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Turkey, Tarsus
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The school was founded in 1888 as St. Paul's College under the supervision of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) based in Boston, Massachusetts. Shepard Hall was the first building and Stickler Hall, completed in 1911, was the tallest building in Tarsus at the time and Stickler became TAC's symbol. In its early years it was called St. Paul's Institute, and since 1930 the name has been Tarsus American College. After the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923, the government nationalized and secularized education, adding Turkish cultural lessons taught by Turkish teachers and increasing Turkish enrollment; the curriculum became secular while the faculty remained a mix of American and local teachers. TAC is now managed by the Health and Education Foundation (SEV), a Turkish non-profit founded by graduates of UAA, ACI, and TAC (the SEV American Schools) and Talas American Middle School in 1968; co-education began in 1979, the boarding section for preparatory students was closed and reopened for boys in 2002, and boarding for girls began in 2008.
TAC offers a wide-ranging student-life program including clubs, sports, arts, social service, international projects, and support services. The campus supports life at the dormitory with ongoing activities and trips. TAC hosts events that engage the school community, such as the TACSEV Sports Festival with four SEV sister schools, and assemblies marking national holidays with student performances and music.
The TAC PTA fosters active communication, cooperation, and integration between the school and families and includes the school principal, assistant principals, teachers, and parent representatives. Members are elected at the General Assembly at the start of each academic year and every parent is a natural member, ensuring representation from all grade levels. The PTA aims to reinforce commitment to Atatürk principles and reforms, develop humanitarian values, inform parents about educational goals and activities, and cultivate self-discipline, respect, and tolerance. It also proposes new measures to the School Administration, supports the school in its endeavors with transparency, and organizes co-curricular events to enrich the educational experience. The PTA's operations are governed by the relevant laws and the Ministry of Education regulations, with an Executive Board assigning duties to its members.
Tarsus American College (TAC) is a private, coeducational day and boarding high school in Tarsus, Turkey, offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme alongside a Turkish national curriculum. Since 2004 TAC delivers the IB Diploma, and it remains the only IBDP school in the Mediterranean region. In grade 9 students decide whether to pursue the IB pathway from grade 10, completing grades 10–11 to receive both the national diploma and the IB diploma. The school teaches Turkish for language and social subjects, while core English, science and mathematics are taught in English; TAC Prep English provides an immersion year for incoming students. The campus includes green spaces, an indoor sports hall, and boarding for 140 students. The Korkut Beriker Library holds about 15,000 books and major databases, and CIS accreditation has been renewed through 2004–2024. An Elite Artist Program (2023) enriches visual and performing arts, with trips to NASA and CERN.
