Exchange programs allow thousands of students to study at another university, live in a new environment, experience cultures, and travel. Today we will talk about the three most popular exchange programs that are available to students of Turkish universities.

Erasmus+

Although Türkiye is not a member of the European Union, it is one of the main partners of this alliance, including in education. The Erasmus+ program is a bright example of this: thousands of students from Turkish universities are currently studying under this program. Almost all universities have agreements with European universities for student exchange. Of course, this does not mean that you will easily choose the university you want; quotas are limited, and there is a lot of competition.

But if you are a student with a high level of knowledge of an international language and a good GPA, then apply with confidence and make your dream come true. This program also offers generous scholarships; the amount depends on the country you are going to. Thanks to a Schengen visa, you can also travel throughout Europe.

Mevlana

Despite the advantages of the Erasmus+ program, there is one significant disadvantage: it is limited to European countries. What if you are interested in, for example, Korea, Malaysia, or Algeria? What if you wanted to go back to Uzbekistan? There is a solution: the Mevlana exchange program. One huge advantage of this program is that the competition is lower than in the first one. But still, they will require you to have a GPA greater than 2.5. About the disadvantages: the scholarship given is very small, and it’s not even enough to rent a house.

Farabi

Imagine a situation where you are studying somewhere in Central Anatolia. You are bored and want something new, but you also don’t want to run for a visa and other documents. You want to see a big city, swim in the sea, and have some fun. Or, on the contrary, a big city like Istanbul is too hectic for you, and all you need is a sense of peace in some small town with a traditional population. What should you do? That's right, you need to apply for the Farabi exchange program. Thanks to this program, you are able to discover Türkiye from a new perspective. You will not have problems with language, adaptation, and credit transfer. Also, if you are a scholarship holder, your scholarship will be increased by one and a half times.

Bonus: Bilateral agreements between universities

Some top universities in Türkiye such as Koç, Boğaziçi, and METU have agreements with top universities outside the programs mentioned above. Columbia, Monash, CUHK, Toronto, and other TOP 100 universities are among them. Without a doubt, the competition there is high, and you need to pass a lot of exams to get this opportunity.