Turkey, Istanbul
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MEF International School Istanbul provides education for ages 3 to 18, offering IB Primary Years Programme, IB Diploma Programme, and Cambridge Secondary with IGCSE. The nine-acre campus is in Ortaköy, shared with MEF National School. The Early Childhood Center serves Preschool to Kindergarten separately; the Primary School occupies the lower floors and the Secondary School the upper floors. Facilities include a Whole School library, a dedicated reading library, fully wired computer labs and science laboratories, MEF Tech with a makerspace, iMac Lab, Lego Robotics, Greenbox Studio, plus wireless infrastructure and smartboards. Sports facilities comprise two outdoor pitches, a tennis court, a 25m heated pool with stadium seating, an indoor gym, a dance studio and playgrounds. The program features a broad co-curricular offering, including Math Olympiad, MUN and Code Monkey; Arts studios and music spaces; service-learning and a Student Council. IB DP includes CAS, EE and TOK as core components today.
MEF International School Istanbul has 400 pupils, typical class sizes of 6, instruction in English.
Located in Ortaköy, Istanbul, on the European side, MEF International School, Istanbul sits near the city center. The campus spans 9 acres and shares facilities with MEF National School. The address is Ulus Mah. Leylak Sok. No:22, 34340 Ulus, Besiktas, Istanbul, Turkey.
Early Childhood Centre (Preschool through Kindergarten); Primary School (Grades 1–5); Middle School (Grades 6–12); High School (Overview, Cambridge IGCSE, IB Diploma Programme, and IB Certificate Programme).
Guidance Counseling; English Language Learning; Learning Support; Career Counseling; Overseas College Counseling.
Bus service for the 2025–2026 Academic Year is provided by Transay Transportation & Employee Services Co., a company operating in the transportation sector since 1989. Parents can register via the MEF IS School Bus Sign-Up Form. For inquiries, contact MEF IS bus liaison Ms. Derya Seyitoğlu at T: +90 549 171 75 11 or +90 212 275 30 03, E: mef@transay.com.tr or deryaseyitoglu@transay.com.tr.
Annual tuition at MEF International School Istanbul ranges from TRY 23,610 to TRY 42,915 for 2026/27.
MEF International School Istanbul teaches IB (PYP), IB (DP), Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE for students aged 3 to 18.
Cambridge IGCSE is offered in Grades 9–10; in Grades 11–12 MEF IS offers either the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) or the IB Certificate Programme (Course Certificate route). The IB Diploma Programme uses six subjects across Groups 1–6 with Core Components: CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service); Extended Essay (EE); and Theory of Knowledge (TOK).
Staff to student ratio is 5:2.
2024: MEFIS Highest Score 44; MEFIS Average 32; Global Average 30.32. 2023: Highest 40; Average 32; Global Average 30.24. 2022: Highest 44; Average 34; Global Average 31.98. 2021: Highest 43; Average 37; Global Average 32.98. 2020: Highest 42; Average 33; Global Average 31.34.
Almost 100% of graduates have attended world-class universities. 2022 university acceptances include UK: Imperial College London; Newcastle University; The University of Nottingham; University of Bristol; University of Cambridge; University of Kent; University of Manchester; University of Reading; University of Sheffield; University of Southampton; University of Surrey; University of Warwick. USA: Boston College; Boston University; Drexel University; Fordham University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Hofstra University; Indiana University Bloomington; Michigan State University; North Carolina State University; Pennsylvania State University—University Park; Pepperdine University; Texas A&M University; Texas Christian University; UC campuses (Davis, Santa Cruz, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara); University of Indianapolis; University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; University of Massachusetts Amherst; University of Massachusetts Boston; University of Miami; University of Minnesota; University of Wisconsin. Canada: McGill University; McMaster University; Toronto Metropolitan University; University of British Columbia; University of Toronto. Europe: Trinity College Dublin; Erasmus University College; Jacobs University; Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano; Stenden University of Applied Sciences; TIO University of Applied Sciences; Universidad Carlos III de Madrid; University College Maastricht; University of Amsterdam; University of Twente; Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Wageningen University and Research Centre; Yeditepe University.
PSHE is taught in Early Childhood Centre, Primary School, Middle School and High School. Guidance Counseling is available to support student welfare.
Learning Support is available as part of Student Support Services. If applying with a learning disability, provide medical, psychological, and/or educational reports and the Individual Education Plan in English.
The medium of instruction is English; English Language Learning is offered for students.
Guidance Counseling is available to support student wellbeing.
Anti-Bullying Procedure and Child Protection Policy are in place.
1. Submit the MEF IS Application Form for new students and pay the application fee. Applications are considered only after the fee is paid, and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. For the 2026-2027 school year, grade placement requires successful completion of the previous grade level, and the academic year runs from September to June. A proficient level of English is required for enrolment in Grades 9-12 (at least A2), with an intermediate level (B1-B2) for Grades 10-12; the school may administer a WIDA English assessment at its discretion.
Scholarships may be offered; if a student is found eligible for a scholarship, whether full or partial, the tuition fee will be refunded to the parent/guardian within two months after the start of the academic year.
There is currently no waiting list for entry into MEF IS Istanbul. From time to time, classes can reach maximum capacity, so applying early is advisable.