RECOGNITION
Is a Turkish university approved by Iran’s Ministry of Science? How to check
If you intend to use a Turkish qualification in Iran, identify the authority responsible for your field and purpose before choosing a university. The MSRT/SAORG academic assessment route is not a universal professional licence; medical qualifications and practice rights require a separate competent-authority check. Institution, degree level, study mode and entry year all need to match the applicable rules.
In this guide
When does this approval actually matter?
Ask what the intended employer, university or licensing authority requires. A Turkish institution’s legal status does not establish how an Iranian body will assess its qualifications. Private employment can also involve formal credential or professional requirements, so do not assume that only public-sector applicants need to check recognition.
- For further study: ask the receiving university about recognition and admission requirements.
- For employment: distinguish the employer’s criteria from formal qualification recognition.
- For regulated practice: identify the relevant professional or sectoral authority separately.
- For another destination: check that country’s rules rather than substituting Iran’s list.
What do the tiers mean?
SAORG groups institutions into categories, including excellent, good and medium. Its assessment rules distinguish degree levels and categories, so a university’s presence on a list is not approval of every qualification it offers. Check the category and restrictions applicable to your study-start year, programme level and mode.
Use the official list for your entry year
This guide does not provide a verified list of approved Turkish institutions. Use SAORG’s official list for the year you begin studying, match the exact institution and degree level, and read the accompanying conditions. If an institution, campus, study mode or category is unclear, request written clarification from the responsible authority before relying on it for your decision.
How to verify a specific university
Start with the official foreign-qualification assessment portal. Search using the institution’s exact name, and keep a copy showing the list year. If the field, campus, degree level or study mode is unclear, send those details in a single enquiry. A graduate’s previous decision is useful context but not proof that your different intake will be treated identically.
- University and campus, exactly as named on the offer
- Programme title, degree level, teaching language and mode of attendance
- Study-start year and expected qualification
- The assessment or professional purpose for which you need recognition
- Official list version, correspondence and any stated conditions
Before you pay anything
Get the answer in writing and keep it. A verbal assurance from anyone who benefits from your enrolment is not verification, and the cost of discovering the problem later is four years of study that does not do what you needed it to do. If you cannot obtain a clear written answer about a particular institution, treat that as information in itself and widen your shortlist to universities where the answer is unambiguous.
A FEW MORE ANSWERS
Frequently asked questions
How often does the list change?
SAORG’s current notice describes annual lists based on the Gregorian year; its 2026 list applies to students starting between January and December 2026. Use the list for your study-start year and read the accompanying rules, rather than assuming the newest list governs every graduate.
Are foundation (private) universities on the list at all?
Being a foundation university does not by itself exclude an institution; approval follows the ministry’s own criteria rather than the public or foundation distinction. What this means in practice is that you cannot infer a university’s status from its type — you have to check the specific institution by name.
What if the list changes after I enrol?
This is a real risk and the honest answer is that treatment of students already enrolled is decided by the ministry, not by the university and not by us. It is one more reason to keep written records of the status at the time you applied and enrolled, and to ask the consulate education section directly how previously enrolled students are handled if a change occurs.
Does the tier affect my degree in practice?
The category can affect which degree levels are eligible for assessment and under what conditions. Read the applicable SAORG rules and separately check postgraduate admission or professional requirements.
Sources & references
Use the linked source for current requirements. The dates below record when each source was checked.
Plan your next step.
Bring your questions about programs, documents or settling in to a MEC Education advisor.