programmes must also obtain a C1 Turkish certificate (TÖMER or Yunus Emre Institute) within one year; 100% English programmes require B1 Turkish. |
Deadlines
- International undergraduate application (2026-27 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed20-31 July 2026 (closed 31 July, 16:00)
Online application; results were published in August 2026. The 2027-28 window has not been announced.
- International registration (2026-27 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed7-18 September 2026
In person at the Davutpaşa campus or through a notarised proxy; reserve-list registration 21-22 September 2026.
Both dates above belong to the 2026-27 intake and have passed. YTU has not yet published its 2027-28 international schedule; in 2026 the online window ran 20-31 July. Turkish students apply through YKS, whose 2027 dates are set by ÖSYM.
How to apply
Turkish students list YTU programmes in their YKS preferences with ÖSYM. International students apply online to YTU during a short summer window, choosing up to 5 programmes and uploading their diploma or final-year school document, transcript, passport and exam result. Applicants are ranked on a converted 100-point score, and admitted students register in person in Istanbul with apostilled, translated originals, a student visa and a financial guarantee form.
What admissions looks for
- A score above YTU's published minimum on an accepted exam or diploma, such as SAT 1100 with 550 Math for engineering.
- The strongest converted score: applicants are ranked on a 100-point scale within each programme's quota, with diploma grade and then age used to break ties.
- For Art and Design programmes, success in YTU's own special talent exam.
- Turkish or English proficiency matched to the programme's language of instruction.
Tips for applying to YTU
- 1 Don't sit a university-run YÖS for YTU: it accepts TR-YÖS, SAT and other listed results, but not YÖS exams set by other universities.
- 2 Check each programme's language (100% Turkish, 30% English or 100% English) before listing it; a C1 Turkish certificate is needed to start most programmes.
- 3 Take TOEFL iBT (72 or above) before arriving if you choose an English-medium programme, since IELTS is not on YTU's exemption list.
- 4 Prepare apostilled, notarised Turkish translations of your diploma and scores early; registration is in person in Istanbul within a two-week window.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in TRY
YTU is one of the state universities that places students through the Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları) programme, which covers international students. Under a 15 August 2026 Presidential Decree, international undergraduates with a sibling at a Turkish state university and family residence permits get at least 25% off tuition, and 2026-27 contribution fees for students from Gaza are paid by the state.
- 70,000 TRY a year (35,000 TRY per semester), same for all faculties
- International tuition, 2026-27 entrants
- At least 25%
- Sibling discount (international undergraduates)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters; the 2026-27 fall semester began on 28 September 2026
Computer Engineering
YTU's most competitive YKS programme: in 2025 its 100 places filled with a lowest national rank of 7,395.
Industrial Engineering (Turkish and English-medium)
Both versions filled within the top 13,500 YKS ranks in 2025; the English-medium track takes 55 students a year.
Architecture
Offered in 30% English and 100% English versions, with international admission requiring at least 550 in SAT Math.
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Taught in YTU's dedicated Faculty of Naval Architecture and Maritime, in a 30% English-medium format.
Mechatronics Engineering (English)
A 100% English-medium programme in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, also offered in a 30% English version.
Mathematical Engineering
A mathematics-based engineering degree offered in both 30% and 100% English versions in the Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering.
Research
- YTU Yıldız Technopark, founded in 2003, provides 148,000 m2 of R&D space, including a 23,500 m2 İkitelli site, with more than 500 companies and 4,000+ completed projects.
- A Clean Energy Technologies Institute was set up after YTU identified clean energy as a priority research cluster.
- YTU ranked 45th in the world in the UI GreenMetric 2026 sustainability ranking and was named Türkiye's most active university in the network.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Faculty of Civil Engineering
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering
- Faculty of Naval Architecture and Maritime
- Faculty of Architecture
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Art and Design
- Faculty of Applied Sciences
- School of Foreign Languages
YTU does not publish a graduate employment rate on the pages reviewed; its CO-OP Education Model places students in companies for a full semester, which the university says often leads to job offers with the same employer.
Student life
Student life is split between the Davutpaşa campus in Esenler, home to most faculties, the rectorate and the School of Foreign Languages in the restored Ottoman barracks, and the original Yıldız campus above Beşiktaş near the Bosphorus. Student clubs meet in a hub called the Valley of Clubs, with societies ranging from astronomy and physics to sailing and game development. The university's dining halls serve about 10,000 meals a day. On-campus beds are very limited, so most students arrange dormitory places or shared flats themselves.
- The Davutpaşa Barracks, built for Mahmud II's new army around 1831-32, were handed to YTU in 1999 and now house university buildings.
- Student clubs gather in the Valley of Clubs, from the Astronomy Club to the Sailing Club.
- YTU dining halls serve about 10,000 people a day, with lunch and dinner.
- An ESN Yıldız volunteer group helps international students find housing.
Housing. YTU's own dormitories on the Davutpaşa campus hold only about 130 beds (a 72-bed women's dorm for bachelor's and master's students, plus rooms for doctoral researchers), so most students arrange private dormitory places or shared flats themselves.
Location
Istanbul is Türkiye's largest city. YTU's Yıldız campus sits on a wooded hill above Beşiktaş, close to the Bosphorus and the Yıldız Palace grounds, while the larger Davutpaşa campus lies in Esenler on the European side, linked by campus ring services and public transport. Istanbul offers a huge choice of food, culture and jobs, but rents are high and commutes can be long.
Nearest airport: Istanbul Airport (IST)
Notable alumni
- AC Ali CoşkunFormer Minister of Industry and Trade of Türkiye; engineering graduate
- FO Fikret OrmanBusinessman and 33rd president of Beşiktaş JK; studied at YTU before the University of Florida
- YÖ Yiğit ÖzşenerActor; graduated in electronics and communications engineering (1996)
- MY Murat YıldırımActor; mechanical engineering graduate
- Kİ Kenan İmirzalıoğluActor and Best Model of the World 1997; studied mathematics
- TA Tarık AkanFilm actor and producer; studied mechanical engineering at YTU (non-degree)
- CE Ceylan ErtemSinger-songwriter; studied musicology
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Yildiz Technical University for international students?
International students admitted in 2026-27 pay 70,000 TRY a year (35,000 TRY per semester), the same for all faculties. Turkish students in regular programmes pay no tuition within the normal study period.
Does YTU accept YÖS for international admission?
YTU does not run its own YÖS and does not accept YÖS exams run by other universities. It accepts TR-YÖS (minimum 450/500), SAT (minimum 1100), ACT, IB (30 points) and a list of national exams and diplomas.
Are YTU programmes taught in English?
Many programmes are 30% English and several, including Civil, Industrial, Chemical and Mechatronics Engineering, Architecture and Economics, run 100% English versions. You skip the English preparatory year with an İYS score of 60 or TOEFL iBT 72.
When is the YTU application deadline for international students?
For 2026-27 the online application ran 20-31 July 2026 and has closed. The 2027-28 dates have not yet been announced.
Do international students need to learn Turkish at YTU?
Yes. Students in 100% Turkish or 30% English programmes need a C1 Turkish certificate from TÖMER or the Yunus Emre Institute within one year of registering, and those in 100% English programmes need B1.
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.
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