Best universities in Cyprus

Due to the low tuition fees, good general education and stunning location, University of Northern Cyprus is a popular choice among international students.

The fact that many courses in Northern Cyprus universities are taught in English is because of the long-lasting influence of Britain. This island has a rich history with preserved tombs and ancient monuments. Cyprus is an entire city registered as a UNESCO World Heritage. Modern Cyprus is just as fascinating. This island, which is a former British colony, is located at the intersection of East and West. Today, there is a combination of Christian, Islamic, ancient Greek paganism and British colonial influences in there.

The best university of Northern Cyprus, named the University of Cyprus, is a public institution located in the capital of the island, Nicosia, established in 1989. Today, this university has 21 educational departments divided among eight faculties: Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Education, Faculty of Economics and Management, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Literature, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Graduate Studies.

In addition to education, most faculties have research institutes that conduct graduate-level research in a variety of fields, from oceanography to gender studies and nanotechnology. The university is known for quality research in some fields, and Christopher Pissarides, one of the professors, won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2010. The main campus of the University of Northern Cyprus is located in the country’s capital, giving students all the benefits of living in a bustling modern city while still being close to rugged mountains and beautiful beaches. The main campus includes the university library, which has 620,000 volumes of books.

Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) is a public university in Limassol, the island’s second city, located on the southern coast. CUT is newly established in 2004 and the first students enrolled in the academic year 2007-2008. It is a research university and aims to offer majors that are not covered in the University of Cyprus. The university’s main classrooms are located in the old city center in renewed government buildings. Linking foreign universities is one of the main purposes of CUT and one of its stated goals is “developing international cooperation with academic and scientific institutions”.

Founded in 1980, the University of Nicosia (UNIC) is the largest university in Cyprus and the largest university in southern Europe, in which courses are mainly taught in English. Approximately 12,000 students from over 70 countries study there. There are six schools across the university offering more than 100 on-campus and online courses, including Medicine, Health Sciences, Educational Sciences, Blockchain, Law, Accounting, Architecture and International Relations. The University of Nicosia has also established several regional study centers in Athens, Bucharest, Romania and New York.

The introduction of the best universities in Cyprus is one of the most frequently asked requests of Northern Cyprus student visa applicants, Northern Cyprus also has several universities and higher education institutions that annually accept many students from different countries. We aim to introduce the best international universities in Northern Cyprus for continuing education.

The list of best universities in Cyprus are as follows

• Cyprus International University
• Near East University
• Eastern Mediterranean University
• University of Kyrenia or Girne
• Rauf Denktash University
• American University of Kyrenia
• European University of Girne
• Bahcesehir University
• Final International University
• Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University
• University of West Cyprus
• University of Mediterranean Karpasia
• Cyprus University of Sciences

Cyprus International University

This university has successfully attracted vast majority of international students from various countries due to the variety of educational programs it offers with quality and global standards. This university has a very modern and well-equipped campus and provides excellent welfare services and facilities to students. Continuing studies in this university for international students may cause major improvements in the world.

Near East University

One of the advantages of studying at Near East University is the reasonable tuition, and studying at this university can be affordable for international students. This is the reason for the increasing number of candidates continue their studies at Near East University and this university is a good and logical choice for studying in Northern Cyprus.

East Mediterranean University

East Mediterranean University is well-known for developing the international standards in education and performing different researches in Northern Cyprus. This university is considered as one of the best educational destinations for international students and a lot of foreign students are admitted in this university every year.

University of Kyrenia or Girne

For international students who aim to continue educations in Technical, Management and Engineering fields and is mostly suitable for industrial and developing countries.

Rauf Denktash University

Rauf Denktash University is an international university which is both modern and valid. Although the university is newly stablished, it has attracted a vast majority of international students. 

American University of Kyrenia

This university owns advanced equipment and facilities and allows the students to practically study academic and theoretical courses in a proper environment. In addition to teaching theoretical sciences, they can apply what they have learned in a practical and experimental way, and this action makes the graduates of this university stand a head above the rest.

European University of Lefke

The European University of Lefke is one of the best academic destinations for international students in Northern Cyprus. This university is famous for providing excellent educational services at international level.

