Hisar School

What Hisar School does

Hisar School (Hisar Okulları) is a private K-12 educational institution operated by the Hisar Education Foundation (Hisar Eğitim Vakfı), a nonprofit foundation established in 1995 and headquartered on a single campus in the Göktürk district of Eyüpsultan, Istanbul, Turkey. The school delivers a bilingual (Turkish-English) preschool-through-high-school program to 1,674 students in the 2025-2026 academic year, supported by 246 academic staff at a 1:7 student-teacher ratio. Its academic architecture is organized as a core K-12 curriculum enhanced by a portfolio of specialized centers and modules: an Innovation Center (STEAM), a Fab Academy Node (the first in Turkey and second at K-12 level worldwide), an Information Strategies Center, a Writing Center (Pen Academy), a University & Career Counseling Center, and a NEASC-accredited Professional Learning Center (PÖMER). The school holds both NEASC and CIS international accreditations, the only NEASC-accredited Educational Service Organization (ESO) in Turkey. Supplementary programming includes an AP program, the Young Philharmonic Orchestra, a Sports Club (HSK), a Cultural Center, Hisar Academy (after-school and summer programs), and the Hisar AiR Artist in Residence initiative launched in the school's 30th year.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual tuition fees charged to enrolled families across all grade levels, supplemented by an emerging external revenue stream through PÖMER's professional development programs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled through the admissions office, with scholarships (Üstün Başarı Bursu) available for high-achieving students entering high school via the national exam system. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer: families apply through a formal enrollment process that includes prospective student applications, school visits, virtual tours, and information meetings (Lise Tanıtım Toplantısı), with a lottery (kura) system activated when demand exceeds available seats. Marketing is executed through a multi-channel presence including a bilingual website, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and dedicated virtual tour infrastructure. The school reports 1,463 graduates worldwide, 4,750+ overseas university acceptances, and 120+ student clubs, and maintains strategic partnerships with MIT Edgerton Center, Fab Academy, Harvard Model Congress San Francisco, Columbia University, and Common Sense Education.

Name

Hisar School

Legal name

Hisar Okulları – Hisar Eğitim Vakfı İktisadi İşletmesi

Website

https://hisarschool.k12.tr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hisar School is a nonprofit foundation-operated private K-12 institution in Istanbul, Turkey, serving 1,674 students from preschool through high school at a 1:7 teacher ratio with bilingual instruction, AP programs, and internationally accredited STEAM and digital fabrication offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM), Virtual Test Prep & Online Supplemental Instruction (K–12) (EDAJADAI)

Keywords

• Private K-12 education
• Bilingual education programs
• STEAM education services
• University preparation programs
• Digital fabrication learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Hisar School generates revenue through annual tuition fees charged to enrolled students across preschool, primary, middle, and high school levels. The school also offers scholarship programs (Üstün Başarı Bursu) for high-achieving students entering high school through the national exam system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hisar School delivers comprehensive private K-12 education from preschool through high school (approximately age 3 to 18), offering bilingual Turkish-English instruction with AP college-level courses, and operating specialized academic centers covering STEAM innovation, digital fabrication (Fab Academy), writing, university counseling, and community engagement. Educational services are delivered exclusively on a single 30+ year old Göktürk campus in Istanbul, supported by 246 academic staff serving 1,674 students with a 1:7 student-teacher ratio.

Product overview

Hisar Okulları is a comprehensive K-12 private educational institution offering a unified academic program from preschool through high school. The core K-12 program provides bilingual instruction with AP exam preparation. The institution operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture, with specialized centers including the Innovation Center (STEAM), Fab Academy (digital fabrication), Information Strategies Center, Writing Center, Pen Academy, and University/Career Counseling Center enhancing the core curriculum. Arts and athletics are supported through the Philharmonic Orchestra, Sports Club, Cultural Center, and Hisar Academy after-school programs. Summer programs partner with international institutions. The school also maintains community engagement and library services as integral components of its educational ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pen Academy (Kalem Akademisi): A writing unit designed to develop students' higher-order cognitive skills, including critical thinking, critical writing, inquiry, and metacognitive thinking.
• Hisar Artist in Residence Program (Hisar AiR)
• Hisar School Sports Club (HSK)
• Hisar Academy (Hisar Akademi)
• Hisar Culture Center
• Young Philharmonic Orchestra (Genç Filarmoni Orkestrası)

