Turkey Education System (2026): Structure, Quality, and Performance

The Turkey education system is a nationally coordinated structure covering early childhood education, 12 years of compulsory schooling, vocational and technical routes, and higher education. The Ministry of National Education (MoNE) governs most preschool, primary and secondary education, while the Council of Higher Education oversees the higher-education system and ÖSYM administers national selection and placement examinations. The school structure follows the 4+4+4 model: four years of primary school, four years of lower secondary school and four years of upper secondary education. MoNE’s current annual formal-education publication covers the 2025–2026 school year and was released on September 30, 2026. [MoNE Statistics]

System Governance and Institutional Architecture

The Ministry of National Education establishes national curricula, school regulations, teacher policies, assessment rules and many funding arrangements for preschool through upper secondary education. Provincial and district directorates implement these rules locally, coordinate personnel and school operations, and manage administrative processes linked to enrollment, examinations and student records.

Higher education operates under a different governance structure. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) coordinates the university system, while ÖSYM administers YKS and other large-scale selection examinations. The 2026 education budget presentation reported 208 higher-education institutions serving about 6.8 million students in the 2024–2025 academic year. The same presentation reported 186,349 academic staff in 2025. [MoNE]

Formal Education Structure and Compulsory Schooling

Compulsory schooling consists of 12 years divided into three four-year stages. MoNE statistical reporting uses theoretical age bands of approximately 6–9 for primary education, 10–13 for lower secondary education and 14–17 for upper secondary education. Preschool is outside the 12-year compulsory structure.

Latest Published School-System Scale

MoNE’s latest annual formal-education statistics cover the 2025–2026 school year. The reported student population was 17,704,308. Of these students, 15,167,794 were in public institutions, 1,485,021 were in private institutions and 1,051,493 were in open-education institutions. [MoNE Statistics]

Primary education was the largest of the four level totals, with 5.41 million students. Lower secondary enrolled 5.31 million and upper secondary 5.25 million. Preschool enrolled 1.74 million children. These figures use MoNE’s annual statistical definitions and should not be combined with university enrollment because higher education is reported through separate systems.

The same annual publication recorded 75,012 schools and institutions: 59,914 public, 15,094 private and four open-education schools. Formal education used 769,933 classrooms, including 631,736 in public institutions and 138,197 in private institutions. Formal-education institutions employed 1,170,320 teachers; when non-formal education institutions and other units are included, MoNE reported 1,211,799 teachers in total.

Enrollment Rates and Participation

MoNE’s 2025–2026 age-group enrollment indicators were 84.14% at age 5, 98.46% for the primary-school age group (6–9), 98.16% for the lower-secondary age group (10–13) and 87.09% for the upper-secondary age group (14–17). [MoNE]

The 2025–2026 figures show enrollment above 98% for both the primary and lower-secondary age groups. The upper-secondary age-group rate was 87.09%, while participation at age 5 reached 84.14%.

Curriculum Reform: Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli

The largest current curriculum change is the phased implementation of the Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli. The new programs began in selected entry grades in 2024–2025 and have expanded by one grade level each school year. In the 2026–2027 school year, the model applies in primary Grades 1, 2 and 3, lower secondary Grades 5, 6 and 7, and upper-secondary preparatory classes plus Grades 9, 10 and 11. Grade 4, Grade 8 and Grade 12 continue under the previously applicable programs during this stage of the rollout. [MoNE Curriculum] [MoNE Curriculum]

The model organizes curriculum around learning outcomes, conceptual and subject-specific skills, social-emotional learning, literacy skills, values, differentiation and school-based planning. It also places more emphasis on process-based assessment rather than relying only on end-point testing. The reform does not replace the national examination system; LGS and YKS continue to operate as separate transition mechanisms.

MoNE also redesigned the Primary School Support Program (İYEP) for 2026–2027. The renewed program is being applied in Grades 2 and 3 to identify and address learning gaps in basic language and mathematics skills earlier in primary education. [MoNE]

Lower Secondary Transition and the 2026 LGS

LGS is not a universal high-school graduation examination. It is the central examination used for admission to designated upper-secondary schools that accept students by examination score. Students can also enter many secondary schools through local placement procedures.

