Study Architecture in Turkey Through YKS: Program, Ranking, Fees and Steps

Architecture attracts students who enjoy maths, drawing and design. Many Arab families therefore ask how their children can study architecture in Turkey. For students from Turkish high schools, the answer is YKS. Architecture (Mimarlık) is a four-year program that uses the SAY score type. Its minimum ranking is also less strict than in health programs. 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 English options, a real fee example and the steps.

Who can study architecture in Turkey through YKS?

Turkish citizens take YKS, including 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. Syrians under temporary protection fall under this rule too, while embassy schools and some international schools are exceptions.

Foreign students who finished all of secondary school abroad, however, use the international quota, for example with TR-YÖS or SAT. That route has its own exams and, as you will see below, much higher fees. Our complete YKS exam guide explains how the exam itself works.

What the architecture program looks like

First, architecture lasts four years, according to the program table in the 2026 YKS guide from ÖSYM. It uses the SAY score: TYT counts for 40%, AYT maths for 30%, and physics, chemistry and biology for 10% each. So maths carries the biggest single weight after TYT, and it also helps later in courses on structures and geometry.

Two related programs are worth knowing. İç Mimarlık (interior architecture) also runs four years on SAY. However, İç Mimarlık ve Çevre Tasarımı (interior architecture and environmental design) uses the EA score type. So check the score type of each program before you choose your track.

In AYT maths, geometry plays a real part. In our count of the 2026 paper, about 9 to 12 of the 40 maths questions were geometry or trigonometry. Our guide to AYT maths topics explains the full list.

English-taught architecture programs

You can also study architecture in Turkey in English. The 2026 programs and quotas guide lists Mimarlık (İngilizce) at several state universities. Examples include İTÜ, Hacettepe, Abdullah Gül, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt, Gaziantep, İzmir Katip Çelebi and İzmir Demokrasi. These programs include a one-year English prep class that does not count toward the four years. You can skip it, though, if you pass the university’s proficiency exam or show an accepted exam result.

The ranking you need to study architecture in Turkey

In 2026, architecture required a SAY placement rank within the top 250,000. Foundation universities may also set a stricter limit. If your rank misses this line, the system ignores the architecture choices on your list. For comparison, engineering needed the top 300,000 in SAY, so the two paths sit close together. Our guide on studying engineering in Turkey covers that option.

Still, the minimum only opens the door. Each program fills from the best-ranked candidates down, so a popular program’s base rank can be far stronger than 250,000. Before you build your list, check each program’s past base ranks on YÖK Atlas. Then compare them with your mock exam results.

What it costs to study architecture in Turkey: a real example

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. International-quota students pay at least twice that cost, and each university sets its own amount. Both rules come from the 2026–27 fee decision in the Resmî Gazete.

Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi (MSGSÜ) in Istanbul, which teaches in Turkish, shows what this means in practice. According to its 2026–27 fee announcement, one year of Mimarlık costs:

• Foreign student placed through YKS: 22,700 TL.
• International-quota student: 113,600 TL.
• Turkish student past the normal length of study: 2,880 TL.

In other words, at this university the YKS route costs about one fifth of the international-quota fee. Fees differ at each university, so read the announcement of every university on your list.

After graduation

Under Law 3458, the title and the right to practise as an architect come from a Turkish architecture diploma. Holders of an equivalent foreign diploma need a licence (ruhsatname) instead. The law itself sets no exam and no citizenship condition. However, chamber registration and work permits for foreigners are separate questions, so check them before you plan to work in Türkiye.

If you plan to work in your home country instead, recognition comes first, because each Arab country sets its own rules. Read our guide on recognized Turkish universities before you enrol.

Steps to study architecture in Turkey through YKS

1. Choose SAY from the start. Architecture needs AYT maths, physics, chemistry and biology, together with TYT.
2. Make maths your strength. It carries 30% of the SAY score, and AYT maths includes a solid block of geometry.
3. Train your Turkish. TYT and AYT are only in Turkish, and long word problems reward fast reading.
4. Take timed practice exams. Then compare your estimated rank with past base ranks on YÖK Atlas.
5. Compare fees early. The YKS route and the international quota can cost very different amounts.
6. Build a smart list. You can list up to 24 programs, so mix architecture with interior architecture or other related programs.

How ILEAP Academy helps future architects

ILEAP Academy is one of the first Arabic centers in Istanbul specialised in YKS. We begin with a level test, so you know your starting point in TYT and AYT. Our teachers then explain maths, geometry, physics and chemistry in Arabic and train the Turkish of the exam step by step. Regular timed practice exams show your nets, so you can see how close you are to your target rank. We have three centers in Istanbul, and the same program also runs online. If you want to study architecture in Turkey, Discover ILEAP Academy and book a level test.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study architecture in Turkey?

Four years. English-taught programs add a one-year prep class unless you pass the proficiency exam, and that year does not count toward the four.

Can I study architecture in Turkey in English?

Yes. Several state universities, such as İTÜ, Hacettepe and Gaziantep, offered Mimarlık (İngilizce) in 2026. Check each program’s teaching language in the quotas guide.

How much do foreign students pay for architecture?

It depends on the university and on your route. At MSGSÜ in 2026–27, for example, a year costs 22,700 TL for a foreign student placed through YKS. An international-quota student pays 113,600 TL.