Istanbul Commerce University

What Istanbul Commerce University does

Istanbul Commerce University (İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi) is a private higher education institution founded in 2001 and headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, operating across three campuses (Sütlüce/Sâdâbâd, Eminönü/Ahî Çelebi, and Küçükyalı/Hezarfen). The university serves domestic and international students through six faculties — Business, Humanities and Social Sciences, Law, Engineering, Communication, and Architecture and Design — together with two graduate schools, an English Preparatory Program, a vocational school, and a network of 15+ research and application centers spanning economics, finance, trade, Islamic economics, the European Union, the environment, leadership and entrepreneurship, intellectual property, transportation systems, and Turkish-language education.

Its core technology stack is operational rather than research-oriented: the proprietary TÜBİS (Ticaret Üniversitesi Bilgi Yönetim Sistemi) information management system, an OBS (Öğrenci Bilgi Sistemi) student information system, an AVESİS academic personnel platform, and a Moodle-based distance learning instance at ticaret.mrooms.net form the academic-administrative backbone. Student-facing services are layered on top: Microsoft Office 365 for the @istanbulticaret.edu.tr email domain (since the 2018/2019 academic year), a Career Portal (kariyer.ticaret.edu.tr) for alumni follow-up and job postings, a Psychological Counseling and Guidance Unit with a web-based intake form, an official TOEFL IBT Test Center, and Ticaret TTO (Technology Transfer Office) for research commercialization. KVKK/GDPR-aligned data protection policies are published on the institutional site.

The revenue model is tuition-led: per-level pricing for the Ticaret TÖMER Turkish language courses is disclosed at a USD-equivalent of $300 per CEFR level (A1–C1) paid in Turkish lira, with a $55 exam fee for the Turkish Language Proficiency and Exemption Exam, but tuition schedules for degree programs are not publicly extracted. Distribution relies on direct enrollment through dedicated prospective-student portals, Erasmus+ and Orhun Değişim mobility programs, social-media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram), and on-campus delivery across the three Istanbul sites. Strategic positioning is anchored in an institutional partnership with the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), which is co-branded across the institutional website and alumni events, framing the university as 'The University of the Business World'.

Name

Istanbul Commerce University

Legal name

İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi (Istanbul Commerce University)

Website

https://ticaret.edu.tr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Istanbul Commerce University (İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi) is a private Turkish higher education institution founded in 2001 in Istanbul, delivering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across six faculties at three campuses, with a brand anchored to the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• University degree programs
• Turkish language training
• Business school programs
• Student exchange programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Istanbul Commerce University is a private higher education institution founded in 2001 in Istanbul, Turkey, delivering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs across six faculties (Business Administration, Law, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Architecture and Design, Communication) and two graduate schools. In parallel with degree programs, it operates Ticaret TÖMER for Turkish language instruction to international learners and a TOEFL iBT testing center, supplemented by a Technology Transfer Office, distance learning, library, and student support services.

Product overview

Istanbul Commerce University operates as a higher education institution with a portfolio of technology-enabled student services and academic platforms. The core institutional infrastructure includes the TÜBİS (Ticaret Üniversitesi Bilgi Yönetim Sistemi) information management system, the OBS (Öğrenci Bilgi Sistemi) student information system, and the AVESIS academic staff platform. Student-facing digital services include the Office 365-based student email system, a distance learning system (Moodle-based, at ticaret.mrooms.net), a career portal (kariyer.ticaret.edu.tr), and an alumni follow-up system. The university also runs a TOEFL IBT Test Center and Ticaret TÖMER, a Turkish language teaching center offering CEFR-level courses (A1–C1) and proficiency exams for international students. A Psychological Counseling and Guidance Unit provides a web-based appointment request system. Research infrastructure includes a Technology Transfer Office (Ticaret TTO) and multiple application and research centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate degree programs

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İstanbul Ticaret Odası - ITO) is displayed alongside the university logo on the main website and multiple institutional pages. The university positions itself as 'İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi' (Istanbul Commerce University), with ITO's logo appearing consistently, indicating a close institutional partnership supporting the university's mission as 'The University of the Business World'. Alumni events feature participation of ITO President alongside the university Rector and Board of Trustees Chair.
• Türk Keneşi (Turkish World) Universities UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe university participates in the Orhun Değişim Program (Orhun Exchange Program), an exchange initiative within the Türk Keneşi (Turkish World) Universities Union. The program enables student and staff exchanges with member universities across Turkic-speaking countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.
• Erasmus+ Programme (European Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe university's Erasmus Office coordinates student and staff exchange mobility under the Erasmus+ programme, enabling academic exchanges with European partner universities. The Erasmus Office manages application processes, partner university relations, and exchange programme administration.
• İstanbul Ticaret Gazetesi (Istanbul Commerce Newspaper)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe university maintains a media partnership with İstanbul Ticaret Gazetesi (Istanbul Commerce Newspaper), appearing under 'Ticaret Media' on the main website with links to the newspaper, Finans Ekstra, TIMM TV, Ticaret Radyo, and social media platforms (ticaretmedya.edu.tr).
• Microsoft (Office 365)coreTechnology or IntegrationAs of the 2018/2019 academic year, the university migrated its student email system to Microsoft Office 365, with students accessing email via the @istanbulticaret.edu.tr domain through Office 365. Password management is handled through the university's pw.ticaret.edu.tr portal synchronized with Office 365.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Doğuş University: Istanbul private (foundation) university with similar mid-scale multi-faculty structure (engineering, business, law, arts) and overlapping geographic and demographic recruitment against ICU.
• Maltepe University: Istanbul private (foundation) university with a campus in the Maltepe/Küçükyalı district — the same Istanbul submarket as ICU's Hezarfen Küçükyalı campus — competing for the same Anatolian-side student catchment.
• Bahçeşehir University: Istanbul-based private (foundation) multi-faculty university with similar scale, international student recruitment emphasis, and broad undergraduate/graduate offerings across business, engineering, law, and communication. Operates in the same Istanbul private-university market as ICU.
• İstanbul Bilgi University: Large Istanbul private (foundation) university offering comparable multi-faculty programs (business, law, engineering, communication, architecture) competing for the same domestic and international student pool.
• İstanbul Aydın University: Istanbul private (foundation) university operating across multiple faculties with broad vocational and professional programs — competes in the same mid-tier Istanbul private-university segment.
• Kadir Has University: Istanbul private (foundation) university with faculties in business, law, engineering, communication, and humanities — directly comparable in scope and Turkish private-university positioning to Istanbul Commerce University.
• Yeditepe University: Istanbul private (foundation) university with comparable faculties including business, law, engineering, architecture, and communication — overlapping institutional structure and student recruitment base.

Broad incumbents

• Koç University: Leading Istanbul private (foundation) research university with business, law, engineering, and social sciences — a broader incumbent competitor at the upper end of the Turkish private-university market.
• Bilkent University: Turkey's largest private (foundation) research university based in Ankara; a broad incumbent in Turkish private higher education competing for the same national and international student pool as Istanbul Commerce University.
• Sabancı University: Top-tier Istanbul private (foundation) university with strong business/engineering focus; a more established incumbent in the same Turkish private-higher-education space, competing for top-tier students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/istanbulticaretüniversitesii
• Facebookfacebook.com/ticaretedutr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/i%CC%87stanbul-ticaret-%C3%BCniversitesi
• Xx.com/ticaretedutr

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Istanbul Commerce University