Universities in Ankara: 6 Options for International Students

Ankara, Türkiye’s capital, is a calmer and more affordable alternative to Istanbul without giving up quality. Our catalogue covers 6 universities and around 222 programs in the city, with tuition from about $1,440 a year. Everyone asks about Istanbul first; the students who end up happiest in Ankara are usually the ones who wanted to actually study — the capital is quieter, cheaper and built around its campuses. This 2026 guide goes through every partner university in depth, compares the cost of living with Istanbul, and lists the cheapest real programs with their published prices.

Why the capital instead of Istanbul

As the seat of government, Ankara is the natural home for political science, international relations and public policy, and it has grown into a serious technology and defence-tech hub too. Ministries, embassies and national agencies are all here, which matters if your degree leads toward diplomacy, policy or public administration — internships and guest lecturers come from institutions that simply do not exist in other cities.

The everyday argument is simpler: money and focus. Living costs are noticeably lower than Istanbul, commutes are shorter, and the city is built around its students and universities rather than around tourism. You trade the Bosphorus view for a flat you can actually afford near campus. Ankara suits students who want a focused, academic environment over big-city buzz — and it is well connected to the rest of the country when you do want to travel.

Rent is the line item that moves most: a room or small flat in a student district of Ankara costs meaningfully less than its Istanbul equivalent, and daily transport is cheaper because distances are shorter. We compare the two cities line by line in our cost of living guide for Istanbul, Ankara and North Cyprus. The honest tradeoff: Istanbul has more universities, more nightlife and more part-time work in tourism and services. If those weigh heavily for you, read that comparison before deciding.

The 6 universities at a glance

University	Founded	Programs	English-taught	From (tuition/yr)
OSTIM Technical University	2017	51	22	$1,440
Atilim University	1997	50	34	$6,700
Ankara Medipol University	2018	46	11	$2,250
Ankara Bilim University	2016	28	19	$3,000
Lokman Hekim University	2017	26	3	$3,500
TED University	2009	21	21	$1,875

Tuition is the lowest published starting fee per year; “English-taught” is the number of programs offered fully in English. Click any university to open its full profile, campus and programs.

Every partner university in depth

OSTIM Technical University

OSTIM Technical University is a public, industry-linked technical university inside the OSTIM industrial zone, and the most affordable on the list. It also has the largest catalogue of the six: 51 programs, of which 22 are taught in English. The spread covers every level — 15 associate programs from $2,700 to $3,750, 22 bachelor’s from $2,250 to $5,580, and 14 master’s from $1,440 to $8,500. The location is the point: workshops, factories and employers are literally next door, so if you want an engineering or applied-technology degree with real industry contact at the lowest price in the capital, start here.

TED University

TED University is a compact, English-medium university in central Ankara with a liberal-arts feel. All 21 programs are bachelor’s degrees taught in English — there is no Turkish-medium track to fall into. Fees run from $1,875 to $5,900 a year, which makes it the cheapest fully-English bachelor’s option in Ankara; English Language Teaching starts at $1,875. The small size is a genuine tradeoff: fewer programs and no associate or graduate options in our catalogue, but a central campus and small classes.

Ankara Medipol University

Ankara Medipol University is the capital branch of a well-known health-sciences brand, with 46 programs and 11 in English. Its 19 associate programs are the budget entry point at $2,250 to $2,295 — Anesthesia starts at $2,250 in Turkish. The 27 bachelor’s programs run from $3,400 up to $20,000 at the top end for its flagship health degrees. If medicine or dentistry is the goal, read our guides to the cost of studying medicine in Türkiye and dentistry in Türkiye before comparing.

Ankara Bilim University

Ankara Bilim University keeps pricing unusually simple: every one of its 16 bachelor’s programs is published at $3,000 a year, including English-taught Business Administration. Its 12 master’s programs cost $4,000 to $4,500. With 19 of 28 programs in English, it is a straightforward pick if you want a predictable fee and an English-medium classroom without a premium price tag.

Lokman Hekim University

Lokman Hekim University is a dedicated health-sciences university with 26 programs. Associate degrees — 11 of them, including Anesthesia — all start at $3,500; bachelor’s programs run from $4,000 to $22,500 for the top clinical degrees. The tradeoff to know: only 3 programs are in English, so most students here study in Turkish after a preparatory year. For a taste of its field, see our guide to the speech and language therapy bachelor’s in Ankara.

