Turkey YKS 2026: Top 1,000 students favor medicine and engineering

The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) has released the placement results for the top 1,000 candidates of the 2026 Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS). The data reveals distinct trends across different scoring categories.

In the numerical category, medicine and engineering remain the most popular choices. Out of the top 1,000 numerical scorers, 490 chose medicine and 434 chose engineering programs. Within engineering, Electrical-Electronics (194) and Computer Engineering (135) saw the highest enrollment.

For the equal weight category, law was the most preferred program with 185 candidates, followed by business (181) and economics (171). Interestingly, several candidates in this category also opted for numerical programs such as medicine and engineering.

In the verbal category, history was the leading choice with 105 candidates, followed by Special Education Teaching (83).

Newer programs focused on future-oriented technologies also saw significant interest. Programs integrating artificial intelligence with various disciplines, such as Business and AI or Philosophy and AI, attracted students from the top rankings, reflecting a shift toward employment-oriented higher education.