YTU was founded as Kondüktör Mekteb-i Âlisi (English: Conductors School of Higher Education) in order to meet the "science officer", known previously as conductors, and today as technicians, needs of the Municipality Public Works Section.

The school was modeled on the syllabus of the Ecole de Conducteur and was affiliated with the Ministry of Public Works.

In the early period, the school consisted of civil and mechanical departments, educating students as technical officers and engineers.

The new university incorporated a Science Institute, a Social Sciences Institute, and the departments of Science-Literature and Engineering, Foreign Languages, Turkish Language, Atatürk Principles & the History of Revolution, Physical Education and Fine Arts.

Moreover, in the broad subject area of "Engineering & Technology", YTU stands at 357th place worldwide.

[25] By URAP 2018, Yıldız Technical University is ranked 868th (overall) and 461st in the subject area "Engineering".