What’s life like in Istanbul for international students in 2025

Istanbul, Türkiye, the center of the world for some, where many individuals travel for business, education or leisure. A dynamic city in a country with a lot of cultural history and vibrant architecture. As a person looking to study in Istanbul, this article will guide you on key aspects of what life is like in Istanbul for international students.

Why choose Istanbul as an international student?

A good question to ask yourself is why choose Istanbul for your studies? Istanbul has over 50 universities, both public and private with Istanbul University being the largest public university having the capacity to enroll over 70,000 students.

Some degree programs are taught in English, however, this is more common in private universities than public ones. It is worth noting that if you are seeking any of the common degree programs such as in business or medicine or engineering it is not a matter of finding a university that delivers the program in English but rather matter of choosing which university suits you as these degree programs are almost always taught in English.

Academic programs of almost all universities in Istanbul are accepted globally and recognized. One of the top-ranked universities in Istanbul, Koc University, excels in its medicine, law and business degree programs. But academics are not the only reason you should consider studying in Istanbul. The city is huge and has a lot to offer, with tons of historical places to visit and beautiful scenery to take in. There is always something that will keep you occupied when you need a break from studies.

Navigating the city and its public transportation

Istanbul is huge. It connects two continents: the European side and the Asian side. At first glance navigating the city can seem quite challenging but once you understand how the public transportation works, moving around becomes all too easy.

The major modes of transport are buses and the underground metro system. These are the most common and offer the fastest way to move around the city. The metro system connects major districts like Fatih, Taksim, Levent, Kadikoy and even long-distance bus stations and shopping malls. The main interchange station is Yenikapi, located on the European side. This station connects multiple metro lines, including the Marmaray Line, which runs from one end of Istanbul on the Asian side to the other end on the European side. It’s one of the two transport links between Europe and Asia, the other being the Metrobus (BRT). The Metrobus runs on a dedicated lane along the D 100 highway, connecting Avcilar to Sogutlucesme, bypassing traffic jams and serving about 715,000 passengers daily.

The bus network is extensive, with numerous routes across central and suburban areas. They are widely used by almost everyone traveling around the city. They are extremely affordable when using the discounted student card, making it easy to travel as a student to university.

The other public transportation the city has is its tramways and ferry transport. As a student these public transportations will not be used as much unless necessary or if your university is near or close to a tramway or ferry station.

To move around Istanbul you need a the Istanbul Card (IstanbulKart) and as a student it is must that you acquire the discounted Istanbul student card as soon as possible. Not only do you pay way less than the normal price but there is the option to load a package of 200 passes which is more cost effective in long run compared to consistently loading money on the card.

Istanbul for international students: The social life

Socializing in Istanbul is easy, but can also be a challenge as an international student because of the language barrier. This makes communicating with fellow Turkish classmates a bit difficult. Granted, Turkish students studying a degree in English will understand English, but communicating in English may be difficult for them because their native language is Turkish. However, when it comes to learning Turkish for communication, there are various courses in and outside the university that provide and help international students with learning the Turkish language.

Once you grasp the basics of the Turkish language, then socializing comes down to whether you, as an international student, are a social person or not. But whether you are outgoing or not, there are community groups consisting of both Turkish and non-Turkish residents to help you integrate and feel more at home.

Current economic state in Istanbul

The current economic state of Istanbul and Türkiye as a whole is not in the greatest form. This can be concerning for some, and understandably so. Especially for international students who want to live on a budget, it is becoming increasingly challenging to do so due to the depreciation of the Turkish Lira, rising inflation, and the resulting rise in the prices of products. Not to mention recent political tension within Türkiye, which has led to frequent protests by locals and university students.

As an international student wishing to study in Istanbul, its is natural to feel some anxiety about safety. However, as an international student myself, I can assure you there is not much to worry about.

Regarding the protests, they only take place in specific areas and neighborhoods and you are almost never going to encounter them unless you come across one by chance. The only constant concern would be your financial situation and once you are able to manage that, everything else will start getting easier.

Life in Istanbul as an international student without a doubt can be tough at times specifically when it comes to money. However, the international communities are willing to help and ease the burdens of any newcomers.