The 2026 LGS central examination was administered on June 13, 2026. A total of 1,022,658 Grade 8 students applied and 994,358 participated, producing a participation rate of 97.23%. The first session contained 50 questions in Turkish, Turkish revolutionary history and Kemalism, religious culture and ethics, and foreign language, with 75 minutes allowed. The second session contained 40 mathematics and science questions with 80 minutes. [MoNE]

In 2026, 452 students received the maximum score of 500. In the first placement round, 190,473 students were placed in schools admitting through central-exam scores, and those examination-based quotas reached a 95.76% fill rate. Across examination-based and local-placement quotas combined, 963,322 placements were made against 1,259,614 available places in the first round. [MoNE]

Upper Secondary Pathways

Upper secondary education includes general academic, vocational and technical, and religious education routes. The 2025–2026 statistical publication recorded 5,247,752 upper-secondary students across the reported system.

General upper secondary remained the largest route with 3.05 million students. Vocational and technical education enrolled 1.74 million students, while Anadolu imam hatip high schools enrolled about 465,000. Curriculum needs differ across these routes because vocational programs require occupational subjects, workshops, laboratories and workplace training arrangements in addition to general education.

Vocational and Technical Education

Vocational and technical secondary education combines general subjects with occupational fields. Programs are delivered through vocational and technical Anatolian high schools, multi-program schools, vocational education centers and other structures. Students can acquire occupation-specific competencies while retaining access to higher education through YKS.

Workplace learning is especially relevant in vocational education centers and programs requiring enterprise-based skills training. Because practical requirements differ by occupation, vocational education uses more specialized facilities and equipment than general secondary schooling and depends on coordination between schools and employers.

2026 YKS and University Admission

The Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) is the central mechanism for entry into most undergraduate and associate-degree programs. ÖSYM administered the 2026 examination on June 20–21, 2026. The first session, TYT, contained 120 questions: 40 Turkish, 20 Social Sciences, 40 Basic Mathematics and 20 Science questions, with 165 minutes allowed. AYT and YDT were held the following day for candidates using field and foreign-language score types. [ÖSYM]

In 2026, 2,425,627 candidates applied for TYT and 2,255,076 attended. AYT received 1,627,970 applications and 1,473,113 candidates attended. YDT received 203,640 applications and 143,270 candidates attended. Results were released on July 21, followed by central placement results on August 18. [ÖSYM]

The sessions serve different purposes and should not be added together to estimate unique candidates because many applicants register for more than one YKS session. TYT participation was the broadest because TYT scores are used across several admission routes, while AYT and YDT participation depends on intended degree programs and score types.

Teacher Workforce and Learning Environment

In 2025–2026, MoNE reported 1,170,320 teachers working in formal-education institutions. Including teachers in non-formal education institutions and other units, the total reached 1,211,799; 1,067,218 worked in public schools or institutions and 144,581 in private schools or institutions. Teacher distribution varies by level, field and institution type because preschool, primary, subject teaching and vocational fields use different staffing structures. [MoNE]

National 2025–2026 indicators reported 17 students per teacher in primary education, 13 in lower secondary education and 12 in upper secondary education. The corresponding classroom indicators were 19 students per classroom in primary education, 25 in lower secondary education and 21 in upper secondary education.

OECD’s 2026 indicators add an internationally comparable measure of teacher qualification. In public primary and secondary institutions, 98.2% of teachers were fully qualified in 2024/25; the remaining 1.8% were classified as not yet fully qualified and were in the process of acquiring full qualification. The OECD average for fully qualified teachers was 90.9%. Türkiye’s typical annual teaching time in 2025 was 720 hours in primary education and 504 hours in lower secondary education, compared with OECD averages of 770 and 710 hours. [OECD]

Student Support and Access

Access policies include scholarships, transported education, boarding facilities, special education and free learning materials. In 2025–2026, MoNE reported 345,112 scholarship recipients. A total of 765,728 students benefited from transported education services in primary and secondary education, while transported special-education participation reached 150,405. Residential provision included 2,852 boarding facilities serving roughly half a million students. [MoNE]

Special education is delivered through mainstream inclusion, special classes and dedicated schools according to student needs. The system also funds private special-education and rehabilitation services for eligible learners. Support arrangements are administered separately from the general enrollment statistics, so counts should be compared only when the same student and institution definitions are used.

Digital Learning and National Platforms

MoNE’s digital infrastructure includes the Education Information Network (EBA) and other national systems used for learning content, school administration and data management. In 2025, the Ministry also established an Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Applications Department within its innovation and education technology structure, expanding work on digital learning, artificial intelligence and data-supported decision making. [MoNE]

Digital platforms function alongside classroom teaching rather than replacing the standard school pathway. Their main system roles include curriculum resources, online exercises, teacher materials, communication and centralized access to learning content.