Bahcesehir University

One of the prominent and important characteristics of this university is its creativity and innovation in education and training. This university always creates innovation and coordinates with the latest educational methods.

Final International University

Final International University is a newly established private institution for higher education in Northern Cyprus. This university has a very high educational quality and provides educational services with international standards for all students all around the world. If you aim to study in private universities in the international arena, we suggest you this university.

Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University

This university has one of the most advanced laboratories in the field of health sciences in Northern Cyprus and is one of the most prestigious universities of health sciences internationally. Therefore, those international students who wish to continue their studies in this field can choose this university as their study destination.

Cyprus West University

It should be mentioned that West University has managed to attract the attention of international students despite being newly established. This demonstrates the high quality of education in this university. Cyprus West University is one of the proper study destinations for international students.

University of Mediterranean Karpasia

The international students with different cultural backgrounds are accepted with open arms in this university, and studying in a friendly environment help them flourish their talents and academic progress. Choosing this university as a study destination bears a lot of advantages for international students.

The professors, elites and very experienced people cooperate in this university and help students to achieve their academic and scientific goals. It is expected that this university will educate a new generation of students and graduates in the best possible way.

How to get admission from the prestigious universities of Northern Cyprus

In recent years, Northern Cyprus has emerged as a suitable destination for international students. This may be due to the relaxing and pleasant environment, world-renowned quality education and amazingly affordable tuition fees as the most important factors. Northern Cyprus universities usually award 50% scholarships to international students. To get admission from the University of Northern Cyprus, you must go through the following steps. Application requirements for undergraduate programs at the University of Northern Cyprus:

1. O and A level high school diploma or equivalent
2. Scanned passport copy
3. Optional: English score certificate (TOEFL, IELTS or university proficiency test upon arrival)

Application requirements for Master’s Degree programs at the University of Northern Cyprus:

1. O and A level high school diploma or equivalent
2. Bachelor’s degree certificate
3. Bachelor transcripts (exact list of courses taken)
4. Scanned passport copy
5. Optional: latest resume
6. Optional: English score certificate (TOEFL, IELTS or university proficiency test upon arrival)

Application requirements for Ph.D programs at the University of Northern Cyprus:

1. O and A level high school diploma or equivalent
2. Bachelor’s degree certificate
3. Bachelor transcripts (exact list of courses taken)
4. Master’s Degree diploma
5. Master’s transcripts (exact list of courses taken)
6. Latest resume
7. Scanned passport copy
8. Thesis proposal (1 to 2 pages)
9. Optional: English score certificate (TOEFL, IELTS or university proficiency test upon arrival)

Each university in Cyprus has its own system on its website that allows students to apply and register for their degree programs. So, once you have chosen the university of your choice, you can proceed through the application and submit your documents there. Some of the basic requirements you need for any program are as follows:

1. Scan of diploma (high school or bachelor’s degree)
2. Transcript or Report card of previous courses
3. Passport and/or birth certificate Scan
4. Resume
5. Academic qualifications or financial capability certificate
6. Letter of recommendation (between 2-3 pages)
7. Portfolio and/or writing samples

Conditions for studying at the University of Northern Cyprus

Take preparatory courses for admission to Cyprus universities: These courses allow degree-seeking students to gain an additional educational boost before starting a master’s degree or other postgraduate programs.

Improve your English through an English language preparation course: If you are taking an academic program in Cyprus, you need to prove that your language skills are good enough to attend classes and understand lectures. These courses also prepare you for any of the English language tests required by universities. Almost three-quarters of the people in this country speak English, so if you know English, you will have no problem understanding their language. The high number of tourists who visit Cyprus each year contributes to the popularity of the English language.

In order to request for studying in Cyprus, you must present a certificate to prove your English knowledge. The following certificates are acceptable by universities in Cyprus:

1. Academic PTE
2. TOEFL
3. IELTS
4. C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency

Tuition fee in the prestigious universities of Northern Cyprus

If you live in a country in Europe Union EEA, be glad! You can study in a governmental university in Cyprus in Bachelor’s Degree for free. For students who do not live in country in Europe Union EEA, the expenses for studying in Cyprus may be up to 7000 euros per year. For Master’s Degree programs, all international students will pay 4000 euros to 8000 euros per year.