Uskudar University

Why Üsküdar University

Üsküdar University is a prominent private foundation university in Istanbul, known for specialised education and research in behavioral health, psychology and the health sciences. Established in 2011, it is often called Turkey’s first thematic university focused on behavioral health and sciences, reflecting its unique origin in partnership with a leading neuropsychiatry group. With modern campuses on Istanbul’s Asian side, a UNESCO Center of Excellence in brain research, and a commitment to interdisciplinary learning, backed by affiliated hospitals, 80+ labs and ~1,000 academics, it now hosts over 24,000 students (including 3,500+ internationals from ~100 countries), making it an attractive destination for students seeking a research-driven education in Turkey.

History & milestones

Üsküdar University was officially established on 3 March 2011 under the leadership of Prof. Nevzat Tarhan and the Human Values and Mental Health Foundation, a pioneer in Turkish neuropsychiatry that operates the NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital and introduced firsts like Turkey’s first Memory Center (1999) and TMS treatment. It welcomed its first students in 2012, graduating its first class in 2014. The university launched specialised graduate schools from its first year, and in 2014 founded the Institute for Sufi Studies, the first of its kind in Turkey. Its emphasis on neuroscience earned it a UNESCO Center of Excellence recognition in neurobiology and brain research in 2018, the same era it established its Faculty of Medicine, and it has since added Dentistry and broadened engineering, communication and social-science programs, continually expanding its scope and infrastructure.

Istanbul, multiple Asian-side campuses

Üsküdar University is based in Istanbul, with all campuses on the Asian side, primarily in the historic Üsküdar district along the Bosphorus. The main campus in Altunizade is a well-connected, central hub (a short walk from the Çekmeköy metro) housing Engineering & Natural Sciences, administration and the İbrahim Tarhan Library; the Çarşı Campus in Mimar Sinan hosts Health Sciences and graduate institutes near the Üsküdar waterfront; the South Campus houses Humanities/Social Sciences and Communication (with TV/radio studios and a media centre); and dedicated campuses in Ümraniye host the Faculty of Medicine (next to the NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital) and the Faculty of Dentistry (with its own dental hospital). Inter-campus shuttles and excellent transport links let students cross-register and enjoy Istanbul’s blend of history, Bosphorus views and modern opportunity.

Vision & mission

Üsküdar University’s mission centres on socio-economic and cultural development, providing international-level education and research facilities in science, health and cultural heritage, being a pioneering, model university that drives regional development, and using resources to solve humanity’s pressing problems (with a notable focus on health). Its vision is to be a “leading, ideal, universal university” working with holistic, interdisciplinary methods, uniting mind-body health, medicine, genetics, engineering and the social and spiritual sciences toward common goals. A core part of that vision is to “protect and improve the mental health of the community” through a holistic approach spanning history, culture, society and health, reflecting its origins in behavioral health and human values, and its commitment to EU and global education standards.

Rankings & recognition

Üsküdar is climbing within Turkey’s top tier, especially in its specialised fields. EduRank 2025 ranks it around 63rd in Turkey (≈3,338th globally) and Webometrics 2023 about 85th nationally (≈2,892nd worldwide), placing it within the top ~70 of Turkey’s 200+ universities. Regionally, QS Europe (Western Asia) 2025 ranks it #61 in Western Asia, and the THE Impact Rankings 2025 place it in the 601-800 band overall, with strong showings in Good Health & Well-Being (201-300) and Gender Equality (201-300), underscoring its health-sciences strength and social mission. Most distinctively, UNESCO named it a Center of Excellence in neurobiology and brain research, and UNESCO-TWAS selected it as a host institution for international doctoral research, the only Turkish university so recognised in neuroscience.

Academics & language of instruction

Üsküdar offers a vast portfolio, 174 programs across associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels (about 40 bachelor’s, 80+ master’s, 14 PhD and 35 associate) in 6 faculties, vocational schools and 5 graduate institutes. Programs run in Turkish and English, many engineering, medicine and psychology programs offer English-medium tracks, with a Pearson-accredited English Preparatory School. Its signature strengths are psychology, neuroscience, behavioral and health sciences, complemented by medicine, dentistry, engineering, communication and the social sciences, plus rare fields like Forensic Science and Sufi Studies. The curriculum is interdisciplinary and research-oriented, supports double majors and minors, follows the Bologna/ECTS framework, and is enriched by the university’s affiliated hospitals, 39 research centres and 80+ labs.

Faculties & specializations

• Faculty of Medicine (est. 2018), a 6-year MD (English and Turkish) with a neuroscience/psychiatry emphasis and clinical training at the NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital.
• Faculty of Dentistry, a 5-year DDS with an on-campus dental hospital and modern (digital radiology, CAD/CAM) facilities.
• Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences, Computer, Software, Electrical-Electronics, Industrial and Bioengineering, Molecular Biology & Genetics (several FEDEK-accredited), the BrainPark incubator and a pioneering Forensic Sciences track.
• Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Nutrition & Dietetics, Midwifery, Audiology, Speech & Language Therapy, Health Management and unique fields like Perfusion and Orthotics-Prosthetics.
• Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology (English/Turkish, FEDEK), Sociology, Philosophy (FEDEK), History and Political Science & International Relations.
• Faculty of Communication & graduate institutes, New Media, Radio-TV-Cinema, PR, Visual Communication and Cartoon & Animation (with studios and a Neuromarketing lab); plus the Institute for Sufi Studies, Addiction & Forensic Sciences, Health, Social and Natural Sciences institutes.

