Every year we get messages in July from students who have just discovered that the university they wanted closed its international applications in May. It is the most avoidable mistake in the whole process. Turkey has no single national deadline for foreign applicants, so Turkish university application deadlines 2027 depend on whether you choose a state or private university, which exam you use and whether you are applying for a bachelor’s, master’s or a scholarship
This guide puts the dates in one place for the 2027–28 intake, based on the patterns universities and ÖSYM followed in the 2026 cycle. Exact dates are announced each year, usually a few weeks before a window opens, so use this as a planning calendar and confirm each date on the official page before you pay or submit anything
Why There Is No Single Deadline in Turkey
Since YÖK stopped running a central exam for foreign students, each university sets its own admission rules within the framework YÖK publishes. A state university publishes an international student directive and quota list, opens its own online portal and announces results on its own schedule. Private (foundation) universities are free to admit students throughout the year as long as quotas remain
That flexibility is good news if you are late, but it also means you can easily miss a state university that matters to you. In our experience the students who get the best offers are the ones who make a short list by December and track each university’s announcements page from January onward
Turkish University Application Deadlines 2027 at State Universities
State universities are where timing matters most. Most of them hold one main application period in spring and a few run a second placement in late summer if seats are left. For the 2026–27 year, for example, Boğaziçi University accepted international undergraduate applications from 6 April to 5 June 2026, and many other large state universities had windows somewhere between February and June
| Application type | Typical window for 2027 entry | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| State universities, bachelor’s (main round) | February to June 2027 | Each portal has its own closing date and time |
| State universities, second placement | July to September 2027 | Only for leftover seats, not every university runs it |
| Private universities, bachelor’s | January to September 2027 | Medicine and dentistry often fill by early summer |
| Spring intake (private, some programmes) | November 2026 to January 2027 | Limited to certain departments and master’s |
| Master’s and PhD at state universities | April to July for autumn, November to January for spring | Graduate institutes set separate calls |
| Türkiye Scholarships | Roughly January to February 2027 | Was 10 January to 20 February in 2026 |
Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and popular engineering programmes at well known state universities get far more applicants than seats. Results lists are ranked by score, so applying on the last day does not hurt you directly, but uploading documents in a rush often does. Missing apostilles and unreadable scans are the usual reasons we see applications rejected at the document check stage
TR-YÖS and Other Exam Dates
Many state universities accept SAT, ACT, A-level, IB or national school-leaving exam results, while some still require or prefer a YÖS score. ÖSYM now runs a centralised exam called TR-YÖS that a growing number of state universities accept. In 2026 the first session, TR-YÖS/1, took applications from 14 January to 3 February with a short late window in February, held the exam on 12 April and published results on 7 May. The second session, TR-YÖS/2, took applications from 9 July to 3 August and held the exam on 11 October 2026
If ÖSYM keeps a similar pattern, you would register for TR-YÖS/1 in January 2027 and sit the exam in April, which leaves enough time to use the result in spring state university applications. Our explainer on how the YÖS exam works and which universities accept it covers the format, and if you would rather avoid it altogether, there is a separate guide on getting admitted without YÖS
- SAT: book a test date by December or March at the latest, since scores take a few weeks to arrive
- Some universities, such as Istanbul University and a few others, have run their own exams in previous years, so check whether they still do for 2027
- English test scores like IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo only exempt you from the preparatory year and are not admission scores on their own
- Medicine programmes in Turkish often require a Turkish certificate before the faculty year, not before applying
Private University Deadlines and Rolling Admission
Private universities in Istanbul, Ankara and elsewhere usually open applications in January and keep accepting until seats run out, sometimes into September. Admission is often based on your high school grades plus an English level, and offers can come within a week or two. That speed is useful, but do not mistake rolling admission for no deadline. Scholarship discounts of 25 to 75 percent are often largest early in the year and shrink once the quota for discounted places fills
Apply to one or two private universities early, in February or March, even if a state university is your first choice. A confirmed private offer protects you if the state results disappoint, and you can usually defer paying the deposit until the state results come out. Ask the admissions office about their deposit refund policy in writing
Scholarship and Graduate Deadlines
Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları) is the main government scholarship and it has the earliest deadline of all. For 2026 it accepted applications for all levels between 10 January and 20 February. Expect a similar window for 2027, with interviews in spring and results in summer. Our guide to the Türkiye Bursları application and selection stages explains the documents and interview
For master’s and PhD programmes, each graduate institute announces its own call. Autumn calls typically open in spring or early summer, and many state universities also run a smaller call in November to January for the spring semester. If you are planning a graduate degree, read our guide to master’s degrees in Turkey for the language and entrance exam rules such as ALES equivalents and GRE
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A Month by Month Plan for the 2027 Intake
- October to December 2026: shortlist universities, book SAT or English tests and request school documents and apostilles
- January 2027: register for TR-YÖS/1 if needed and apply to Türkiye Scholarships and early private universities
- February to April 2027: submit state university applications as each portal opens and sit exams
- May to July 2027: follow results, accept an offer, pay the deposit and request the acceptance letter
- July to September 2027: apply for the student visa and book flights and accommodation
Documents slow most students down more than the deadlines themselves. Translations, notarisation and apostilles can take several weeks in some countries. Use our documents checklist for Turkish universities to start collecting papers before the portals open
After Acceptance: Visa Timing
Once you have an acceptance letter, the next clock starts. Student visa appointments at Turkish consulates can be booked out for weeks in summer, especially in countries with many applicants. Aim to apply for the visa as soon as you receive the final acceptance letter. The steps are described in our student visa and residence permit guide, including the residence permit you apply for after arrival
Your next step is simple. Write down the three to six universities you care about most, open their international admissions pages and save the announcement links. Then set reminders two weeks before each expected window and check again in January, when most 2027 dates are confirmed
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Turkish universities open applications for international students?
Most state universities open between February and May, while private universities often start in January. Each university announces its own exact dates on its international office website
Can I still apply to a Turkish university in August?
Often yes, but mainly to private universities or state universities running a second placement. Popular programmes like medicine are usually full by then
What is the deadline for Türkiye Scholarships 2027?
The 2027 dates are not confirmed yet. In 2026 the window ran from 10 January to 20 February, so prepare your documents by December to be safe
Is TR-YÖS required for every state university?
No. Many state universities accept SAT, A-level, IB or national exam results instead. Check the list of accepted exams in each university’s international student directive
Is there a spring intake in Turkey?
Some private universities and many graduate programmes accept students for the spring semester, with applications roughly from November to January. Most bachelor’s programmes at state universities only admit in autumn
