Turkish universities clinch spot on prominent ranking list

ISTANBUL

With Turkish universities solidifying their positions in global rankings, 11 educational institutions have successfully secured their places in the world-renowned Times Higher Education (THE) 2024 ranking of the top 1,000 universities in a recent achievement.

As it has been for the past eight years, the University of Oxford retained its position as the world's best higher education institution in the rankings conducted by the London-based international higher education rating organization. Stanford University from the U.S. and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology closely followed Oxford in the global rankings.

Once again, this year, the top 10 spots were shared between universities in the U.K. and the U.S.

Among Türkiye’s top-ranking universities, Koç University, Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) and Sabancı University found themselves in the top 500.

Out of the 1,904 institutions listed, Türkiye was represented by a total of 75 higher education institutions, with 11 Turkish universities earning a place in the top 1,000.

Earlier in June 2023, ODTÜ also achieved a remarkable feat by ranking 336th among world universities in the QS 2024 World University Rankings, securing the top spot among all universities in Türkiye.

Speaking about ODTÜ’s progress, rector Mustafa Verşan Kök noted that the university's success is rooted in stringent criteria applied during the selection of academic staff and the active participation of students in international projects.

"To mention some of the factors contributing to these significant achievements, we can highlight the enhancement of criteria for the selection of new faculty members, improvements in appointment and promotion conditions, the refinement of our publication incentive system, strengthening our relationships with graduates living in 140 different countries worldwide, projects aimed at career planning, and efforts to increase our international project count, particularly in European Union projects," he told daily Hürriyet.

The university's future goal is to continue its ascent with the same pace and stability, thereby solidifying its position among the world's best universities, he added.

THE President Phil Baty, in a social media post, stated that Turkish universities have made significant progress in recent years, with the number of Turkish universities entering the rankings increasing by more than threefold compared to 2018.

"This increase in representation is a noteworthy indicator of Türkiye’s rapid rise as an international higher education hub and the desire of Turkish universities to emerge on the global stage and compare themselves with the world's best universities."