PISA 2025: Mathematics, Reading, and Science

PISA 2025 is now the latest international assessment cycle. Türkiye averaged 462 points in mathematics, 472 in reading and 494 in science. OECD averages were 463, 461 and 482 respectively. Türkiye therefore performed statistically close to the OECD average in mathematics and above the OECD average in reading and science. [OECD PISA]

The 2025 results increased in all three domains compared with 2022. Mathematics rose from 453 to 462, reading from 456 to 472 and science from 476 to 494. Türkiye was among the relatively small group of participating systems where performance improved in all three subjects between the two cycles.

The longer trend differs by subject. From 2015 to 2025, Türkiye gained 42 points in mathematics, 44 points in reading and 69 points in science. OECD reports that the proportion of students below Level 2 also fell substantially over that ten-year period: by 16 percentage points in mathematics, 16 points in reading and 25 points in science.

Baseline proficiency exceeded the OECD average in reading and science and was close to the OECD average in mathematics. Top-performer shares matched the OECD average in mathematics and science but remained lower in reading. PISA 2025 also introduced computational problem solving; Türkiye’s mean in that domain was below the OECD average.

Higher Education: Scale, Completion, and Internationalization

The 2026 education budget presentation reported approximately 6.8 million students in 208 higher-education institutions for the 2024–2025 academic year. These institutions included 129 state institutions, 75 foundation institutions and four foundation vocational schools. Open and distance education accounts for a substantial part of the national university student population, so total enrollment is much larger than the face-to-face undergraduate population alone.

OECD’s 2025 country profile reports strong bachelor’s completion indicators. Among first-time bachelor’s entrants, 64% completed within the theoretical program duration, 78% within one additional year and 86% within three additional years. The corresponding OECD averages were 43%, 59% and 70%. First-year dropout was reported at only 1%, compared with an OECD average of 13%. [OECD]

OECD’s 2026 country note reports that inbound international students represented 5% of tertiary enrollment in 2024, while outbound internationally mobile students represented 1% of national students. In 2025, 28% of adults aged 25–64 held a tertiary qualification. Among 25–34-year-olds, the share without upper-secondary attainment fell from 48% in 2015 to 26% in 2025. [OECD]

Education Finance and the 2026 Budget

The 2026 Ministry of National Education budget is TRY 1.944 trillion. When MoNE, universities, YÖK, ÖSYM, YÖKAK and the Credit and Hostels General Directorate are combined, the broader education budget reaches TRY 2.905 trillion, equivalent to 15.33% of the central government budget. [MoNE]

Domestic budget totals and OECD expenditure indicators measure different things. OECD’s 2026 country note reports that, in 2023, government expenditure on education from primary through tertiary levels equalled 3.0% of GDP, while private expenditure equalled 0.6%. On the OECD’s final-funds measure covering expenditure inside and outside educational institutions, government expenditure fell from 4.1% of GDP in 2015 to 3.2% in 2023. [OECD]

The OECD’s 2023 figures show different spending levels by stage. Government expenditure per student was higher in vocational than in general upper-secondary programs, while bachelor’s-level and higher study carried the highest government expenditure per student among the values reported here. At bachelor’s level and above, government expenditure represented 80% of total expenditure in Türkiye, compared with 68% across the OECD.

Non-Formal Education and Lifelong Learning

MoNE also operates a large non-formal education network through public education centers, vocational and technical courses, open education and other lifelong-learning arrangements. Provision serves adults and young people outside standard age-grade progression and covers literacy, occupational development, personal skills, language, arts and other areas.

The 2026 MoNE budget allocates TRY 42.21 billion to the lifelong-learning program. Non-formal education figures should be kept separate from formal-school enrollment because participants can enroll in multiple courses and the administrative unit is often a course or participation record rather than a unique school student.

Official Data and Measurement

MoNE’s Strategy Development Directorate publishes the annual National Education Statistics: Formal Education series under Türkiye’s Official Statistics Program. The publication contains school, classroom, teacher, student, graduate, new-enrollment, scholarship, boarding and participation indicators. The current completed annual publication is 2025–2026, released on September 30, 2026. [MoNE Statistics]

Current-policy sections use different reference dates. The annual school-scale tables use 2025–2026, the curriculum section uses the 2026–2027 school year, LGS and YKS use their 2026 examination cycles, the national budget uses fiscal year 2026, OECD finance indicators use 2023, and PISA uses the 2025 assessment cycle. Keeping those reference periods explicit avoids treating data from different reporting systems as if they describe the same date.

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