Hacettepe University: The only Turkish university in the global top 500

Hacettepe University, ranked first in Türkiye in the AD Scientific Index 2026 and became the only Turkish university to enter the global top 500. The “Türkiye Academic Momentum Report 2026,” prepared by AD Scientific Index, has been released. Evaluating Türkiye’s higher education system in terms of institutional structure, academic visibility, field-based competitiveness, and academic development trends, the report provides a comprehensive overview based on analyses covering 210 universities, 84,033 scientists, 134 public universities, and 76 foundation universities.

The report highlights Türkiye’s broad academic capacity while noting that top-tier global academic visibility remains concentrated in a limited number of institutions. While no Turkish university is ranked in the global Top 100, Hacettepe University stands as the only Turkish university in the global Top 500. In addition, 18 universities from Türkiye are represented in the global Top 1000.

Türkiye Institutions by World Band (2026)

According to the AD Scientific Index Türkiye Academic Momentum Report 2026, Hacettepe University ranked first in Türkiye and maintained its position as the only Turkish university in the global Top 500.

The report points out that international academic visibility in Türkiye remains concentrated within a limited number of institutions and identifies Hacettepe University among the universities contributing most strongly to Türkiye’s global academic presence. The results once again underline Hacettepe University’s strength in scientific output, research performance, and international academic visibility.

The analysis also draws attention to the role of public universities in Türkiye’s academic landscape, noting that 16 of the 18 Turkish universities listed in the global Top 1000 are public institutions. Among foundation universities, Koç University was identified as the country’s leading institution.

Education, Architecture and Design, Agriculture and Forestry, and Medical and Health Sciences were identified among Türkiye’s strongest areas of international academic visibility. The report also emphasizes the importance of further strengthening global competitiveness in fields including Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Business and Management, and Law.

In addition, younger universities were highlighted as emerging contributors to the future development of Türkiye’s higher education system. The report notes that academic quality, sustained research development, international visibility, and disciplinary excellence will continue to shape long-term academic competitiveness.

About AD Scientific Index

• International academic evaluation platform focusing on scientific contribution at the researcher level
• Based on H-index, i10-index, and citation indicators
   
• Evaluates both career-long and recent five-year academic impact
• Tracks academic momentum and development trends of researchers and institutions
• Covers more than 24,000 institutions across 221 countries

For more information about AD Scientific Index, click here.

To access the full Türkiye Academic Momentum Report 2026, click here.