Türkiye’s junior ELT market is showing significant signs of growth, with 88% of young people expressing interest in studying abroad, according to Engin Cosar, owner of Academix Study Abroad Services.
Recent research from BONARD has taken a closer look at Turkiye’s development and recovery in Higher Education, ELT and K-12. Here’s what they found…
‘A diverse and evolving market’
Turkish students studying abroad reached 58,000 in 2023, a 132% recovery from pre-pandemic levels.
Higher Education saw an almost 40% growth from pre-pandemic levels, reaching 34,000 students abroad in 2023.
There is continuing demand for ELT and K-12 programmes among young Turkish students, with the ELT sector seeing the most significant rise in international mobility.
Pre-pandemic, there were 19,000 Turkish ELT students abroad, with a dip to just 5000 in 2021/22. In 2023/24, there were over 24,000 ELT students abroad, a growth of around 26%.
Last year, the top destinations for ELT were the UK, Australia and Ireland. Meanwhile, Canada fell from second to fourth place between 2019 and 2023.
Among HE, top destinations were Germany, the US, the UK and Canada, remaining consistent between 2019 and 2023.
Sarah Verkinova, Senior Research Manager at BONARD, said:
‘Türkiye is a key source market, with over 70,000 students studying abroad annually, 78% of whom pursue higher education. As a diverse and evolving market, Türkiye shows a significant focus on higher education, while recent trends also highlight a growing interest in K–12 education. Understanding these trends is crucial for tailoring effective student recruitment strategies.’
