Near East University, Nicosia — Admissions, Programs and Tuition

Near East University is a private university in Nicosia — Lefkoşa — in North Cyprus, and among the Cyprus options its published catalogue is one of the largest: 38 programs on this page, spanning associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral study.

Two features of that list matter most to an Iranian applicant. First the language split: 16 programs are taught in English and 22 in Turkish, so English-taught study here is a substantial part of the catalogue rather than an exception to it. Second the mix of fields: nursing is the largest family with nine entries, while medicine appears with two and engineering with two.

Annual tuition ranges from €1,254 to €12,600. That spread is normal, because an associate entry and a medical degree sit in the same table — which is why "the tuition at this university" is a meaningless number until you name the program. And note that these figures are euros, not dollars.

The real advantage here is three things arriving together: a large catalogue, a genuinely usable English-taught set, and a low fee floor. If your English is at pass level and you would rather not spend a year on Turkish preparation, the 16 English-taught entries give you an actual choice — which is not something every comparable university on this site can offer.

The second advantage is depth in health, with one distinction worth making. The depth in this catalogue is in nursing and its neighbouring fields, which account for nine entries — not in medicine, which is present with two. If nursing is your goal, this is one of the widest-choice pages on this site for you. If medicine is your goal, the choice is narrower and the quota tighter.

The figure above is the university's own tuition — not our fee. Everything involved in getting you admitted here, from checking your documents to holding your acceptance letter, is done at no cost to you.

Admission at North Cyprus private universities is assessed on your high-school record, and Iran's national entrance exam plays no part in it. For master's and doctoral study, the previous degree and its transcripts are the basis of assessment.

The 16 English-taught programs require a language certificate or a pass in the university's own language exam; for the 22 Turkish-taught programs, a Turkish preparatory year is the usual route. Requirements specific to the health programs — grade thresholds, which certificates are accepted — are confirmed with the university each year rather than guessed at.

A standard file holds your high-school transcripts and diploma with official translations, a copy of a valid passport, a passport photo and, for English-taught programs, a language certificate. Master's and doctoral applications add the previous degree and its transcripts, and some programs also ask for a statement of purpose and references.

Preparing and checking those documents is part of the same free service. In North Cyprus files the most common cause of delay is an incomplete translation or a passport without enough validity left to cover the course — not the applicant's academic record.

Like every university operating in North Cyprus, Near East University is supervised and accredited by YÖDAK (the North Cyprus Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination Council). YÖDAK is listed in the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) database as an "affiliate member" — affiliate, not full member.

Separately, Turkey's Higher Education Council (YÖK) recognizes North Cyprus universities individually. On the published list from the North Cyprus Consulate General in Istanbul (drawn from Turkey's 2019 national exam guidebook), Near East University is one of the universities recognized by YÖK. Because that list traces back to an older edition and recognition status can change, we re-confirm the current YÖK recognition status before any commitment, in the free consultation. Full detail on both layers of accreditation is in the [guide to studying in North Cyprus](/guides/studying-in-north-cyprus).

Medicine appears in the published list with two entries, and its fee sits in the upper part of the €1,254 to €12,600 range. As at every private university in the region, the medical quota is limited and closes before the rest of the catalogue.

On course details — the language of instruction for each entry, how the clinical years are organised, which teaching hospitals are involved — we state only what the university has confirmed. We go and ask before your free consultation, so what you get is this year's answer.

Nicosia, called Lefkoşa locally, is the capital and largest city of North Cyprus, set inland away from the coast — a working capital of ministries, offices, and several universities rather than a resort. Student life is woven through it: cafes and budget lunch spots fill the streets around campuses, and the old town inside the star-shaped Venetian walls is where evenings tend to end. There is no rail on the island, so buses, shared minibuses, and university shuttles do the moving. Costs are modest by capital-city standards, and shared flats are common near the universities. Summers are hot and dry, winters short and mild. It is also famously a divided city, with walk-through crossing points linking north and south.