Atilim University

Atilim University, founded in 1997, is the oldest private university on this list and offers the most English-taught programs in the city — 34 of its 50. It is known for strong engineering; see our Ankara guides to materials science and nanotechnology engineering and metallurgical and materials engineering. It is also the premium option: bachelor’s degrees run $11,000 to $16,500 and its 5 associate programs are $12,000, though its 2 master’s programs start at a more modest $6,700. You are paying for reputation, labs and the widest English catalogue in Ankara — worth it for engineering, harder to justify if budget is the deciding factor.

The cheapest real programs, with prices

These are real published fees from our catalogue — the cheapest entry point at each of the six universities, not marketing “from” prices.

Program	University	Level	Language	Tuition/yr
Architecture	OSTIM Technical University	Master’s	Turkish	$1,440
English Language Teaching	TED University	Bachelor’s	English	$1,875
Anesthesia	Ankara Medipol University	Associate	Turkish	$2,250
Business Administration	Ankara Bilim University	Bachelor’s	English	$3,000
Anesthesia	Lokman Hekim University	Associate	Turkish	$3,500
Business Administration	Atilim University	Master’s	Turkish	$6,700

Overall, tuition in Ankara starts from about $1,440 a year and most universities sit between $1,875 and $6,700. Browse and filter every option in our programs explorer, check our scholarships and tuition guide, and for the lowest fees anywhere in the country compare our cheapest universities roundup.

Studying in English in Ankara

Of the roughly 222 programs in our Ankara catalogue, 110 are taught fully in English — about half. The distribution is uneven, and that should shape your shortlist: TED University is entirely English (21 of 21), Atilim leads in absolute numbers (34), OSTIM Technical (22) and Ankara Bilim (19) offer solid English catalogues, while Ankara Medipol (11) and especially Lokman Hekim (3) are mostly Turkish-medium. If your English program choice is thin, remember that Turkish-taught programs are often cheaper — OSTIM’s $1,440 Architecture master’s is Turkish-taught — and universities provide a Turkish preparatory year, which adds time but opens the larger, cheaper half of the catalogue.

Student life in the capital

Ankara is a genuine student city. Life clusters around Kızılay and Çankaya — cafés, bookshops, cheap lunch spots and study-friendly spaces run on student budgets, and the metro and frequent buses make a car unnecessary. The city is flatter, more orderly and generally calmer than Istanbul; many students describe it as easier to build a routine here. What you give up is honest to state: fewer international events, a smaller expat scene, and colder winters. What you gain is time and money — shorter commutes, cheaper rent, and a social life that happens near campus rather than an hour across a bridge.

Popular programs

Ankara is especially strong for International Relations and political science, Computer Engineering and an MBA or Business Administration, along with medicine and dentistry at the health-focused universities. Many of these are available in English.

How to choose

With six options, weigh the program, language and cost together. A rough decision path: engineering on a budget points to OSTIM; the widest English engineering catalogue points to Atilim; an all-English undergraduate campus points to TED; flat, predictable fees point to Ankara Bilim; and health sciences point to Ankara Medipol or Lokman Hekim, with language of instruction as the tie-breaker. Our post on how to choose the right university and major gives you a full framework, and our Study in Türkiye guide walks through admission, visa and timing.

Ready to browse? See every Ankara university here, or book a free consultation and we will shortlist the right ones for you.

Frequently asked questions

How much is tuition at universities in Ankara?

Published fees in our catalogue start at $1,440 a year (a Turkish-taught Architecture master’s at OSTIM Technical University) and most universities’ cheapest programs sit between $1,875 and $6,700. The premium end is Atilim University, where bachelor’s degrees run $11,000 to $16,500, and the top clinical health degrees reach $20,000 at Ankara Medipol and $22,500 at Lokman Hekim.

Can I study in English in Ankara?

Yes — 110 of the roughly 222 Ankara programs in our catalogue are taught fully in English. TED University is entirely English-medium, Atilim has the most English programs (34), and OSTIM Technical and Ankara Bilim offer 22 and 19 respectively. The cheapest English-taught bachelor’s is TED’s English Language Teaching at $1,875 a year.

Is Ankara cheaper than Istanbul?

For living costs, clearly yes: students in Ankara typically spend $400 to $600 a month, with rent and transport the biggest savings. Our cost of living comparison breaks down both cities line by line.

Which Ankara university is best for medicine and health sciences?

Two of the six specialise in health: Ankara Medipol University (46 programs, associate degrees from $2,250) and Lokman Hekim University (26 programs, associate degrees from $3,500). Note that most of their programs are Turkish-taught — Lokman Hekim has only 3 English programs — so factor in a Turkish preparatory year if you don’t already speak the language.