Tuition & scholarships

Üsküdar’s tuition varies widely by field and language, with health programs at the premium end; fees are quoted in US dollars, and the figures below are approximate annual guidance, exact current fees appear in the tuition table above:

• Associate (2-year) programs: roughly $2,545-2,800 / year
• Bachelor’s (most fields): about $3,200-5,500 / year (Turkish-medium nearer the lower end, English-medium higher)
• Medicine & Dentistry: Dentistry ~$15,200-19,000, Medicine ~$16,000-22,000 / year (Turkish/English; up to ~$24,000 list)
• Master’s programs: about $3,900-6,000 / year (most), with Clinical Psychology higher (up to ~$15,000-17,400)
• PhD programs: about $7,800-19,100 / year depending on field

A ~5% cash (upfront) discount applies, plus merit scholarships (25-100% for strong applicants), sibling discounts, country-specific awards and acceptance of government Türkiye Scholarships; graduate students may secure research assistantships, project funding or UNESCO-TWAS support. With Istanbul’s range of living options, Üsküdar offers competitive value for a research-intensive, hospital-linked education.

Graduate studies

Graduate study is a major strength, organised under five institutes, Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Natural & Applied Sciences, Addiction & Forensic Sciences and the unique Institute for Sufi Studies, running 80+ master’s (thesis and non-thesis) and 14 PhD programs. Flagship offerings include Neuroscience (English), Clinical Psychology, Cybersecurity, Computer and Bioengineering, Nursing and Public Health, Forensic Science (supported by an ISO 17025 toxicology lab) and a one-of-a-kind Sufi Culture & Spirituality master’s. PhD programs span Clinical Psychology, Neuroscience, Science of Addiction/Forensic Science, Physiology, International Relations and engineering. Graduate students access 39 research and application centres and 80+ labs, including neuropsychology and TMS facilities, collaborate across disciplines (engineering + medicine, communication + health), and can join grant-funded and international projects (even brain experiments reaching the International Space Station). The research-driven environment, UNESCO-TWAS hosting and brain-hospital integration make Üsküdar especially compelling for postgraduate scholars in the brain and behavioral sciences.

Campus & facilities

Üsküdar’s multi-campus network is richly equipped, 80+ laboratories, 39 research and application centres, modern smart classrooms and four main libraries (İbrahim Tarhan, Namık Kemal, Ayhan Songar and a health-sciences branch). Standout facilities include neuropsychology, neuromarketing and molecular-biology labs, an ISO 17025-accredited Advanced Toxicology Analysis Laboratory, TV/radio studios and an “Advertising Factory” for communication students, anatomy and clinical-simulation centres for medicine, and the BrainPark technopark incubator. Crucially, clinical training takes place at the affiliated NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital (the first private psychiatric hospital in Turkey with JCI accreditation) and the university’s dental hospital. Each campus offers Wi-Fi, computer centres, cafeterias, prayer rooms and study areas, with dormitories nearby and inter-campus shuttles linking the Üsküdar, Altunizade and Ümraniye sites.

Student services & campus life

Üsküdar surrounds its large, international community with comprehensive support. It provides dormitories and housing assistance near campus, on-campus health clinics and free, professional counseling (fitting for a behavioral-health university), plus accessibility provisions. A Career Center offers coaching, fairs and internship links, leveraging Istanbul’s media, tech and healthcare sectors and the university’s own hospitals, while an active International Student Office assists 3,500+ students from ~100 countries with visas, residence permits, orientation and integration events, supported by a Pearson-accredited language school for English (or Turkish). With student clubs, cultural festivals, sports and recreation facilities, campus radio/TV, and a welcoming multicultural atmosphere across well-connected Asian-side campuses, student life is vibrant, supportive and genuinely global.

Accreditations & recognition

Üsküdar holds a distinctive accreditation portfolio. Beyond Turkey’s YÖK, five of its science and humanities programs (including Molecular Biology & Genetics, Psychology, Philosophy) are FEDEK-accredited, its English Preparatory School is Pearson Assured, its clinical/medical-services units run under ISO 9001:2015, and its Advanced Toxicology Laboratory is ISO 17025-accredited. Its affiliated NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital was the first private psychiatric hospital in Turkey to earn JCI accreditation, and UNESCO designated the university a Center of Excellence in neurobiology (2018), with UNESCO-TWAS selecting it to host international doctoral researchers. It follows the Bologna/ECTS framework, runs Erasmus+ with 400+ international collaboration agreements, and its degrees are recognised across the EU, the Middle East and Asia (Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen and more).

Special highlights & why choose

Üsküdar’s signature is being Turkey’s pioneering thematic university in the brain and behavioral sciences, a UNESCO Center of Excellence in neurobiology, built around the JCI-accredited NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital, where psychology, neuroscience and medicine students train in real psychiatric and neurological settings and pioneering work in TMS, brain check-ups and cognitive science takes place. It pairs this with strong English-medium engineering (computer, software, bioengineering, with the BrainPark incubator), modern medicine and dentistry with their own hospitals, and creative communication programs with a unique Neuromarketing edge, plus rare offerings like Forensic Science and Turkey’s only Institute for Sufi Studies. Add 24,000+ students from ~100 countries, 39 research centres and 80+ labs (including an ISO 17025 toxicology lab), broad English options, generous scholarships, 400+ global partnerships and a central Asian-side Istanbul setting, and Üsküdar University is a distinctive, highly specialised and research-intensive choice for international students.