Aiming for Germany? How to choose your YKS preferences
The preference window opens each July, and most students build their list thinking only about Turkey. If you want to study in Germany, the program you are placed in through YKS can limit which fields you can apply to there.
Auf dieser Seite
If you are aiming for a bachelor's in Germany, look beyond your YKS score to the program you will actually be placed in. According to DAAD Türkiye, students placed in a bachelor's program via YKS can apply in Germany to programs with the same or a similar name. Which different programs count as "similar", though, is judged by each university against its own conditions. So the clearest option is to list the program that shares its name with your German target; if you are considering a different one, verify the match with the target university before you submit your choices.
Decide your German target first. Settle what you want to study in Germany; the clearest match is being placed in the same-named program in Turkey.
Verify a different program first. Whether a different-named program counts as "similar" is not something we can decide. Ask the target university before you choose.
Do not choose only for Germany. Do not list a subject you do not actually want to study in Turkey just because it fits Germany; your plan may change or the application may be rejected.
Für wen es gilt
Students in the 2026 YKS preference window aiming for a bachelor's in Germany.
If your target in Germany is X, what should you pick in Turkey?
The rule is that you can apply to a German bachelor's with the same or a similar name to the program you were placed in. Whether it counts as "similar" is the university's final call, judged against its curriculum. The table below does not make that call; it shows what to do in each case.
| Your target in Germany | Safe approach in Turkey | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| A specific bachelor's program | If possible, the program with the same name | Clearest match [1] |
| Your ranking will not reach the same program | Ask the target university whether a close one counts as similar | We cannot decide similarity [1] |
| You want to change field | Do not assume direct admission follows automatically | A separate route may apply [1] |
| Your German target is not yet clear | Choose programs you could actually study in Turkey | No universal list |
No guide or site, including this one, can state the concrete match ("this Turkish subject is similar to that German one"); that assessment depends on the university and the curriculum. After placement, verify your own case in anabin and on the target university's page.
Sequence for the preference window
In 2026, preferences were submitted between 29 July and 10 August; that window has closed. The order carries over to the next cycle unchanged: settle your German target first, then build the list. If your placement result is already announced, the after-placement guide is the one to read next.
Before choosing
Decide which subject you are aiming for in Germany; that is the starting point.
Building the list
If possible, put the same-named program at the top. If you are considering a different one, ask the target university whether it counts as similar. [1]
After placement
Check your own case in anabin with the program you were placed in, and read the target university's application page. [3]
Admission in Germany also depends on other conditions like language and the program's capacity; the field match is not a guarantee on its own.
Why the preference matters for Germany
Your score determines which programs in Turkey you can be placed in. For a German application, the field of that program also matters: according to DAAD Türkiye, you can apply to a German bachelor's with the same or a similar name to the program you were placed in. Your preference list is therefore a decision about Germany as well.
Do not choose a subject you do not actually want to study in Turkey just because it fits a Germany plan. If that plan changes or the application is rejected, you should be ready to study the program you were placed in. [1]
How to think about the field match
The clearest choice is being placed in Turkey in the same-named program as your German target. The university you apply to decides whether a different-named program counts as "similar", judging it against the curriculum.
No fixed matching list exists anywhere. Ask yourself two questions instead. Does the Turkish program I am choosing have the same name as my German target? If not, does that university accept it as similar? Asking the second one before you choose beats finding out afterwards. [1]
Not sure which preference fits Germany?
Enter your target subject and your situation, and see which program to aim for in Turkey to keep your route to Germany open.
- Five questions, roughly two minutes
- No account and no payment
- Ends with a route for your own case
- If your case is not clear-cut, an advisor takes it from there
Unsere Gebühr schließt die Bearbeitungsgebühr von uni-assist ein, und Ihre Unterlagen werden geprüft, bevor Sie etwas zahlen.
Wie können Sie sich in Deutschland bewerben?
Ca. 2 Minuten · Kein Passwort nötig
Häufige Fragen
Do I have to be placed in the exact same subject in Turkey to study it in Germany?
Not exactly the same. You can apply to a German bachelor's with the same or a similar name to the program you were placed in. The clearest option is the same-named program; if you consider a different one, verify with the university whether it counts as similar.
My ranking is not high enough for my target subject. What should I do?
If you cannot be placed in the same-named program, ask the target university before you choose whether the program you are considering counts as similar. Neither we nor a blog can decide similarity.
I want to change field in Germany. How should I choose my preferences?
When changing field, do not assume direct admission follows automatically; a separate route may apply. Check the target university's requirements in advance.
How current is this information?
The rule rests on DAAD Türkiye and was checked on 22 July 2026. Always verify the concrete program match on your target university's page.
Quellen
- [1]DAAD Türkiye, Almanya'da lisans eğitimine başvuru şartları · Zuletzt geprüft:
- [2]ÖSYM, YKS tercih takvimi · Zuletzt geprüft:
- [3]anabin (KMK/ZAB), diploma türüne göre giriş kontrolü · Zuletzt geprüft:
Was sich geändert hat
- : Updated after the preference window closed; the ordering below carries over to the next cycle.
Ihr Weg mit diesem Ergebnis?
Unsere Gebühr schließt die Bearbeitungsgebühr von uni-assist ein, und Ihre Unterlagen werden geprüft, bevor Sie etwas zahlen.
Meinen Weg findenStudienkolleg2026 YKS preference window (29 July to 10 August, now closed); last checked 15 August 2026