She earned her bachelor's degree in Political Science and Classical Studies from Middlebury College in Vermont, USA.
Zarakol continued her academic pursuits at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she obtained both an MA and a PhD in political science.
Following her graduation, she held a tenure-track assistant professor position in Politics at Washington & Lee University in Virginia.
[5] The book was published in Turkish in 2012 as Yenilgiden Sonra: Doğu Batı ile Yaşamayı Nasıl Öğrendi by Koç University Press.
[4] Zarakol was awarded the 2023 Rahmi M. Koç Medal of Science, an annual prize recognizing contributions to a scholar's field by an individual of Turkish descent.