Turkish students favor Germany over US for education

ISTANBUL

Turkish students are redefining their educational horizons when it comes to education, with a growing inclination toward affordable Germany over the once-dominant preference of the United States.

The IEFT International Education and Career Fair, hosting approximately 200 educational institutions from 30 different countries, recently took place in Istanbul. Drawing around 15,000 visitors, the fair saw a significant shift in student preferences, with Europe, particularly Germany, gaining traction over the United States.

Selime Tokoğlu, the director of IEFT Fairs, highlighted the trend, noting, "While there has always been demand for the U.K., Canada and the U.S., European countries have been increasingly favored in recent years. This is due to more affordable tuition fees in Europe and the higher rankings of European universities globally. Germany, in particular, has witnessed a surge in interest, attributed to its strategic location and the presence of tuition-free public universities."

Tokoğlu emphasized that engineering, business, computer science and medicine are the most sought-after fields by students opting for education in Germany and other European countries. The fair also saw participation from Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea, indicating a growing interest in quality education and scholarship opportunities in these regions.

Meanwhile, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) announced a new regulation requiring Turkish students seeking admission to foreign universities to take the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) to obtain educational equivalence abroad after graduation starting this year.