Products and services

• Hisar Okulları K-12 Program Comprehensive K-12 educational program covering preschool through high school, offering bilingual Turkish-English instruction across all grade levels at the Göktürk, Istanbul campus.
• AP (Advanced Placement) Program College-level courses preparing high school students for AP exams, enabling university credit and advanced standing at institutions worldwide.
• İnovasyon Merkezi (Innovation Center) STEAM-focused interdisciplinary platform supporting technology education and K-12 excellence with hands-on learning programs and maker-space activities.
• Fab Academy Node at Hisar First and only Fab Academy Node in Turkey and second at K-12 level worldwide, providing digital fabrication and computer science education.
• Bilişim Stratejileri Merkezi (Information Strategies Center) Center ensuring information and communication technologies are integrated as natural components of the education process across all grade levels.
• Yazma Becerileri Merkezi (Writing Center) Academic writing support center helping students develop ideas and express them clearly through integrated reading, writing, and discussion.
• Üniversite Danışmanlık ve Kariyer Merkezi (University and Career Center) Guidance and support for students in course selection, career orientation, university preparation, and application processes from early grades through graduation.
• Profesyonel Öğrenme Merkezi (Professional Learning Center / PÖMER) NEASC-accredited professional development center providing training programs on national and international platforms for school staff; first and only NEASC-accredited ESO in Turkey.
• Hisar Akademi (Hisar Academy - After-School and Summer Programs) After-school programs and summer camps offering enrichment activities in arts, sports, and academics, including summer programs in collaboration with international institutions such as Harvard Model Congress San Francisco and Columbia University.
• Genç Filarmoni Orkestrası (Young Philharmonic Orchestra) Student orchestra providing music education and performance opportunities in classical and contemporary repertoire.
• Hisar Okulları Spor Kulübü (HSK - Sports Club) School-affiliated sports club offering competitive and recreational sports programs across 30+ disciplines for student athletes.
• Kültür Merkezi (Cultural Center) Arts and culture venue hosting performances, exhibitions, and cultural events for the school community.
• Kalem Akademisi (Pen Academy) Writing unit developing higher-order cognitive skills including critical thinking, critical writing, inquiry, and metacognitive thinking through integrated reading, writing, and discussion.
• Hisar AIR (Artist in Residence Program) Artist residency program connecting professional artists with the school community for collaborative projects, workshops, and creation of permanent works for the school's cultural archive.
• Toplumsal Etki Merkezi (Community Engagement Center / TEMER) Center coordinating 40+ community service projects and fostering social responsibility through volunteerism, including Active Student Active Citizen summer schools across 10 cities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4750+ overseas university acceptances demonstrating global university placement success
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MIT Edgerton CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-day intensive Bootcamp Program held at Hisar FabLab in collaboration with MIT Edgerton Center in June 2026, serving as the first step in a long-term academic partnership focused on hands-on engineering and fabrication education.
• Fab AcademycoreTechnology or IntegrationHisar School is the first and only Fab Academy Node in Turkey and the second at K-12 level worldwide, providing digital fabrication education through the global Fab Academy network.
• Harvard Model Congress San Francisco (HMCFS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHisar Summer School collaboration offering Young Leadership Program through HMCFS for participating students.
• Columbia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHisar Summer School collaboration offering Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program in partnership with Columbia University.
• Accessible Everything Association (EHD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for physical accessibility initiatives including disability awareness training, school-wide accessibility audits, and sign language lessons for students.
• Science Heroes Association (Bilim Kahramanları Derneği)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to attract high school students in Turkey to science fields through various educational projects and initiatives.
• YÖRET FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Don't Hit, Talk' project promoting nonviolent communication and peaceful interactions among students.
• NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEASC accredited Hisar Professional Learning Center (PÖMER) as the first and only ESO (Educational Service Organization) in Turkey, providing international professional development programs.
• American Community Schools (ACS) GreeceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHisar students participated as instructors in online Innovation Summit, conducting workshops in computer science, programming with Sonic Pi, Python with PyGame, and image processing with OpenCV.
• Common Sense EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital citizenship education accreditation and curriculum partnership since 2016, covering topics including media balance, privacy, digital footprint, and cyberbullying.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Koç School: One of Turkey's leading private K-12 schools, based in Istanbul with bilingual instruction and IB programs. Direct competitor in the premium Istanbul private school segment, competing for the same high-income, internationally-oriented families.
• Robert College: Istanbul's oldest American college-preparatory school with extensive university placement track record and English-language curriculum. Competes head-to-head with Hisar for the same selective, internationally-minded Istanbul families.
• ENKA Schools: Large private K-12 institution in Istanbul sponsored by the ENKA Foundation, offering comprehensive education through high school. Comparable in scale, foundation governance, and university placement focus to Hisar.
• Bilkent Laboratory and International School: Ankara-based private K-12 school within the Bilkent ecosystem offering university-prep education with strong STEM focus. Comparable as a premium Turkish private school, though serving a different city.
• Üsküdar American Academy: Historic Istanbul private high school offering American-style curriculum and university placement. Targets the same selective Istanbul families as Hisar with comparable AP and university counseling offerings.
• MEF International School: Istanbul-based international school offering IB curriculum with extensive extracurricular programs. Direct competitor for internationally-oriented premium families in Istanbul.

Broad incumbents

• Bahçeşehir Koleji: Large national private K-12 chain in Turkey with widespread campus footprint. While not a single-campus premium peer, it competes broadly for the same Turkish private-school families and shares similar AP/college-prep positioning.
• Sabancı Özel Okulları: Premium Turkish private K-12 institution backed by Sabancı Foundation, focused on holistic education and university placement. Comparable governance (foundation-backed) and positioning in the Istanbul premium private school segment.

Emerging players

• American Community Schools (ACS) Athens: Athens-based American international school that has partnered directly with Hisar on the Innovation Summit. Comparable in American-style curriculum and international program mix, though in a different geography.

Regional players

• The British School in Istanbul: Istanbul-based international school offering British curriculum and IGCSEs. Regional peer competing in the same premium Istanbul market but through a different curriculum framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAvKsCb4rIOGNlu2rGgKxNw
• Facebookfacebook.com/HisarSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hisar-okullari
• Instagraminstagram.com/hisarokullarik12
• Xx.com/hisar_school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hisar School