There are around 820 higher education institutions with a total student enrollment of over 1 million in Turkey. Tertiary education is the responsibility of the Higher Education Council, and funding is provided by the state for public institutions that make up the bulk of the tertiary education system. There are around 118 universities in Turkey, which are classified as either public or private.

Public universities typically charge very low fees while private foundation universities are highly expensive with fees that can reach $15,000 per annum. Since 1998, universities have been given greater autonomy and were encouraged to raise funds through partnerships with industry.

The quality of education at the Turkish universities varies greatly, some providing education and facilities on par with internationally renowned schools. The technical universities are often compared with universities in the United States, and are regularly visited by the U.S. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and their engineering programs deemed substantially equivalent to comparable programs in the U.S.

Turkish universities actively participate in the Socrates - Erasmus program of the European Commission, aiming to increase student and academician mobility within the European Union, the European Economic Area countries, and other EU candidate states. An increasing number of Turkish university students complete a part of their studies abroad at other participating countries' universities, and Turkish universities receive students of the same status from abroad.