Anadolu University

Eskisehir, Turkey · founded 1958 · 2,000,000 students · mega public

Known for: Being one of the world's largest universities by enrollment, pioneering distance education in Turkey through its Open Education Faculty, while also maintaining traditional on-campus programs in Eskisehir.

Rankings

QS World: #1201

Top programmes

Business Administration
Communication Sciences
Engineering
Open Education
Fine Arts
Tourism Management

Notable alumni

Müjdat Gezen — Renowned Turkish actor, writer, and poet
Haluk Bilginer — Award-winning Turkish actor
Şebnem Bozoklu — Turkish actress
İbrahim Kutluay — Former professional basketball player and sports commentator
Cem Yılmaz — Famous Turkish comedian and actor
Metin Uca — Turkish television presenter and writer
Ali Sunal — Turkish actor
Binnur Kaya — Turkish actress

Traditions

Spring Festival (Bahar Şenlikleri)
Graduation ceremonies at the Yunus Emre Campus
International Student Week
Traditional Turkish music and dance performances

If Anadolu University were…

As a food: Turkish pide — Accessible, satisfying, and feeds the masses without pretension—Anadolu delivers quality education at unprecedented scale, bringing university to millions across Turkey's diverse regions just as pide brings comfort to ev
As an athlete: Hakan Şükür — Turkey's all-time leading goal scorer who made the national team accessible to working-class fans—Anadolu democratized higher education for the Turkish masses, racking up enrollment numbers no traditional university coul
As a person alive today: Sal Khan — Khan Academy's founder revolutionized accessible education at scale through technology and dual-mode delivery. Anadolu pioneered the same model decades earlier for Turkey, blending campus and distance learning to educate
As a historical figure: Johannes Gutenberg — His printing press democratized knowledge by making books accessible to the masses beyond elite scribes. Anadolu's dual-mode system does the same for Turkish higher education, delivering degrees to millions across Anatol
As a movie or TV show: The Jetsons — Futuristic infrastructure meeting everyday needs—Anadolu built Turkey's most advanced distance-learning network while keeping education practical and student-friendly, blending space-age tech with down-to-earth accessibi
As a US president: Lyndon B. Johnson — LBJ's Great Society massively expanded educational access for working Americans through pragmatic, large-scale programs. Anadolu did the same for Turkey, building an educational infrastructure that reaches millions in ev
As a city: Shenzhen — Exploded from modest origins into a massive, tech-forward hub that serves millions with innovative infrastructure. Anadolu transformed from a regional university into Turkey's enrollment giant through pioneering distance
As an element: Aluminum — Abundant, lightweight, highly conductive, and essential to modern infrastructure—Anadolu is everywhere in Turkish higher education, conducting knowledge to millions efficiently without the weight of traditional elitism.
As a car: Renault Twizy (fleet edition) — Anadolu is Turkey's innovative micro-mobility solution scaled to stadium proportions—quirky, forward-thinking, and designed to move massive numbers efficiently through dual-mode delivery. It's not traditional, but it wor

Campus life

The university has a dual character with both traditional on-campus students in Eskisehir and millions of distance learners nationwide. The main campus in Eskisehir offers vibrant student life with numerous clubs, cultural events, and a strong sense of community among residential students.