Ankara University is an institution that has integrated and identified the history and mission of the Republic with its nation. The establishment of the Republic of Turkey was far more than a change in the system of governance; it was a comprehensive societal transformation based on modern science, contemporary democratic values, and institutions. Similarly, the founding of Ankara University not only fulfilled traditional university objectives but also embodied a unique mission.

Ankara University was established by the direct initiative of the Great Leader Atatürk, with the aim of laying the foundations of Atatürk’s principles and reforms, disseminating and embedding these principles throughout the country, and acting as a staunch defender of these values that represent modernity, science, and enlightenment.

The first and most significant higher education initiatives of the young Republic included:

  • The Law School, established in 1925 to train jurists for the new legal order of the secular and democratic Republic,

  • The Higher Institute of Agriculture, launched in 1933 to serve Turkish farmers,

  • The Faculty of Language, History and Geography, founded in 1935 to research Anatolia’s rich culture and to build linguistic and cultural bridges between Turkey and the world,

  • The School of Political Sciences, which had been training senior public administrators under the name “Mekteb-i Mülkiye” since 1859, and was relocated to Ankara in 1936 upon Atatürk’s special instruction and interest.

Additionally, the Faculties of Medicine and Science, whose groundwork was laid by Atatürk but whose establishment was delayed to the early 1940s due to World War II, must also be noted.

Ankara University, officially established in 1946 with foundational faculties such as Law, Language and History-Geography, Science, and Medicine, has developed as follows:

  • In 1948, the Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine of the Higher Institute of Agriculture were incorporated into the University.

  • In 1949, the Faculty of Theology was founded.

  • The School of Political Sciences, founded in 1936, was granted faculty status in 1950.

  • In 1960, the Faculty of Pharmacy was established.

  • The School of Dentistry, founded in 1963, became the Faculty of Dentistry in 1977.

  • In 1965, the Faculty of Educational Sciences was established.

  • Also in 1965, the School of Press and Broadcasting, now the Faculty of Communication, was founded.

  • In 2001, the Faculty of Engineering was established, separating from the Faculty of Science.

  • The Faculty of Health Education, which began operations in 1996, was renamed the Faculty of Health Sciences in 2007.

  • The School of Physical Education and Sports, which began in 1993, was renamed the Faculty of Sports Sciences in 2013.

  • In 2014, the Faculty of Applied Sciences was established.

  • Although officially established in 1996, the Faculty of Fine Arts became active in 2015, making it the University’s 17th faculty.

  • In 2017, the Faculty of Nursing, comprising two departments (Nursing and Midwifery), was established.

Today, Ankara University is a prestigious institution comprising 19 faculties, 14 graduate schools (institutes), 12 vocational schools, 1 school, 1 state conservatory, and 44 research centers. Currently, 4,191 highly qualified academic staff members are employed at Ankara University.