Four Turkish universities make top 400 in global ranking for 1st time
ISTANBUL
Türkiye has achieved its best-ever result in the QS World University Rankings, an influential annual list compiled by a London-based higher education analytics firm, with four universities placing in the top 400 for the first time.
Released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the 2026 edition of the global rankings evaluated more than 1,500 institutions across 106 countries and regions.
Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) retained its position as Türkiye’s highest-ranked university, coming in at 269th place.
Istanbul Technical University (ITÜ) followed at 298, while Koç University ranked 323rd.
Boğaziçi University made its debut in the top 400 at 371st place, and Sabancı University was ranked 404th.
Koç and Boğaziçi universities entered the global top 400 for the first time, doubling Türkiye’s representation in this category from two to four institutions.
QS data also highlighted the rapid progress of Turkish institutions, with Sabancı and Koç universities named among the top ten globally in terms of year-on-year improvement.
On a global level, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) maintained its lead as the world’s best university, followed by Imperial College London and Stanford University.
The QS World University Rankings are based on several metrics, including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, international outlook and research impact.
One of Türkiye’s strongest performances was in the employer reputation indicator, where 71 percent of its universities improved their standings.
Last year, Turkish universities also secured strong placements across disciplines in the Times Higher Education (THE) 2025 Subject Rankings, highlighting the country’s growing influence and rising visibility.
