State High Schools in Turkey: Your Strategic Guide for 2026

Choosing the right High School (Lise) in Turkey isn’t just an educational choiceit is arguably the single most critical checkpoint in your child’s entire career. Unlike in the UK or US, where the path to university can be flexible, the Turkish system is rigid. Access to top-tier universities like Istanbul Technical University heavily depends on which specific “Lise” type a student enters at age 14.

The competition is fierce, and the rules shift frequently. In this guide, we cut the theoretical fluff and focus on what parents and students actually need to know right now: Which schools offer real advantages, how high are the barriers, and which “common knowledge” is actually outdated?

The Turkish School System: The Hard Facts

Before diving into school types, you must understand the framework. The Turkish education system is built on the 4+4+4 model. This means 12 years of compulsory education. While political debates about new models (like 3+1 systems) surfaced in late 2025, the legal reality for the 2025/2026 academic year remains unchanged: 12 years of mandatory schooling is the law.

The pivotal moment happens at the end of 8th Grade. This is when students take the LGS Exam (High School Entrance System). This single exam determines whether your child attends an elite “Project School” or is assigned to a local neighborhood school based on address.

The Elite: Science High Schools (Fen Liseleri)

If your child excels in math and science, this is the gold standard. Fen Liseleri are the most prestigious state schools in the country. They aren’t just normal high schools; they are incubators for the country’s future doctors, engineers, and scientists.

• Focus: STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) at an advanced level.
• Duration: 4 Years.
• Admission: Extremely competitive. Only the top 1-5% of LGS participants get a seat here.

Insider Tip: Look at the data. The Ankara Fen Lisesi, one of the top 3 boarding schools in the nation, required a base score of 494.5096 in the 2025 LGS. Considering the max score is 500, that is nearly perfect. These schools are the safest highway to Turkey’s best universities.

The Intellectuals: Social Science High Schools (Sosyal Bilimler)

These are the counterpart to Science High Schools, designed for the humanities. If the goal is Law, Political Science, or Literature, this is the place to be.

Crucial Detail: Many parents overlook that these schools almost always last 5 years (1 mandatory English prep year + 4 years of high school). According to Ministry of Education (MEB) regulations for 2025, this Prep Class (Hazırlık) remains mandatory unless the student passes an exemption exam (Muafiyet Sınavı) upon entry.

The Standard: Anatolian High Schools (Anadolu Liseleri)

This is the most common school type. Originally designed as schools with intensive foreign language instruction, they are now the standard “Gymnasium” equivalent for university prep.

But be warned: Not all Anadolu Liseleri are created equal. There is a massive quality gap between a “Project Anatolian High School” (which selects students based on high LGS scores) and a local one (which accepts students based on residency). Schools like İstanbul Erkek Lisesi or Galatasaray Lisesi are technically Anatolian schools, but they play in a league of their ownboth required a perfect score of 500.0000 in 2025.

If you are enrolling from abroad, you will likely need your transcripts translated. Make sure to handle the legalization of foreign documents in Turkey well in advance, as the bureaucratic window in August is tight.

Vocational Schools (Meslek Liseleri): Myths vs. Reality

This is where we see the most confusion, especially among expats. Let’s kill an old myth right now.

Myth: “Exam Free Entry to University”

Years ago, vocational graduates could jump straight into 2-year colleges without an exam. That is dead. This right was abolished in 2017 and has not returned for 2025. Today, all students must take the YKS university entrance exam. The advantage? Graduates get “Extra Points” (Ek Puan) added to their score ifand only ifthey choose a 2-year degree (Ön Lisans) in their specific field. For 4-year faculties, this bonus generally does not apply.

Strategic Specializations

1. Health (Sağlık Meslek):
The job titles have shifted. Former roles like “Nurse Assistant” are now grouped under the title “Health Care Technician” (Sağlık Bakım Teknisyeni). Graduates often find work quickly in private or state hospitals, which is a solid entry point for finding a job in Turkey early in their career.

2. Tourism & Hotel Management:
These schools follow a seasonal model. Students are in class during winter (OctoberApril) and do paid internships in summer (MaySeptember). For the 2025 season, internships kicked off as early as mid June.

Arts and Sports: Talent Over Theory

For creative or athletic talents, there are the Güzel Sanatlar (Fine Arts) and Spor Liseleri (Sports High Schools). Admission here is not via the central LGS exam, but through special Aptitude Tests (Yetenek Sınavı).

2025 Update: Class sizes have been tightened. According to the regulation update from February 2025, the maximum class size is now capped at 30 students (previously 24) to align them with other school types.

Imam Hatip Schools: Religion Meets Academia

Imam Hatip schools combine the standard national curriculum with religious subjects (Quran, Arabic, Fiqh). A common misconception is that graduates can only study Theology. This is false.

They can choose any university major. However, there is a nuance in the scoring system: “Extra Points” for theology programs are now mostly reserved for 2-year degrees for current graduates, not automatically for 4-year faculties (unless registered before 2012). That said, top-tier schools like Kartal Anadolu İmam Hatip regularly send graduates to elite engineering programs.

Top Ranking 2025: How High is the Bar?

The LGS results from July 2025 illustrate just how extreme the competition is at the top. Here are the “Base Scores” (minimum entry scores) for the absolute top schools for the 2025/2026 academic year:

Enrollment requires precise paperwork. Often, parents need to visit a Notary Public in Turkey to authorize guardians or validate residency documents if the family is moving cities.

The Verdict: What’s Your Strategy?

Choosing a high school in Turkey is a strategic maneuver, not just a registration process. Don’t rely on outdated advice about exam free transfers. If the goal is a top academic career, there is no way around a high LGS score to enter a Fen Lisesi or an established Anadolu Lisesi. For practically minded students, the updated vocational schools offer solid career paths, but even there, climbing the academic ladder to a 4-year degree requires discipline for the university exams later on.