Turkish universities are becoming an increasingly popular destination for students from around the globe, signalling the importance of the growing education sector for Turkey. Between the 2005-2006 and the 2011-2012 school year, the number of international students attending Turkish universities more than doubled, from 15,481 to 31,170. The same period witnessed an increase of 40 percent in the number of Turkish students attending university. Students come from 155 countries to study in Turkey.