Turkish universities secure 27 spots in Asia’s top 500 universities
The "Tree of Science" built in Middle East Technical University (METU) grounds, Ankara, Türkiye, July 2, 2023. (Photo via METU)
Times Higher Education (THE) has announced its 2025 list of Asia’s best universities, with Türkiye making a strong showing.
According to the report, Middle East Technical University (METU), Sabanci University, Koc University, and Istanbul Technical University (ITU) ranked among the top 100 institutions across the continent. Overall, 27 universities from Türkiye earned a place within the top 500.
Rigorous evaluation across five key areas
The rankings were determined based on 18 performance indicators across five main pillars: research environment, research quality, teaching, industry links, and international outlook. A total of 853 higher education institutions from 35 countries in Asia were evaluated.
Tsinghua University in China claimed the top spot overall, maintaining its reputation as Asia’s leading university.
Türkiye’s leading universities: Detailed rankings
Among Turkish universities, METU achieved the highest ranking at 72nd place, followed closely by Sabanci University at 74th, Koc University at 79th, and ITU at 97th.
Other notable performers included Bogazici University, which rose impressively to 123rd place, and Bilkent University, which ranked 158th.
Here is a closer look at the top performers from Türkiye:
- Middle East Technical University (METU)—72
- Sabanci University—74
- Koç University—79
- Istanbul Technical University (ITU)—97
- Bogazici University—123
- Bilkent University—158
- Hacettepe University—201-250
- Ozyegin University—201-250
- Yildiz Technical University—201-250
METU holds strong, Bogazici makes major leap
Although METU dropped three places from its 2024 position (69th), it remained Türkiye’s highest-ranked university on the list. In 2024, METU shared the 69th position with Koc University, which this year slipped to 79th place. Meanwhile, Sabanci University made a modest climb, moving up one spot to 74th.
Istanbul Technical University (ITU) saw a slight decline, falling from 92nd to 97th. However, Bogazici University achieved an impressive leap, climbing 18 places from 141st in 2024 to 123rd this year, marking one of the strongest performances among Turkish institutions.
