This page compares the education systems of Turkey and Netherlands.
Education System Overview
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| System Type | Public-private mix; Governance model: Centralized, with national education policy, curricula and major regulations administered primarily through the Ministry of National Education. | Mixed public-private provision; Governance model: Decentralized implementation under national rules, with extensive school autonomy. Public-authority and eligible privately run schools receive public funding under the same statutory conditions. [Government.nl] |
| Governing Body | Ministry of National Education (MEB) for school education and the Council of Higher Education (CoHE / YÖK) for higher education. | Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), supported by executive agencies and the Education Inspectorate. [Government.nl] |
| Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP) | 3.1% of GDP (2022, latest value in the World Bank indicator sourced from UNESCO UIS). [World Bank] | 5.0% of GDP for primary through tertiary educational institutions in 2022, compared with an OECD average of 4.7%. [OECD] |
Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Age Range | Approximately age 6 to age 18, covering 12 years of compulsory schooling. | From age 5 to age 16 for full-time compulsory education. Young people without a basic qualification are generally subject to a qualification duty until age 18. [Government.nl] |
| Total Compulsory Duration (Years) | 12 years | 11 years of full-time compulsory schooling, with the qualification duty potentially extending the education or training obligation to age 18. |
| Pre-primary Education (ECE) Access | Optional; the adjusted net enrollment rate for ages 3–5 was 49.63% in 2024/25. [MEB] | Optional before age 5. Children may enter primary school from age 4; attendance becomes compulsory at age 5. [Government.nl] |
| Primary + Secondary Education Structure (Years) | 4 + 4 + 4 (Primary + Lower Secondary + Upper Secondary). | 8 + 4/5/6: eight years of primary education followed by VMBO (4 years), HAVO (5 years) or VWO (6 years). [Government.nl] |
| Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%) | — | 69.6% Vocational / 30.4% General in 2023. [OECD] |
Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Year Start (Typical Month) | September | August/September, depending on the regional summer-holiday schedule. [Government.nl] |
| Academic Year End (Typical Month) | June | July, with exact dates varying by region. [Government.nl] |
| Instruction Weeks per Year | 36 weeks | — |
| Instruction Days per Year | 180 days in the 2025/26 school year. | — |
Grading System
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Primary/Secondary Grading Scale | A 0–100 scale is commonly used in secondary education; primary-level assessment also incorporates competency and developmental evaluation. | Commonly a 1–10 scale, where 10 is the highest mark; secondary schools commonly use around 5.5 as the minimum passing level. |
| Higher Education Grading Scale | Commonly 0–100 and/or 4.0 GPA systems depending on the institution, with ECTS used for credit recognition and transfer. | Commonly a 1–10 scale, with 6 generally representing a passing grade; higher education programs use ECTS credits. |
Language of Instruction
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Instruction Languages (K–12) | Turkish | Dutch |
| Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12) | Greek and Armenian may be used in relevant minority schools alongside Turkish; other living languages and dialects can be offered through approved elective courses. [MEB Eurydice] | Frisian is a compulsory subject in primary schools in Friesland, subject to permitted exemptions. Bilingual Dutch-English secondary programs are also available. [Government.nl] |
School Provision & Access (K–12)
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | 90.9% among students enrolled in public or private formal schools in 2024/25. [MEB] | Approximately 30% in primary, 26% in lower secondary and 8% in upper secondary education in 2023. Most privately managed schools are government-dependent and publicly funded rather than fee-charging independent schools. [OECD] |
| Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency) | $0 tuition for public primary and secondary schooling. | $0 tuition at publicly funded primary and secondary schools. |
| Public Schools Nationwide Availability | Yes, with public schools operating nationwide. | Yes. Municipalities must ensure access to sufficient public-authority schooling, while both public-authority and eligible privately run schools receive government funding. [Government.nl] |
| Private School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | 9.1% among students enrolled in public or private formal schools in 2024/25. [MEB] | 70% in primary, 74% in lower secondary and 92% in upper secondary education in 2023. Nearly all private enrollment at primary and lower secondary level is in government-dependent schools funded on the same basis as public schools. [OECD] |
| Private Schools (Geographic Concentration) | — | Nationwide; government-dependent private schools form a large part of mainstream provision across the country. |
International Schools (K–12)
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Number of International Schools (Total) | 261 international schools under the official classification for 2023/24. [MEB Eurydice] | — |
| Number of IB World Schools | 127 schools in the current IB directory for Türkiye. [IB] | 41 IB World Schools. [IB] |
| Main International Programmes Offered | IB, Cambridge International, American and other international curricula, depending on school authorization and program. | International Baccalaureate, British/Cambridge, American and other international or European curricula, depending on the school. |
Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Teacher Qualification (Public Schools) | An eligible Bachelor’s-level degree for the teaching field, followed by the applicable public recruitment process. The current system includes MEB-AGS selection and preparatory training through the National Education Academy. [MEB] | A recognized teaching qualification is required. Primary teachers normally qualify through higher professional teacher education, while secondary qualifications depend on subject and teaching level; recognized lateral-entry routes are also available. [Government.nl] |
| Average Class Size (Primary) | 20.6 students (2023). [OECD] | 22 students per class in 2023. [OECD] |
| Average Class Size (Lower Secondary) | 28 students in public schools / 13 students in private schools (2023). [OECD] | — |
| Average Class Size (Upper Secondary) | — | — |
System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| PISA Participation Years | 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] |
| PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 454 / 466 / 468. [OECD] | 519 / 485 / 503. [OECD] |
| PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 453 / 456 / 476. [OECD] | 493 / 459 / 488. [OECD] |
| PISA 2025 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 462 / 472 / 494. Türkiye scored close to the OECD average in mathematics and above the OECD averages in reading and science. [OECD] | 483 / 441 / 485. Mathematics was above the OECD average, reading was below it, and science was close to the OECD average. [OECD] |
| PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025 | Türkiye’s 2025 results were higher than in 2022 in mathematics, reading and science. OECD reports that Türkiye was among the few participating systems to improve in all three domains between 2022 and 2025, extending the positive trend recorded in previous cycles. [OECD] | Between 2022 and 2025, Dutch performance was not statistically different in mathematics and science and was lower in reading. Results in all three subjects were among the lowest observed for the Netherlands in PISA and were significantly below their 2018 levels. OECD data show a negative trajectory across all three subjects over the period since 2015. [OECD] |
| Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025) | Science (Score: 494), followed by reading at 472 and mathematics at 462. [OECD] | Science (Score: 485), followed by mathematics at 483 and reading at 441. [OECD] |
Higher Education System
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total) | 208 higher education institutions in 2025, comprising 129 state universities, 75 foundation universities and 4 foundation vocational schools. [CoHE] | 51 publicly funded institutions: 14 research universities including the Open University and 37 universities of applied sciences. Recognized private higher education institutions also operate in the Netherlands. [NVAO] |
| Number of Universities (Research Universities) | 23 designated research universities. [CoHE] | 14, comprising 13 research universities and the Open University. [NVAO] |
| Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges | — | 37 publicly funded universities of applied sciences. [NVAO] |
| Main Institution Types | State universities; foundation universities; foundation vocational schools; vocational schools operating within universities. | Research universities; Universities of Applied Sciences (hogescholen); recognized private higher education institutions. |
| Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership | — | — |
| English-Taught Degree Programmes (Bachelor + Master, Total) | — | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in National Languages (%) | — | At research universities in 2025/26, 53% of bachelor’s programs and 20% of master’s programs were taught exclusively in Dutch. At universities of applied sciences, 80% of bachelor’s programs were exclusively Dutch-taught in 2023/24. [Nuffic] |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in English (%) | — | At research universities in 2025/26, 32% of bachelor’s programs and 71% of master’s programs were taught exclusively in English. [Nuffic] |
| Main Global Ranking Used | QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] | QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 100 (Selected Ranking) | 0 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] | 2 in the QS World University Rankings 2027: Delft University of Technology (#48) and the University of Amsterdam (#60). [QS] |
| Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking) | 6 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] | 13 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking) | 11 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] | 13 in the QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| National Accreditation / QA Agency (Higher Education) | Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK). [YÖKAK] | Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO), which accredits programs and assesses quality assurance in Dutch higher education. [NVAO] |
| International Students (Total) | 352,271 international students (January 2025). [CoHE] | 129,764 international degree students were enrolled in bachelor’s or master’s programs at publicly funded research universities and universities of applied sciences in 2025/26. [Nuffic] |
| International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%) | 4.3% in 2023 under the OECD international/foreign student measure. [OECD] | 17% of bachelor’s and master’s students at publicly funded higher education institutions in 2025/26. The share was 27% at research universities and 9% at universities of applied sciences. [Nuffic] |
Education Costs (Indicative)
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Public University Tuition Fees – Domestic / Regional (Annual, Local Currency) | Typically $0 for eligible students enrolled in a first standard public higher-education program within state-covered conditions; contribution fees can apply in specified cases. | Approximately $3,126 per year for students eligible for the statutory tuition fee in 2026/27, based on the official fee of €2,694. [Study in NL] |
| Public University Tuition Fees – International / Non-EU (Annual, Local Currency) | — | Approximately $10,442–$23,204 annually for bachelor’s programs and $13,922–$34,806 for master’s programs, based on average institutional fees of €9,000–€20,000 and €12,000–€30,000 respectively for non-EEA students. [Study in NL] |
| Typical Tuition Fees for English-Taught Programmes (Annual, Local Currency) | — | — |
| Language School Costs (Monthly, Local Currency) | — | — |
Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2010: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2010–2020: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2020–2024: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2025–2026: Key Updates & Reforms |
General Overview (Narrative)
| Category | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Türkiye operates a centralized education system, with school education overseen by the Ministry of National Education and higher education coordinated by the Council of Higher Education. Compulsory schooling covers approximately ages 6–18 and follows the 4+4+4 structure of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education. In 2024/25, private schools enrolled 9.1% of students attending public or private formal schools, while public schools accounted for the remaining 90.9%. Pre-primary education is optional, with a 49.63% adjusted net enrollment rate for ages 3–5. Türkiye participated in PISA from 2003 onward and scored 462 in mathematics, 472 in reading and 494 in science in PISA 2025. OECD reported higher results than in 2022 across all three domains. Higher education included 208 institutions in 2025 and 352,271 international students as of January 2025. Recent changes include the phased rollout of the Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli and the start of teacher-candidate preparatory training through the National Education Academy in 2026. | The Netherlands operates a mixed-provider education system in which public-authority and government-dependent private schools receive public funding while schools retain broad operational autonomy. Full-time compulsory schooling runs from age 5 to 16, followed by a qualification duty for many young people without a basic qualification until age 18. Primary education lasts eight years and feeds into the differentiated VMBO, HAVO and VWO secondary pathways. Vocational programs account for 69.6% of upper-secondary enrollment. In PISA 2025, the Netherlands scored 483 in mathematics, 441 in reading and 485 in science. Mathematics and science results were not statistically different from 2022, while reading performance was lower. Higher education includes research universities, universities of applied sciences and recognized private institutions. In 2025/26, publicly funded bachelor’s and master’s programs enrolled 129,764 international students, representing 17% of students in those programs. Recent changes include new options to cap enrollment in English-taught program components and 2026 administrative agreements on international student intake. |