Software Engineering
Studying Software Engineering in Turkey
Why Turkey for Software Engineering in 2026
Software engineering grew fast with global tech, Turkey kept pace. Degrees are practical, project-heavy, and connected to industry. You get modern labs, cloud credits, and mentors from startups and big companies. For studying software engineering in turkey, students find English-taught tracks and Turkish ones, so budget and language options exist.
What You’ll Learn & Build
Core courses cover programming fundamentals, data structures, OS, networks, databases, software testing, the full software lifecycle. Then you branch to AI, mobile, cyber, cloud, and embedded. It sits close to turkey computer science, but with stronger focus on design, quality, teamwork, and delivery.
Tools & Languages
You’ll touch languages like Python, Java, C/C++, JavaScript; frameworks for web, mobile, and backend; Git, Docker, CI/CD.
Projects & Internships
Capstones with real clients, hackathons, and paid internships are common; many students ship apps before graduation.
Admissions & Costs
For studying in turkey as an international student, most schools accept high-school diploma, passport, and proof of English (IELTS/TOEFL) or Turkish (TÖMER). SAT/ACT sometimes optional. Fees vary widely by city and medium; scholarships are there, but early application helps. Living costs still reasonable compared with EU.
Where to Apply
Search software engineering universities in turkey; Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir host many private and public choices with strong labs and industry ties.
Careers & Outcomes
Graduates work as software engineers, QA, DevOps, mobile, data or ML engineers. Remote roles are common, and regional demand is high in health tech, fintech, e-commerce, and education platforms (a lesson from pandemic days). You can study programming in turkey and build a portfolio that gets interviews abroad too. If you want product-ready skills, study software engineering in turkey—learn by building, sometimes fail fast, then improve.Advantages of studying software engineering in Turkey:
Studying this major in general is a right choice because of its importance, which increases year after year, and the demand of students to study it from all over the world, especially in Turkey, which is distinguished by its universities that compete with European universities, as well as the remarkable development and qualitative leap made by Turkish universities in the engineering fields in general. Among the engineering specialties which Turkey has paid attention to, software engineering, which works to qualify students with all theoretical and applied educational aspects to provide them with sufficient experience and skill to use computers, computer programming, important engineering principles, and various programming languages to design distinguished programs and applications that are effective and easy to use.
Among the advantages of studying software engineering in Turkey :
- The qualitative leap and the scientific and research development enjoyed by Turkey and its universities in the engineering fields in particular.
- Availability of various job opportunities for graduates due to the constant need for software engineering specialists
- Modern laboratories and devices that meet the needs of students in practical training
- Linking theoretical education with practical application and practice
- The possibility of studying this specialty in Turkish or English
- Low costs and tuition fees compared to universities in other countries.
- The strong university certificate from Turkish universities, which is characterized by being accredited and recognized in most countries of the world
- The low cost of living in Türkiye compared to the cost of living in other countries
- Providing scholarships and university discounts for different students
- The high quality of education, the highly qualified educational staff, and the important position of Turkish universities among the universities of the world
If you are interested in software science, computer science, and computer hardware, and you are also interested in dealing directly with people and customers, in addition to your desire to work in a diverse professional field, then studying software engineering is exactly what you are looking for, especially if you choose to study it in Turkey, which is distinguished from all the universities in the world by many matters.
Duration of studying software engineering major in Turkey:
You can study software engineering in Turkey and obtain a bachelor's degree in it within 4 years distributed over 8 semesters, and an additional year of preparatory language study may be added, if the student does not obtain a language certificate.
Lessons and contents of the software engineering major in Turkey:
We will mention to you a number of the main subjects taught in the software engineering major, knowing that these subjects may differ from one university to another, and among those subjects:
- physics.
- Introduction to information technology.
- Calculus.
- C++
- Academic writing and communication skills.
- Introduction to java programming.
- general chemistry.
- Communication skills and academic reports.
