ITU as a body have targets to admit students who fall into the bottom 20% of household income group (or a more tightly defined target) in the country. Additionally, our university as a body have graduation/completion targets for students who fall into the bottom 20% of household income group (or a more tightly defined target)in the country. We track the application and graduation rates of these student groups.

The bottom 20% of the household income group in Türkiye makes up to 6 percent of families in 2023.

Percentage of the bottom 20% of the household income group in Türkiye. Resource: TÜİK

Since the bottom 20% of the household income group includes a large percentage of our society, we target to admit students from low-income groups. The low-income students from the bottom 20% are given special attention. Admission from low-income groups made up to 50 percent of the total number of students.

Percentage of students from low income families in ITU

In Türkiye, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is less than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year. Average income in 2023 for a household is around 125.000 TL the highest and 40.000 TL the lowest. Hence, low income households are more common than EU countries.

Average income by city. Resource: TÜİK

No discrimination at admission and financial support

1.3.1 Bottom financial quintile admission target

Student selections and placements for higher education in Turkey have been conducted by the Centre for Assessment, Selection, and Placement (ÖSYM), which is affiliated with the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), since 1981 under Law No. 2547. Consequently, students are ranked based on their scores in a centralized exam, and individual universities do not have the discretion to target specific students for admissions. Minimum scores for each university depend on student quotas, which are also determined by the Council of Higher Education.

Students who gain admission to Istanbul Technical University are exempted from the obligation of paying annual tuition fees. This exemption is a result of the Republic of Turkey’s comprehensive strategy to uphold the fundamental right to education. By absorbing the financial burden of tuition, the University manifests its commitment to democratizing access to higher education and fostering an inclusive learning environment. This policy is particularly instrumental in mitigating the financial constraints that often impede students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds from accessing quality education.                                                                             

ITU also has 14 Dual Degree Diploma Programs (DDP) which offer an international environment to make the graduates more competitive in their future career. Although these programmes are subject to a tuition fee, several scholarships are provided depend on their success in University Entrance Exam:

Dual Degree Programs