Education inNorthern Cyprus is organized by the Ministry of National Education and Culture. 5 years ofprimary education is mandatory. As of 2015,Kemal Dürüst is the Minister of National Education and Culture.
Children in Northern Cyprus, below age 6, can attendkindergartens of public and private institutions. Kindergarten is not mandatory.
Elementary school provides 5 years of education for children between the ages of 6 and 11. All elementary schools are public and free.
High schools provide a minimum 6 years of education, where 3 years last for junior high school (Ortaokul). There are different kinds of high schools in Northern Cypriot education system, such as standard public high schools, private high schools, science high schools, vocational high schools, technical high schools and fine arts high schools. As of 2008, there are 18 high schools, 14 junior high schools and 12 vocational high schools.[1]
All ofuniversities in Northern Cyprus are private except Eastern Mediterranean University, METU-NCC, and ITU-TRNC. In 2013 there were 63,765 university students from 114 countries in nine universities in Northern Cyprus. In 2014, the number of students increased to 70,004, (15,210 Turkish Cypriots; 36,148 from Turkey; 18,646 international students).[2][3] According to theFinancial Times,, this grew to 100,000 students in 2024, with half from Turkey, 40% from other countries and the remainder local students.[4] Tuition revenues from international students are reportedly the main driver of Northern Cyprus' economy, withFrance24 reporting that it generates a third of the country's GDP. However, the educational sector has been criticized for misleading recruitment tactics, mainly around misrepresenting the country as the EU-member stateRepublic of Cyprus on the south of the island, as well as false information about international accreditation, scholarships, jobs and housing. It has also been claimed by the government of the Republic of Cyprus that a portion of students only enroll to cross theUN buffer zone and claim asylum there.[4][5] Higher education in Northern Cyprus is administered and accredited byYÖDAK [tr], with 17 universities also managed by theCouncil of Higher Education in Turkey.[4]
There are 19 universities inNorthern Cyprus:
| University | Turkish Name | Location | Type | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus West University | Kıbrıs Batı Üniversitesi | Famagusta | Private | https://cwu.edu.tr/ |
| Girne American University | Girne Amerikan Üniversitesi | Kyrenia (Karaoğlanoğlu county) | Private | http://www.gau.edu.tr |
| The American University of Cyprus | Kıbrıs Amerikan Üniversitesi | Nicosia | Private | https://www.auc.edu.tr/en |
| Eastern Mediterranean University | Doğu Akdeniz Üniversitesi | Famagusta | Public | http://www.emu.edu.tr |
| Cyprus International University | Uluslararası Kıbrıs Üniversitesi | North Nicosia (Haspolat county) | Private | http://www.ciu.edu.tr |
| European Leadership University | Avrupa Liderlik Üniversitesi | Famagusta | Private | https://elu.edu.tr/ |
| Near East University | Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | http://www.neu.edu.trArchived 2011-08-26 at theWayback Machine |
| European University of Lefke | Lefke Avrupa Üniversitesi | Morphou | Private | http://www.eul.edu.tr |
| University of Mediterranean Karpasia | Akdeniz Karpaz Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | https://www.akun.edu.tr/en-US |
| University of Kyrenia | Girne Üniversitesi | Kyrenia | Private | http://kyrenia.edu.tr |
| Cyprus Science University | Kıbrıs İlim Üniversitesi | Kyrenia | Private | http://www.csu.edu.tr |
| Middle East Technical University-Northern Cyprus Campus | Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi-Kuzey Kıbrıs Kampusu | Morphou | State | http://ncc.metu.edu.tr |
| Istanbul Technical University-TRNC | İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi-KKTC | Famagusta | State | http://www.kktc.itu.edu.tr/ |
| Rauf Denktas University | Rauf Denktaş Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | http://rdu.edu.tr/ |
| Mesarya Technical University | Mesarya Teknik Üniversitesi | North Nicosia (Meriç county) | Private | https://www.mesarya.university/ |
| Bahçeşehir Cyprus University | Bahçeşehir Kıbrıs Üniversitesi | North Nicosia (Alayköy, Kumsal county) | Private | https://baucyprus.edu.tr/ |
| Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design (ARUCAD) | Arkın Yaratıcı Sanatlar ve Tasarım Üniversitesi | Kyrenia | Private | https://www.arucad.edu.tr/ |
| Onbes Kasim Kibris University | Onbeş Kasım Kıbrıs Üniversitesi | North Nicosia (Küçük Kaymaklı, Düzova county) | Private | https://www.onbeskku.edu.tr/ |
| Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University (CHSSU) | Kıbrıs Sağlık ve Toplum Bilimleri Üniversitesi (KSTU) | Morphou | Private | https://eng.kstu.edu.tr/Archived 2021-03-02 at theWayback Machine |
| Cyprus Social Sciences University | Kıbrıs Sosyal Bilimler Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | https://kisbu.edu.tr/Archived 2021-02-05 at theWayback Machine |
Atatürk Teacher Academy and Police Academy provide vocational education in related subjects.
| Institution | Membership | Membership Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Association of North Cyprus Biologists (Bio-Der) | European Countries Biologists Association (ECBA) | 2006[6] |
| Northern Cyprus' Educational Sciences Association (KEB-DER) | European Educational Research Association | 13.08.2010[7][8] |
| North Cyprus' Higher Education Planning Evaluation Accreditation and Coordination Council (YÖDAK) | The European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) UK - National Academic Recognition Information Center (UK-NARIC) The Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (CEENQA) | 2007[9] |
On 17-18 May 2019, The Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (CEENQA) held its meeting inNorthern Cyprus; 26 quality assurance institutions from 20 countries participated the meeting.[18]