# Turkish universities and cities climb global rankings > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-universities-in-global-rankings > Updated: 2026-08-01T21:05:03.000Z. Sources: 40. Developments: 12. By late July 2026 Turkish higher‑education institutions continued their upward trajectory in international rankings. The Uniranks index released on 23 July confirmed Middle East Technical University (METU) as the top‑ranked Turkish university with 84.71 points, followed closely by Istanbul Technical University (ITU) and Hacettepe University, both receiving the platform’s highest “UR ELITE” quality status. The University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) 2025‑2026 list placed thirteen Turkish universities inside the global top‑1,000, expanding the country’s presence in the world’s elite tier. Hacettepe led the national cohort at rank 585, with ITU (710), Ankara University (748), Gazi University (824), Koç University (832), Istanbul University (890) and several others also breaching the 1,000‑mark. In total, 128 Turkish institutions appear in URAP’s top 3,000. A URAP release on 30 July reiterated these figures, adding Ege University (891), Atatürk University (894), Middle East Technical University (936), Health Sciences University (958), Near East University (971), Istanbul University‑Cerrahpaşa (977) and Yıldız Technical University (981) to the top‑1,000 list. On 1 August, two further assessments highlighted Turkey’s broader academic appeal. QS’s “Best Student Cities 2027” ranked Istanbul 65th (70.2 points) and Ankara 90th (62.1 points), reflecting strong employer activity, diversity and cost‑of‑living factors. A concurrent QS‑based list of Istanbul’s ten most successful universities named Özyeğin, Bahçeşehir, Istanbul University‑Cerrahpaşa, Marmara, Yıldız Technical, Istanbul University, Sabancı and others among the city’s elite, underscoring the capital’s growing status as a global hub for students and research. ## Claims - URAP released its 2025‑2026 world university ranking list. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Thirteen Turkish universities entered the top 1,000 of the URAP ranking. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Hacettepe University ranked 585, the highest position among Turkish institutions. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Istanbul Technical University ranked 710 in the URAP list. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Ankara University ranked 748 in the URAP list. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Gazi University ranked 824 in the URAP list. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Harvard University was ranked number one globally in the URAP ranking. (corroborated by 3 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-01: Turkish Universities and Cities Rise in Global Rankings Turkey's Istanbul universities rank among the city's top ten, while Istanbul and Ankara enter QS's global Best Student Cities list, placed 65th and 90th respectively. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-universities-and-cities-rise-in-global-rankings ### 2026-07-30: Turkey places 13 universities in global top‑1,000 ranking URAP’s 2025‑26 world ranking puts 13 Turkish universities in the top 1,000, led by Hacettepe at 585, while Harvard tops the list. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-places-13-universities-in-global-top1000-ranking ### 2026-07-23: Turkey's top university ranking places METU first, Karabük University rises Uniranks ranks METU first and awards UR ELITE status to METU and ITU; Karabük University climbs multiple global rankings, boosting its profile for students. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkeys-top-university-ranking-places-metu-first-karabk-university-rises ### 2026-07-16: Atatürk University Tops Turkish Citation Rankings and Outlines Future Strategy Atatürk University leads Turkey in global citation rankings with 231 top‑10% papers and outlines a strategic plan to boost research impact. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/atatrk-university-tops-turkish-citation-rankings-and-outlines-future-strategy ### 2026-07-11: İzmir Institute of Technology leads 2026 Turkish university satisfaction survey İYTE topped the 2026 Turkish university satisfaction survey, with rector Yusuf Baran winning a fourth Gold Award; Ordu University ranked 10th overall and remained first in the Black Sea region. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/izmir-institute-of-technology-leads-2026-turkish-university-satisfaction-survey ### 2026-06-29: Atatürk University climbs into global top‑10 in multiple sustainability categories THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 puts Atatürk University in the world top‑10 for three sustainability fields and Bülent Ecevit University into the top‑800 globally, while both Turkish schools gain new TÜŞ 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/zonguldak-blent-ecevit-university-climbs-the-sustainability-impact-rankings-2026 ### 2026-06-28: Turkish Universities Rank in Top 30 Worldwide in URAP 2025‑26 Survey URAP 2025‑26 places 30 Turkish universities in the world top 1 500, with Hacettepe leading and Sivas Cumhuriyet University debuting at rank 1488. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-universities-rank-in-top-30-worldwide-in-urap-202526-survey ### 2026-06-26: Turkey's Universities Rise in Global Rankings Istanbul Technical University tops Turkey in QS 2027 rankings at 279, while Erciyes University climbs to 996 in URAP 2025‑26, rising 27 spots to 15th nationally. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkeys-universities-rise-in-global-rankings ### 2026-06-25: Turkish universities climb UN sustainability rankings Yozgat Bozok University and Sakarya University both climbed the 2026 Times Higher Education Sustainable Impact Rankings, achieving higher overall positions and entering the global top‑100 in multiple SDG fields 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-universities-climb-un-sustainability-rankings ### 2026-06-24: Turkish universities rise in THE Impact Rankings 2026 Turkish universities improved markedly in THE’s 2026 Impact Rankings, with Bahçeşehir at 59th globally, multiple institutions entering top‑100 SDG categories, and Yakın Doğu ranking 39th overall. 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/firat-university-reaches-world-top10-in-qualified-education-in-the-impact-rankings-2026 ### 2026-06-23: Turkish universities climb global rankings, from ITU to Bahçeşehir and Yakın Doğu IT University tops Turkey in QS 2027, Atatürk rises to 879 in URAP, Bahçeşehir ranks 59th in THE sustainability impact, and Yakın Doğu reaches 39th globally, boosting Turkey's higher‑education profile. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/atatrk-university-climbs-to-879th-in-urap-world-ranking-joins-turkeys-top8-universities ### 2026-06-16: Turkey’s universities placed in QS World University Rankings 2026 QS World University Rankings 2026 list 20 Turkish universities; ODTÜ #285 world, top in Turkey, followed by ITÜ, Koç, Boğaziçi, Sabancı and Bilkent. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkeys-universities-placed-in-qs-world-university-rankings-2026 --- Cite as: Turkish universities and cities climb global rankings. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-universities-in-global-rankings