- Turkish language.
- English language.
- JAVA script
- Data analysis
- Profession ethics
- Graduation project
The best Turkish universities studying software engineering:
The best private universities to study software engineering in Türkiye:
Istanbul Okan University: Software Engineering (EN) Practical, project-heavy curriculum with industry electives; English-medium track. Annual tuition: $4,000 (2025–26 list).
Beykoz University: Software Engineering (TR) Four-year program focused on modern stacks and software lifecycle; taught in Turkish. Annual tuition: $4,600 (includes VAT).
Istanbul Aydın University: Software Engineering (EN) Strong SE core with applied courses and team projects; English-medium option available. Annual tuition: $6,000 (typical).
Altınbaş University: Software Engineering (EN) Skills-first approach with programming foundations, algorithms, and software design; English-medium. Annual tuition: $4,800
Bahçeşehir University (BAU): Software Engineering (EN) BAU Global ecosystem, strong engineering school; English-medium in Beşiktaş. Annual tuition: $9,000 (School of Engineering & Natural Sciences).
İstinye University: Software Engineering (EN/TR) Contemporary SE with AI/data electives; offered in English and Turkish. Annual tuition: $8,000 (2025–26 intake).
Istanbul Medipol University : closest: Computer Engineering (EN) No standalone Software Engineering BS; the Computer Engineering (EN) track covers software design, systems, and AI electives. Annual tuition: $7,000 (advance-pay discount listed).
Nişantaşı University: Software Engineering (EN) Practice-oriented, with internships common across IT majors; English-medium option. Annual tuition: $4,400 (2025–26).
• Among the public universities that study software engineering in Türkiye:
- Samsun University
- Kocaeli University
- Celal Bayer University
- Firat University
- Ankara University
- Sakarya University
Costs of studying software engineering in Turkey:
Certainly, tuition fees vary according to the university and its type, but tuition fees in Turkish universities in general are low compared to tuition fees in universities in other countries, and Turkish public universities have low fees compared to tuition fees in Turkish private universities, which are more expensive.
It is worth noting that some universities allow studying this major in English.
- Costs of studying software engineering in public universities in Türkiye:
Tuition fees for software engineering in public universities in Turkey are estimated at about (450 to 950) US dollars annually.
- Costs of studying software engineering in private universities in Türkiye:
Tuition fees for software engineering in private universities in Turkey are estimated at approximately (3000 to 8000) US dollars annually.
Master's degree in Software Engineering:
The student can study a master’s degree in software engineering in Turkey in English or in Turkish, depending on the university and what it offers, and its fees are about (2800 to 15000) dollars annually.
Software engineer salary:
The salaries of graduates of this specialty start from (7,000) Turkish liras to reach approximately (25,000) Turkish liras per month, and these salaries depend on the number of years of experience of the engineer and the sector in which he works, whether it is private or public.
Areas of work in the field of software engineering:
Graduates of this specialization can work in various jobs and fields and in institutions of both governmental and private types, and the students’ chances of obtaining better jobs increase as their practical experience increases and the level of study increases, and among the centers and jobs in which they can work:
- Work as a systems engineer
- Work as a systems analyst
- Work as a systems developer
- Work as a software developer
- Work as a software maintenance engineer
- Work as a researcher
- Working as a computer teacher
- Work as a supervisor in computer laboratories
- Work as a software tester
- Freelancing
- Working as a game designer
The required skills that are developed in the study of software engineering major:
Students who want to study software engineering must have a number of qualifications and skills that the study will refine and enhance later, so that the student in this major can succeed in his academic and professional life in the best way, and among those qualifications and skills:
- Analytical and design skills
- Interest in software and technology
- Follow closely the latest technological innovations
- Skill in numerical courses
- Skill in extracting user profiles
- Quick problem-solving skills
- Honesty and accuracy in work
- The skill of continuous improvement and development
- The ability to organize
