What Sabanci University does

Sabanci University (Sabancı Üniversitesi) is a private foundation university (vakıf üniversitesi) established in Istanbul, Turkey, operating under Turkish law and named after the prominent Sabancı industrial group. It is Turkey's first 'department-less' university, offering an interdisciplinary education model where undergraduate students explore across faculties before selecting a major. The institution comprises three faculties — the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences (FENS), the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), and the Faculty of Management Sciences / Sabancı Business School (SBS) — delivering 12 undergraduate, 52 graduate, and 17 doctoral programs. A portfolio of nine part-time professional master's programs (including MSIT, Cyber Security, Data Analytics, Executive MBA, Professional MBA, Masters in Finance, Masters in Marketing, Business Analytics, and mART) targets working professionals through evening and Saturday classes at the Altunizade Digital Campus.

The university operates 115 research laboratories supporting an 807M research budget across 272 active projects, producing 8,150+ scientific publications. Research is concentrated in advanced materials, nanotechnology, and clean energy, with UNESCO selecting Sabanci as an official partner for World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development 2026. The Ankara Project Office (established February 2019) channels R&D collaborations with defense industry and public-sector clients. The institution runs its own research-to-commercialization arm, the SUATT office, which manages patents and technology transfer.

Revenue mechanics rest on four streams: tuition from degree and professional programs, research grants and industry-funded projects, dormitory housing (2,942 beds, the highest ratio relative to student population in Turkey), and donations via the 'Make a Promise for the Future' (Geleceğe Söz Ver) scholarship fund, which supports 62% of students on scholarships. The university maintains 280+ international student exchange agreements and corporate partnerships including a mandatory study trip with Columbia Business School for EMBA participants. It is governed by a Board of Trustees (Mütevelli Heyeti) and reported 501-1,000 employees as a private, non-listed foundation entity.

Name

Sabanci University

Legal name

Sabancı Üniversitesi

Website

https://sabanciuniv.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Sabanci University is a private Turkish foundation university in Istanbul, operating three faculties that deliver 12 undergraduate, 52 graduate, and 17 doctoral programs plus nine professional master's tracks for working professionals, serving degree-seeking students, international exchange cohorts, and defense industry R&D partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Tuition revenue from undergraduate and graduate programs including professional master's degrees. Part-time professional programs with evening and Saturday classes generate recurring tuition income.
2. Research Funding: 807M research budget from funded projects, grants, and industry collaborations. Ankara Project Office supports defense industry and public sector R&D partnerships.
3. Student Housing: Dormitory services with 2,942 bed capacity generating housing revenue for students
4. Donations and Scholarships: 'Make a Promise for the Future' scholarship fund attracting donations to support talented students requiring financial assistance

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sabanci University is a private foundation university delivering higher education through undergraduate, graduate (thesis and non-thesis), and doctoral programs across three faculties (Engineering and Natural Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, and Management Sciences / Sabancı Business School). It also operates a portfolio of part-time Professional Graduate Programs for working professionals, a foundation English-language preparatory year, campus dormitory services, and applied research collaborations with public and industry partners.

Product overview

Sabancı University is Turkey's first 'departmental-less' university offering an interdisciplinary education model with program selection freedom. The institution comprises three core faculties (Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Faculty of Management Sciences/Sabancı Business School) providing 12 undergraduate diploma programs, 52 graduate programs, and 17 doctoral programs. The university operates a portfolio of Professional Graduate Programs (PYL) - practice-oriented, non-thesis, part-time evening and Saturday programs in engineering and management fields including Information Technology (MSIT), Cyber Security, Data Analytics, Executive MBA, Professional MBA, Masters in Finance, Masters in Marketing, Business Analytics, and Action Research & Transformation (mART). Additional offerings include foundation year language programs with English Language Assessment Exam (ELAE), research project support through the Ankara Project Office, and scholarship funding through the 'Make a Promise for the Future' initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sabancı Business School: The Faculty of Management Sciences operating under the Sabancı University umbrella, offering business and management programs.
• FENS (Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences)
• FASS (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences)
• Geleceğe Söz Ver (Make a Promise for the Future)

