23 Turkish universities reach Europe’s top 500 in elite index

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has increased its representation in the Quacquarelli Symonds’ (QS) Europe university rankings for this year, securing 23 institutions in the top 500, with Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) ranking highest nationally at 116th in Europe.

The U.K.-based higher education ranking body evaluated 958 universities from 42 European countries and regions, using indicators such as academic reputation, research output and citations, international research collaboration, sustainability, employer reputation and the share of international faculty and students.

Placing 107 universities on the list, Türkiye ranked second overall in terms of representation, behind the United Kingdom’s 129 universities and ahead of Germany’s 102, expanding its presence by adding 36 new institutions to the ranking.

The University of Oxford ranked first in Europe this year, followed by ETH Zurich in second place. Imperial College London and University College London shared third position, while the University of Cambridge ranked fifth.

The number of Turkish universities ranked within the top 500 increased from 21 to 23, reflecting broader inclusion and improved performance across the sector.

ODTÜ remained Türkiye’s top-performing institution despite a slight drop from last year, while Istanbul Technical University placed 124th, and Koç, Sabancı and Boğaziçi universities recorded notable upward movement into higher ranking bands.

Several Turkish universities posted strong year-on-year gains, including Ankara University, Yıldız Technical University, Gebze Technical University and İzmir Institute of Technology, while Özyeğin, Erciyes and Selçuk universities entered the top 500 for the first time.

According to QS, Turkish universities performed strongly in areas such as employer reputation, research visibility and internationalisation.

Under QS methodology, ODTÜ led Turkish universities in academic reputation, employer reputation and international research networks.

Boğaziçi University stood out in graduate employment outcomes, Bilkent University ranked highly for international faculty and Istanbul Medipol University for international student presence.

QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said Türkiye is demonstrating steady and balanced progress in European rankings, with particular improvement in employer reputation and graduate employability indicators.

He noted that continued emphasis on quality, skills-focused education and international collaboration could further strengthen Türkiye’s position in future QS rankings.