International Schools in Istanbul

Ages 3-11 · British, Cambridge Primary, IB Diploma · Etiler (Levent & Etiler) · ~80 students

If boutique is what you want - small classes, intensive pastoral care, and a school that genuinely knows every child - BISS is the most distinctive primary option in Etiler. The fee level is high for a primary-only school, so be clear on your secondary plan before enrolling.

Ages 3-18 · IB PYP, IB MYP, IB DP, AP · Sarıyer (Hisar) / Hadimköy (Marmara) · ~450 students

If your family is US-focused, values full IB continuity, and university counselling is near the top of your list, IICS is the strongest option in Istanbul. Decide between the two campuses early - Hisar and Marmara are genuinely different environments.

Ages 5-18 · American, IB · Asian Side · ~2,000 students

Koç is one of the genuinely top-tier Turkish private schools. It pioneered the IB in Turkey and the academic outcomes are real — Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge admissions every year. Bilingual Turkish/English, with French, German or Spanish as a third language.

Ages 3-18 · IB PYP, IB MYP, IB DP, Cambridge IGCSE, British · Levent · ~400 students

For families based in the Levent-Etiler-Beşiktaş corridor, MEF is the most convenient option with strong credentials and a fully renovated campus. Ask about teacher contracts and how the new management has reshaped the senior school.

Ages 2.5-18 · British, IGCSE, IB Diploma · Sarıyer (Zekeriyaköy) · ~600 students

The safest all-round choice for a British or internationally mobile family in Istanbul - small classes, triple accreditation, and a forest campus that no city-centre school can match. The Zekeriyaköy location is the trade-off: if you're based anywhere south of Maslak, the commute will dominate your morning.

Ages 13-18 · IB Diploma, Turkish MEB · Üsküdar (Asian Side) · ~895 students

UAA is one of Istanbul's most academically selective secondary schools - it is not an open-enrolment international school. If your child can sit the national entrance exam and score in the top tier, the IB Diploma, historic campus, and graduate outcomes make it seriously worth considering for the Asian side.

Ages 14-18 · German Abitur, Turkish Lise · Beyoğlu · ~640 students

DSI is the right choice only if German is already part of your family's life - it is a German-medium school, not a gateway into German. The means-tested fee model is genuinely different from everywhere else in Istanbul, and the Beyoglu campus is one of the most central of any international school in the city.

Ages 2-18 · Turkish MEB, Canadian OSSD · Kucuk Camlica (Asian Side) · ~250 students

Kilittasi is the only school on the Asian side offering a dual Turkish MEB and Canadian OSSD credential, which opens a specific university pathway that neither Cambridge nor IB provides in the same way. If you are on the Asian side and the Canadian pathway matters, this is where the research starts.

Ages 4-18 · Cambridge, IGCSE, A-Level · Üsküdar (Asian Side) · ~350 students

A solid Cambridge pathway on the Asian side for families who want proven IGCSE and A-Level results without crossing to the European side. The boutique scale is a genuine advantage in the lower school - ask specifically about senior facilities before enrolling an older child.

Ages 3-18 · IB PYP, IB MYP, IB DP, Turkish National Curriculum · Istinye (Levent & Etiler) · ~1,200 students

ENKA is the strongest large-scale IB option in the Istinye corridor, with a sports complex that no other Istanbul school comes close to matching. The student body is predominantly Turkish nationals - if you want a majority-international classroom feel, compare carefully with BISI or IICS before deciding.

Ages 3-18 · IB PYP, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A-Level, IB DP · Atasehir / Bahcesehir / Bahcelievler (Multiple campuses) · ~2000+ (across Istanbul campuses) students

Gokkusagi is the best-value dual-curriculum option on the Asian side, combining IB PYP and Cambridge in the same school. Fees are not published - get a quote early, and confirm which Istanbul campus your child would attend before reading reviews, as Antalya and Istanbul are very different experiences.

Ages 3-18 · Canadian Diploma, PEI · Üsküdar / Çekmeköy (Asian Side) · ~250 students

Keystone is the standout choice for families wanting a North American pathway - the only school in Istanbul delivering the Canadian PEI diploma with WASC accreditation. The Asian-side location and strong graduate destinations make it worth a serious look for families who are not set on a British or IB route.

Ages 3-18 · American, IB · European Side · ~2,200 students

Hisar is a large K-12 private Turkish school out in Göktürk, on the European side. Not a true international school — it's a Turkish national curriculum school that layers in English, AP, and IB at the top end. The student body is overwhelmingly affluent Turkish families. If you're moving over and want a properly international cohort, this is not that school.

Ages 14-18 · American, IB · European Side · ~1,000 students

The headline thing to know first. Robert College is not really an international school. It is a Turkish high school taught largely in English. Entry is by a Turkish national exam taken in 8th grade, in Turkish. Students who get in score in the top 0.02 percent. Foreign kids are very occasionally admitted as "special students" but it is not the norm. If your friend's child does not already have a path through the Turkish system, this school is unlikely to be the right fit. Worth raising before they fall in love with the campus.

Ages 3-18 · Turkish, IB · Asian Side · ~1,500 students

The basics. Beykoz campus, IB through to Diploma. English and Turkish instruction. Primary is co-ed; girls and boys are on separate buildings/campuses from middle school up. Worth knowing before you visit — it's not unusual in Istanbul, but it's not what most international families expect by default.

Ages 3-18 · French National Curriculum, Baccalauréat · Beyoğlu / Tarabya (Sarıyer) · ~1,188 students

If your family is connected to France - French passport, prior French schooling, or a professional posting that includes French education support - Pierre Loti is the clear and only answer in Istanbul. For families without that connection, the language barrier and Tarabya location make it a narrow fit.

Ages 3-18 · Turkish, IB · Asian Side · ~1,800 students

The basics. TED Istanbul opened in 1998 and sits inside Acarkent, a gated community on the Asian side in Beykoz. It's part of the Türk Eğitim Derneği (Turkish Education Association) — a non-profit foundation network, not a profit-driven chain. That foundation status genuinely matters in Turkey. People trust it more.

Ages 3-18 · Turkish, IB · Other Istanbul · ~5,000 students

The headline. Eyüboğlu is one of Istanbul's better-known Turkish private school groups, founded in 1970, with multiple campuses on the Asian side (Çamlıca, Ümraniye, Kadıköy, Ataşehir). It was the first Turkish school accredited by CIS and runs all three IB programmes (PYP, MYP, DP). The IB pedigree is the real thing.

Ages 3-18 · American, IB · Asian Side · ~1,200 students

A small, family-run K-12 on the Asian side, in Çekmeköy. Founded 1963 by Sabahat Sezin, still has that founder's-school feel. Around 1,250 students, single campus, IB Diploma offered.