Products and services

• Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences (FENS) Programs Undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs in engineering and natural sciences for prospective and current university students.
• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Programs Interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs in humanities, social sciences, and the arts.
• Sabancı Business School (SBS) Programs Undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration, finance, marketing, and management.
• Professional Graduate Programs (PYL) Part-time, non-thesis professional master's degree programs for working professionals in engineering and management fields.
• Information Technology (MSIT) Professional Master's Program Non-thesis master's program developing IT generalists with skills across generative AI, data engineering, secure software development, network security, and digital transformation.
• Cyber Security Professional Master's Program Non-thesis master's program training cybersecurity experts through innovative approaches and applied security coursework.
• Data Analytics Professional Master's Program Non-thesis master's program combining statistics and modern computation to extract business value from large data sets.
• Executive MBA (EMBA) Part-time Executive MBA for senior professionals advancing into mid-to-high-level executive roles, including a Columbia Business School study trip.
• Professional MBA (PMBA) Professional MBA for managers building on academic background and professional experience across core business disciplines.
• Masters in Finance (MiF) 12-month, part-time professional master's in applied finance combining theoretical foundations with practical skills on digital data platforms.
• Masters in Marketing (MiM) Professional master's program in marketing integrating digital technologies and innovative marketing practices.
• Business Analytics Professional Master's (PBAN) Cross-disciplinary professional master's enabling data- and model-based business decisions for workforce capable of making data-driven strategic choices.
• Action Research & Transformation (mART) 11-month senior-executive master's in transformation management including live case analyses, workshops, and a Norway study trip.
• Foundation Development Year / English Language Assessment Exam (ELAE) Foundation English-language preparatory program with assessment exam (ELAE) used to determine student placement levels.
• On-campus Student Dormitory Services On-campus dormitory accommodation with 2,942 beds available to residential students, including deposit-based and scholarship-waived arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• QS World University Rankings 2027: Rose 47 places
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability16 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• National Chengchi University (NCCU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2026Chinese Language Center collaboration through NCCU Huayu BEST Program. International staff week and study abroad fair participation to strengthen academic partnerships between Taiwan and Turkey. Promoting Chinese language programs and Taiwan as study destination.
• UNESCOflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Official partner for UNESCO's World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development 2026 with activities starting March 4, 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Recognized for research excellence in advanced materials, nanotechnology, and clean energy supporting sustainable solutions globally.
• Columbia Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMandatory study trip to Columbia Business School in New York for Executive MBA participants. Courses in Negotiation, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship delivered by CBS faculty.
• Koç UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in International Staff Week and Study Abroad Fair. Academic collaboration and student exchange opportunities.
• Istanbul UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership engagement and academic collaboration through reciprocal visits.
• Romania National Institute for Isotopic and Molecular Technologies Research and DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement signed between Sabanci University and INCDTIM for joint research initiatives.
• Norway InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration including study trip to Norway as part of Action Research & Transformation (mART) program for senior executives.
• AkbankcoreOthersBanking partner for tuition fee collection. Campus branch located at University Center. Akbank Abone Collection System (ATS) for payments at any branch. Okul Ailem installment account for tuition payment plans.
• Gürsel TurizmminorOthersShuttle transportation services provider operating campus shuttle routes to 4.Levent, Kadıköy, Kozyatağı, Kurtköy, Viaport, and İçmeler locations.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Koc University: Private Istanbul-based foundation university backed by the Koc Group (the Sabancı Group's chief industrial peer). Operates a comparable interdisciplinary research model with English-language instruction, scholarships, and a similar three-faculty structure, making it the closest head-to-head peer for students and faculty.
• Bilkent University: Turkey's first private research university, located in Ankara. Competes with Sabancı for top Turkish students and faculty, with comparable scholarship rates, English-medium instruction, and a research-intensive positioning.
• Ozyegin University: Newer Istanbul-based private foundation university backed by the Ozyegin family/Husnu Ozyegin. Competes for the same Istanbul student pool with scholarship-funded, English-medium, interdisciplinary programs.
• TOBB University of Economics and Technology (TOBB ETU): Ankara-based private foundation university with strong engineering and economics programs. Overlaps with Sabancı on scholarship-funded private education and corporate-linked governance.
• Kadir Has University: Istanbul-based private foundation university offering interdisciplinary programs across social sciences, engineering, and management. Competes for Istanbul students and faculty in a similar tier.

Broad incumbents

• Bogazici University: Istanbul's flagship public research university and historically Turkey's most internationally recognized higher-ed brand. Competes for the same top-tier student cohort and faculty despite the public-versus-foundation distinction.
• Middle East Technical University (METU / ODTU): Turkey's leading public research university, with deep engineering and natural sciences research output. Competes directly with FENS for graduate students, research funding, and STEM talent.
• Istanbul Technical University (ITU): Turkey's premier public engineering university and a major producer of STEM research output. Overlaps with Sabancı FENS in engineering disciplines and applied research partnerships.
• Hacettepe University: Major public research university in Ankara with significant output in engineering, natural sciences, and medical research. Competes with Sabancı for research talent, funding, and graduate students.
• Carnegie Mellon University: Global research-intensive university with comparable interdisciplinary engineering, computer science, and management programs. Provides an aspirational benchmark for Sabancı's interdisciplinary and AI/cybersecurity professional graduate portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sabanciu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/sabanciuniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/grafikasu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sabanci-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/sabanci_university
• TikToktiktok.com/@sabanci_university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Sabanci University