Istanbul Technical University (, commonly referred to as ITU or The Technical University) is an international technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third-oldest technical university dedicated to engineering sciences as well as social sciences recently, and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey. ITU is ranked 142nd worldwide (1st nationwide) in the field of "Engineering & Technology", and 303rd worldwide (2nd nationwide) in the field of "Natural Sciences" by the QS World University Rankings in 2022. The university has 99 undergraduate, 192 graduate programs, 14 faculties, labs with total 154,000 m2 area, and 12 research centers. The lecturer / student ratio is 1/25. Acceptance to the university is competitive, and entrance to most of its departments require scoring among the top 1% of nearly 2 million applicants at the national university entrance examination known as "YKS" every year. Graduates of ITU have received many TUBITAK science and TUBA awards. Numerous graduates have also become members of the academy of sciences in the USA, UK and Russia. The university's basketball team, İTÜ BK, is in the Turkish Basketball Super League. History Ottoman Empire Considered as the world's third institution of higher learning specifically dedicated to engineering education, Istanbul Technical University (ITU) has a long and distinguished history. ITU was founded in 1773 by Sultan Mustafa III, as an important institution in the Nizam-ı Cedid reforms, as the Imperial School of Naval Engineering (Mühendishâne-i Bahrî-i Hümâyun), in the Kasımpaşa quarter on the Golden Horn, originally dedicated to train ship builders and cartographers for the Ottoman Navy. In 1795 the Imperial School of Military Engineering () was established in the nearby Hasköy quarter on the Golden Horn, and the scope of the school was broadened to train technical military staff for the modernization of the Ottoman Army. In 1845 the engineering function of the school was further widened with the addition of a program devoted to the training of architects. The scope and name of the school were extended and changed again in 1883, and in 1909 the school became a public engineering school which was aimed at training civil engineers who could provide the infrastructure for the rapidly developing country. Modern Turkey By 1928 the institution had gained formal recognition as a university of engineering which provided education in both engineering and architecture. In 1944 the name of the institution was changed to Istanbul Technical