Turkish students prefer Eastern Europe for affordable higher education

ISTANBUL

The universities in Eastern Europe have recently witnessed a rising demand from Turkish students seeking to receive university education abroad as these universities offer more affordable opportunities compared the ones in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada.

According to the International Education Consultants Association, the most preferred destinations for Turkish students seeking university education in Europe are Poland, Hungary and Czechia.

According to the statistics of the last three years, the number of Turkish students who prefer Eastern Europe for university education has increased by 70 percent.

"Recently, we see that there has been an intense demand from Türkiye for Eastern European countries, which stand out with their affordable prices. The most important reason for the recent increase in this demand is the affordability of annual education and living costs," said Aslıhan Özenç, an overseas education consultant.

Tuition fees in universities across Central and Eastern Europe range from 2,000 to 7,000 euros ($2,200 to $7,600), Özenç said, adding that Turkish students are particularly interested in fields such as medicine, engineering, architecture and psychology.

Excluding education costs in Poland, Hungary and Czechia, a student's expenses such as accommodation, food and drink, health insurance and shopping vary between 450 and 1,000 euros ($495 and $1,100) per month.

Those who want to rent a house have to pay an average of 400 euros ($440) per month in Hungary and Poland, this figure is 700 euros ($770) for the houses in Czechia.

Italy is another preferred destination for university education, primarily due to its scholarship system. Eligible students not only receive free education but can also receive cash support scholarships of up to 7,000 euros ($7,770) annually.