Magtymguly Turkmen State University (also called Turkmen State University) is a public university in Ashgabat. It was created on 14 July 1950 by reorganising the Ashgabat Pedagogical Institute, which dated from 1931, and it has carried the name of the poet Magtymguly Pyragy since 1993.[1] The IAU World Higher Education Database lists 9,048 students for 2024–2025.[2]
We could not confirm a place in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Tuition, entry rules for foreign applicants and language requirements are not published on the pages we could read; the language of instruction is listed as Turkmen.[2] Sources on this country are thin, so this page states what is documented and marks the gaps.
Key facts
| Official name | Magtymguly adyndaky Türkmen döwlet uniwersiteti (Magtymguly Turkmen State University)[2] |
| Location | Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (S. Turkmenbashy Avenue 31, 744000)[3] |
| Type | Public, co-educational[2] |
| Founded | 14 July 1950, by reorganising the Ashgabat Pedagogical Institute (1931); named after Maxim Gorky first, renamed after Magtymguly Pyragy in 1993[1] |
| Students | 9,048 (2024–2025, IAU WHED). Other figures differ by source: 8,041 on Wikipedia, “over 7,000” in a 2023 state-media report[2] |
| Academic staff | 425 full-time (2019–2020), of whom 79 hold a doctorate[2] |
| Academic units | 13 faculties and units listed on the university’s website (for example mathematics, information technology, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, languages, history, law)[3] |
| Degree awarded | Hünärmeniň diplomy (specialist diploma), according to IAU WHED; a 2023 state-media report also mentions bachelor’s and master’s programmes[2] |
| Language of instruction | Turkmen (IAU WHED); the website is available in Turkmen, English and Russian[2] |
| Admission | Competitive entrance exam, open to holders of a general or special secondary school certificate[2] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | Not confirmed (no position found in a source we could read) |
| Times Higher Education 2026 | One of 13 Turkmen universities listed with “reporter” status[4] |
| Tuition | Not listed by IAU WHED; no figure found on the university’s website[2] |
| Official website | tdu.edu.tm |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.
About Magtymguly Turkmen State University
The university in its present form dates from 14 July 1950, when the Ashgabat Pedagogical Institute, which existed from 1931, was reorganised into a university. It was first named after Maxim Gorky and was renamed after the Turkmen poet Magtymguly Pyragy in 1993.[1] Sources disagree on the founding year: Wikipedia’s text gives 1950, while the IAU database gives 1931 for the pedagogical institute, which it says became Turkmen State University in 1950.[2] A 2023 report in the state newspaper “Golden Age” also states 1931.[5]
The university is based at S. Turkmenbashy Avenue 31 in Ashgabat.[3] Wikipedia adds that part of Moscow State University was evacuated to Ashgabat during the Second World War and worked in the building of the pedagogical institute, and that the current main building dates from 2007.[1]
How is Magtymguly Turkmen State University ranked?
We could not confirm a position in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (published 18 June 2026): none of the sources we could read names this university in the ranking. The text above therefore gives no QS figure.
A Turkmen embassy news item lists the university among 13 Turkmen institutions included in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 with “reporter” status; it gives no rank.[4] A 2023 state-media report says the university was the first Turkmen institution to appear in the “All University Info” list, which the article connects to the QS ranking, and it gives no position either. This is a state source and the claim is not independently verified.[5] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat any single position as one view. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at Magtymguly Turkmen State University?
The university’s website lists 13 academic units, among them mathematics, information technology, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, Turkmen, English and Roman-Germanic and Oriental languages, history, law, and units for advanced professional training and vocational guidance.[3] The IAU database lists fields such as applied mathematics, computer science, radiophysics, zoology, history, political sciences, law, and languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Persian and Turkish.[2]
The degree recorded by IAU is the “Hünärmeniň diplomy”, a specialist diploma.[2] The 2023 state-media report says the university offers specialist, bachelor’s and master’s programmes.[5] Details of individual curricula were not available in English on the pages we could read; for the current programme list, contact the university.
The 2023 report counts 12 faculties and more than 7,000 students; the website we read now lists 13 units. Faculty counts depend on how units are grouped, so we use the website’s own list.[5]
How much does Magtymguly Turkmen State University cost?
We found no published tuition figure for this university. IAU WHED lists no fees,[2] and the English pages of the university’s website that we could read give none.[3]
For context only: an AKIpress report of August 2019, citing the state news agency TDH, said that higher education in Turkmenistan was moving to a paid model, with annual fees of 6,000 to 8,000 manats at the institutes it named. This university was not among its examples, and the figures concern the 2019 intake of domestic students, not foreign students.[6] Do not read them as the current fee here. Ask the university directly for current amounts.
How do you apply to Magtymguly Turkmen State University?
IAU records a competitive entrance exam, open to holders of a general or special secondary school certificate.[2] We did not find a published procedure for international applicants (documents, quotas, government agreements or visa steps) on the pages we could read, and we do not guess one.
We give no deadlines. For admission as a foreign student, contact the university using the details on its website (telephone +993 12 94-67-30, e-mail tdu@tdu.edu.tm) and check with the education authorities of your own country.[3]
Which language do you need?
IAU records Turkmen as the language of instruction.[2] The website’s main content is in Turkmen; it can also be switched to English and Russian.[3] Wikipedia says the language faculties teach programmes in about ten languages, including Turkmen, English, Russian and Chinese.[1]
We found no published language certificate requirement (such as a required level in Turkmen or Russian) and no English-taught degree. Ask the university what level it expects before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the QS ranking of Magtymguly Turkmen State University?
We could not confirm one. No source we could read gives a position for this university in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Times Higher Education lists it with “reporter” status in its 2026 edition.[4]
Is Turkmen State University the same as Magtymguly Turkmen State University?
Yes. It was renamed after the poet Magtymguly Pyragy in 1993; before that it carried the name of Maxim Gorky.[1]
What language is used for teaching?
IAU lists Turkmen as the language of instruction.[2] We found no English-taught degree.
How many students does the university have?
How much are the fees for foreign students?
We found no published figure. Contact the university for current amounts.[3]
More about studying in Turkmenistan
- Turkmenistan: best universities
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Turkmenistan
- International University of Humanities and Development
- Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction
- Turkmen State Medical University
Sources
[1] Wikipedia: Turkmen State University (page without a date; secondary source for history and name)
[2] IAU World Higher Education Database: Magtymguly Turkmen State University (page updated 5 Aug 2024)
[3] Magtymguly Turkmen State University: official website (page read 7 Nov 2026, latest news item dated 3 Nov 2026; student counters on the page show 0 and were not used)
[4] Embassy of Turkmenistan: Thirteen Turkmen universities included in the world university rankings (state source, dated 15 Oct (year not shown on the page; Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026))
[5] Golden Age (state newspaper, turkmenistan.gov.tm): TSU named after Magtymguly is the first university of Turkmenistan in the list of All University Info (state media, 23 Jun 2023)
[6] AKIpress: All Turkmenistan’s universities to charge tuition fees (news report, 23 Aug 2019, citing TDH; context only)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.