Cities / Istanbul / MEF International School Istanbul
MEF International School Istanbul
Single-campus school in Levent offering British and IB curricula from early years through IB Diploma, accredited by CIS and NEASC. A full renovation completed in 2025-2026 has upgraded classrooms, sports halls, and the cafeteria, and recent families highlight improved parent…
In brief
One of the longest-running IB World Schools in Turkey, set on a 36-acre campus in Ulus and graduating students with both an IB Diploma and an American High School Diploma.
MEF International opened in 1998, not 2004 as the DB has it, and has run the IB Diploma since that founding year. The structure is unusual: IB PYP from preschool through Grade 5, Cambridge Lower Secondary and IGCSE in the middle years, then back to the IB Diploma in Grades 11 and 12. Roughly 300 students from over 50 nationalities, most teachers are foreign hires, and the campus is shared with the Turkish-track MEF National School.
Families who like the school describe it as warm, safe, and strong on pastoral care, with happy younger children and a tight community feel. The recurring critique sits in the middle years. Some parents feel the PYP runs light on structure and homework, and a recent thread of complaint points at budget tightening under newer administration affecting teacher continuity and food. Strong signal still around the IB Diploma itself.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-School / Pre-K | 3 | Annual | TRY 908,985 |
| Kindergarten | 5 | Annual | TRY 1,288,210 |
| Primary 1-5 | 6 | Annual | TRY 1,601,600 |
| Middle 6-7 | 11 | Annual | TRY 1,652,228 |
| Middle 8 | 13 | Annual | TRY 1,661,275 |
| High 9-11 | 14 | Annual | TRY 1,732,500 |
| IB Year 1 | 16 | Annual | TRY 1,738,852 |
| High 12 | 17 | Annual | TRY 1,775,620 |
| IB Year 2 | 17 | Annual | TRY 1,781,202 |
| Application Fee (non-refundable) | One-time | TRY 48,125 | |
| Registration Fee (non-refundable) | One-time | TRY 163,625 |
Reviews
- Reviews are polarised across years and roles. Recent parents praise renovated campus, very small classes (cited as up to 12 per class) and improvements to middle and high school staff for 2025-26.
- Older critical reviews and one Reddit thread flag teacher turnover, weak homework, and an extremely non-secure environment with bullying complaints not actioned by school leadership.
- Teacher-side commentary is more positive, with current and former staff calling Istanbul safe and the school environment good; ISR reviews are described by one Reddit user as terrible but feeling slightly coordinated.
- Pre-K to grade 12 on a single campus and the social rhythm (weekly parent meetings, monthly parent-teacher catch-ups) come up repeatedly as practical strengths.
- Earlier critical voices specifically called out budget cuts under newer upper administration as the trigger for declining teacher quality.
Head of school
Ms. Elvan Tongal
Elvan Tongal is the Assistant General Manager of MEF Schools and the Head of School of MEF International Schools Istanbul and Izmir. She has 33 years of professional experience, including 18 years of administrative roles. She worked as a History Teacher in many private schools, notably as the Founding Director of SEV American College. Specializing in the IB Diploma Program, Ms. Tongal has been the IB Workshop Leader since 2013. She also completed her certification program and was entitled as the IB Evaluation Team member in 2023. She has been working as a part-time instructor at the Teachers’ Academy Foundation (ÖRAV) since 2010. She has taken part in important projects such as ‘Sabancı University Alternative History Book Writing’, ‘No Teaching Limit’ and ‘Digital European Union: Turkish E-Book for High School and Primary School Students. A graduate of Marmara University, Department of History, Ms. Tongal holds Sabancı University Alternative History Books and Bahçeşehir University Education Management and Supervision Master’s degrees. Elvan Tongal is a digital immigrant and a hopeful traveller on the learning path.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 02
Academic results
- Result IB DP avg 35 points 2022
- Result 100% pass rate 2022
- Result IGCSE 76% A*-C 2022