Location: Turkey
Program: Undergraduate and Graduate (Bachelors, Master’s and PhD)
Eligibility: All Nationalities
Duration: up to 4 years
Deadline: July 12, 2026
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Bilkent University offers a comprehensive and highly competitive range of merit-based scholarships for international students at both undergraduate and graduate levels for the 2026/27 academic year making it one of the most generously funded private research universities in Turkey and indeed across the entire region. For undergraduate international applicants, tuition waiver scholarships are awarded at five levels ranging from 20% to 100% in increments of 20%, based entirely on the academic strength of the applicant’s secondary school qualifications and national or international examination scores.
Founded in 1984 as Turkey’s first private non-profit university, Bilkent University in Ankara is consistently ranked among the top universities in Turkey and among the leading research universities in the broader Middle East and Central Asia region, with particular international recognition for its strengths in engineering, science, economics, social sciences, business, humanities, art, design, and music. Ranked 54th in the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings and among the top three universities in Turkey, Bilkent is home to approximately 12,500 students including a significant and growing international community all taught exclusively in English across a modern, self-contained campus in Ankara that features state-of-the-art libraries, advanced research laboratories, sports facilities, concert halls, museums, and a vibrant student life.
Benefits of the Scholarship
This scholarship will provide the following to its recipients:
- Full or partial tuition waiver
- Free on-campus dormitory accommodation
- Monthly stipend
- No application fee for international students at either undergraduate or graduate level
- Other benefits
Also Check:
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Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the following:
- Open to international students of all nationalities; applicants who hold or have previously held Turkish citizenship — or whose parents hold Turkish citizenship — are not eligible for international student scholarships
- Undergraduate: Must present valid international qualifications — minimum SAT score of 1000/1600; GCE A-Levels with minimum three A-Level subjects at grade C or above; IB diploma score of minimum 28/45; or equivalent national qualifications as listed in Bilkent’s official admissions guide; predicted grades/results are not accepted
- Undergraduate: Must not have previously graduated from a university with a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for full, comprehensive, or 50% scholarship categories
- Graduate: Must hold a bachelor’s degree (for MS) or master’s degree (for PhD) with a minimum CGPA of 2.80/4.00
- Must demonstrate English language proficiency: TOEFL iBT minimum 87, IELTS minimum 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each band, or Bilkent COPE score of at least C; students who do not meet this requirement may sit Bilkent’s own Proficiency in Academic English (PAE) exam upon arrival
- Graduate (UNAM fellowships): Must submit CV, academic transcripts, degree certificates, statement of purpose, two letters of recommendation, and (for some programmes) GRE scores; Turkish citizens residing in Turkey must also provide an ALES score
- Scholarship students must maintain a minimum annual GPA of 2.00/4.00 (undergraduate) to retain their award; students who fall below this threshold face a reduction of one or two scholarship levels
- Attendance at all lectures and academic activities is mandatory for all scholarship students
- Scholarship students subject to disciplinary action may have their scholarship reduced or cancelled
Note: Kindly check the official webpage for full and detailed requirements
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Selection Criteria
Bilkent University’s scholarship selection for international undergraduate students is a fully automatic, merit-based process no separate scholarship application is required. Once an undergraduate applicant submits their admissions application, they are simultaneously evaluated for all available tuition waiver levels based on the totality of their academic record: secondary school grades, performance in accepted international examinations, the specific programme they are applying to, and any other relevant academic criteria assessed by the admissions committee.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to visit the official webpage and submit your application.
