Study Pharmacy in Turkey Through YKS: Program, Ranking, Fees and Career

Pharmacy in Türkiye takes five years and starts with a solid SAY ranking in YKS. Here is how the path works, what foreign students pay and what to check before you plan a career.

By the ILEAP team · October 9, 2026 · 6 min read

Many Arab families want a health career for their children, and more and more students hope to study pharmacy in Turkey. For students from Turkish high schools, the road goes through YKS. Pharmacy (Eczacılık) is a five-year program that uses the SAY score type, and it asks for a solid ranking. Since 2026, foreign students who studied at a Turkish high school can enter university only through YKS, with a few exceptions. In this guide, we cover the program, the ranking, the fees, the English options and your future career.

Who can study pharmacy in Turkey through YKS?

Turkish citizens take YKS, and so do naturalised citizens. In addition, since 2026 foreign nationals who enrolled in or graduated from a Turkish high school enter university only through YKS. The same rule covers Mavi Kart holders and KKTC citizens. This rule also covers Syrians under temporary protection. There are a few exceptions, such as embassy schools and some international schools.

On the other hand, students who finished all of secondary school abroad use the international quota, for example with TR-YÖS or SAT. So if you study at a high school in Türkiye, YKS is your main route. Our complete YKS exam guide explains the exam itself.

What the pharmacy program looks like

First, pharmacy lasts five years, according to the program table in the 2026 YKS guide from ÖSYM. In that table, only pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine run five years. Medicine runs six, and every other bachelor’s program runs four. Pharmacy uses the SAY score: TYT counts for 40%, AYT maths for 30%, and physics, chemistry and biology for 10% each.

In practice, chemistry and biology sit at the heart of a pharmacy degree. So the AYT science test matters twice: first for your score, then for your first years at university. AYT science has 40 questions, with 14 in physics, 13 in chemistry and 13 in biology. Our guide to AYT science topics shows what each test covers.

English-taught pharmacy programs

You can also study pharmacy in Turkey in English. The 2026 programs and quotas guide lists Eczacılık (İngilizce) at Ankara Üniversitesi, İstanbul Üniversitesi and İÜ-Cerrahpaşa. These programs include a one-year English prep class, which does not count toward the five years. However, you can skip it if you pass the university’s proficiency exam or show an accepted exam result.

The ranking you need to study pharmacy in Turkey

In 2026, pharmacy required a SAY placement rank within the top 100,000. Foundation universities may also set a stricter limit. If your rank misses this line, the system simply ignores the pharmacy choices on your list.

However, the minimum is only the entry condition. Each program fills from the best-ranked candidates down. So its base rank can be much stronger than 100,000, especially in big cities. Before you build your list, check each program’s past base ranks on YÖK Atlas. For comparison, dentistry needed the top 80,000 and medicine the top 50,000, so pharmacy sits close to them. Our guide on studying dentistry in Turkey covers that neighbouring path.

Fees for foreign students who study pharmacy in Turkey

Turkish students pay no tuition in daytime programs at state universities while they stay within the normal length of study. Foreign students placed through YKS after a Turkish high school, however, pay a fee equal to the cost per student (cari hizmet maliyeti). This rule comes from the 2026–27 fee decision in the Resmî Gazete. International-quota students pay at least twice that cost, and each university sets its own amount. Because the fee changes from one university to another, read the fee announcement that each university publishes for the year.

After graduation: practice, specialisation and recognition

Before you choose pharmacy, think about where you want to work. Turkish law sets conditions, including Turkish citizenship, for practising pharmacy and running a pharmacy in Türkiye. Law 6197 also asks for a pharmacy diploma and its registration with the Ministry of Health. So a foreign graduate should not assume they can open a pharmacy in Türkiye. Check the current rules in the text of the law and with the ministry.

For specialisation, ÖSYM runs EUS, the entrance exam for specialist training in pharmacy. The 2026-EUS takes place on 7 November 2026, after applications from 23 September to 1 October, as the ÖSYM announcement shows.

If you plan to work at home, recognition matters even more. Each Arab country decides for itself which foreign degrees it accepts, and some add extra conditions. For example, Iraq’s 2024/2025 rules asked for a high-school average of at least 85% to open a study file for pharmacy abroad. Read our guide on recognized Turkish universities before you enrol.

Steps to study pharmacy in Turkey through YKS

Choose SAY early. Pharmacy needs AYT maths, physics, chemistry and biology, as well as a strong TYT.
Check recognition at home. Ask your country’s ministry about its conditions before you put pharmacy on your list.
Train your Turkish. TYT and AYT are only in Turkish, and long science questions reward fast reading.
Track your nets. Take timed practice exams, and then compare your estimated rank with past base ranks.
Protect your diploma grade. The OBP adds 30 to 60 points to your placement score.
Build a balanced list. You can list up to 24 programs, so mix pharmacy with other health and science options.

How ILEAP Academy helps future pharmacists

ILEAP Academy is one of the first Arabic centers in Istanbul specialised in YKS. We start with a level test, so you see where you stand in TYT and AYT. Then our teachers explain maths, chemistry, biology and physics in Arabic and train the Turkish of the exam, science terms included. Regular timed practice exams show your nets in each test, so you can measure the gap to your target rank. We have three centers in Istanbul, and the same program also runs online. If you want to study pharmacy in Turkey, Discover ILEAP Academy and book a level test.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study pharmacy in Turkey?

Five years. English-taught programs also include a one-year prep class, which does not count toward the five. You can skip it if you pass the proficiency exam.

Can I study pharmacy in Turkey in English?

Yes. In 2026, Ankara Üniversitesi, İstanbul Üniversitesi and İÜ-Cerrahpaşa offered English-taught pharmacy programs. Check the teaching language of each program in the quotas guide.

Can a foreign graduate work as a pharmacist in Türkiye?

Turkish law sets conditions, including citizenship, for practising pharmacy in Türkiye. So check the current rules with the Ministry of Health, and check recognition in your home country before you enrol.