Turkey caps private university tuition hikes at 25% amid soaring fees

For the 2026‑2027 academic year Turkish private universities raised tuition by 40 % to 159 % compared with the previous year, with medical faculties reaching up to 3.74 million TL per year. The Yükseköğretim Kurulu (YÖK) intervened on 8 July, limiting any increase for existing (non‑first‑year) students to a maximum of 25 % and setting a monitoring system for universities that delay registration. The ceiling does not apply to new entrants, who will still face the full announced fees. Universities such as Istanbul Nişantaşı, Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar and Koç were listed among the most expensive, while Sanko University’s health‑science programmes also posted high charges. The steep fee growth has intensified student concerns about overall education costs, housing and living expenses, prompting broader debate on affordability in higher education.