Education in Northern Cyprus
Education in Northern Cyprus is organized by the Ministry of National Education and Culture. 5 years of primary education is mandatory. As of 2015, Kemal Dürüst is the Minister of National Education and Culture.
Kindergarten
Children in Northern Cyprus, below age 6, can attend kindergartens of public and private institutions. Kindergarten is not mandatory.Elementary school
Elementary school provides 5 years of education for children between the ages of 6 and 11. All elementary schools are public and free.High school
High schools provide a minimum 6 years of education, where 3 years last for junior high school. There are different kinds of high schools in Northern Cypriot education system, such as standard public high schools, private high schools, science high schools, vocational high schools, technical high schools and fine arts high schools. As of 2008, there are 18 high schools, 14 junior high schools and 12 vocational high schools.Universities
All of universities in Northern Cyprus are private except Eastern Mediterranean University, METU-NCC, and ITU-TRNC. In 2013 there were 63,765 university students from 114 countries in nine universities in Northern Cyprus. In 2014, the number of students increased to 70,004,. According to the Financial Times,, this grew to 100,000 students in 2024, with half from Turkey, 40% from other countries and the remainder local students. Tuition revenues from international students are reportedly the main driver of Northern Cyprus' economy, with France24 reporting that it generates a third of the country's GDP. However, the educational sector has been criticized for misleading recruitment tactics, mainly around misrepresenting the country as the EU-member state Republic of Cyprus on the south of the island, as well as false information about international accreditation, scholarships, jobs and housing. It has also been claimed by the government of the Republic of Cyprus that a portion of students only enroll to cross the UN buffer zone and claim asylum there. Higher education in Northern Cyprus is administered and accredited by, with 17 universities also managed by the Council of Higher Education in Turkey.There are 19 universities in Northern Cyprus:
| University | Turkish Name | Location | Type | Official Website |
| Cyprus West University | Kıbrıs Batı Üniversitesi | Famagusta | Private | https://cwu.edu.tr/ |
| Girne American University | Girne Amerikan Üniversitesi | Kyrenia | Private | https://www.gau.edu.tr |
| The American University of Cyprus | Kıbrıs Amerikan Üniversitesi | Nicosia | Private | https://www.auc.edu.tr/en |
| Eastern Mediterranean University | Doğu Akdeniz Üniversitesi | Famagusta | Public | https://www.emu.edu.tr |
| Cyprus International University | Uluslararası Kıbrıs Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | https://www.ciu.edu.tr |
| European Leadership University | Avrupa Liderlik Üniversitesi | Famagusta | Private | https://elu.edu.tr/ |
| Near East University | Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | http://www.neu.edu.tr |
| European University of Lefke | Lefke Avrupa Üniversitesi | Morphou | Private | https://www.eul.edu.tr |
| University of Mediterranean Karpasia | Akdeniz Karpaz Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | https://www.akun.edu.tr/en-US |
| University of Kyrenia | Girne Üniversitesi | Kyrenia | Private | https://kyrenia.edu.tr |
| Cyprus Science University | Kıbrıs İlim Üniversitesi | Kyrenia | Private | https://www.csu.edu.tr |
| Middle East Technical University-Northern Cyprus Campus | Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi-Kuzey Kıbrıs Kampusu | Morphou | State | https://ncc.metu.edu.tr |
| Istanbul Technical University-TRNC | İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi-KKTC | Famagusta | State | https://www.kktc.itu.edu.tr/ |
| Rauf Denktas University | Rauf Denktaş Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | https://rdu.edu.tr/ |
| Mesarya Technical University | Mesarya Teknik Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | https://www.mesarya.university/ |
| Bahçeşehir Cyprus University | Bahçeşehir Kıbrıs Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | https://baucyprus.edu.tr/ |
| Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design | Arkın Yaratıcı Sanatlar ve Tasarım Üniversitesi | Kyrenia | Private | https://www.arucad.edu.tr/ |
| Onbes Kasim Kibris University | Onbeş Kasım Kıbrıs Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | https://www.onbeskku.edu.tr/ |
| Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University | Kıbrıs Sağlık ve Toplum Bilimleri Üniversitesi | Morphou | Private | https://eng.kstu.edu.tr/ |
| Cyprus Social Sciences University | Kıbrıs Sosyal Bilimler Üniversitesi | North Nicosia | Private | https://kisbu.edu.tr/ |
Atatürk Teacher Academy and Police Academy provide vocational education in related subjects.
International membership of Northern Cyprus institutions
- Near East University’s Faculty of Pharmacy was accredited by The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in 2014.
- The law faculties of the three universities of Northern Cyprus were accredited by European Law Faculties Association.
- The English Preparatory School of European University of Lefke was accredited by Pearson Assured in 2015.
- Near East University and Eastern Mediterranean University are members of European University Association.
- Girne American University and Cyprus International University are members of European Council for Business Education (ECBE).