@article{article_1649248, title={QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED TURKISH UNIVERSITIES USING THE SLACK-BASED MEASURE DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS}, journal={Journal of Management Theory and Practices Research}, volume={6}, pages={175–186}, year={2025}, author={Sözen, Mervenur and Sözen, Çağlar}, keywords={Akademik Performans, Veri Zarflama Analizi, SBM-DEA, Panel Veri Analizi, Yükseköğretim Kalitesi}, abstract={This study aims to evaluate the efficiency performance of Turkey’s most prestigious universities on a global scale by assessing their resource management, academic output, and strategic effectiveness. The analysis focuses on 16 universities that ranked within the top 1000 globally between 2020 and 2023, including Ankara University, Atatürk University, Atılım University, Bilkent University, Boğaziçi University, Ege University, Gazi University, Gebze Technical University, Hacettepe University, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul University, Koç University, Middle East Technical University, Sabancı University, and TOBB University. The study employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) using the Slack-Based Measure (SBM) model to measure university efficiency. Input variables include the number of professors, associate professors, and assistant professors, while output variables are the number of publications and projects. An output-oriented model with variable returns to scale was adopted to emphasize scientific output. In the second phase, the study investigates additional structural and functional factors that may influence university efficiency, such as the number of lecturers (x1), research assistants (x2), administrative staff (x3), undergraduate (x4), master’s (x5), and doctoral (x6) students. These variables were tested using panel data analysis. Model selection was guided by the Lagrange Multiplier Test, F-Test, and Hausman Test to assess the significance of individual and temporal effects. The findings indicate that academic and administrative staff composition and student profiles significantly affect institutional efficiency. This research provides valuable insights to inform strategic decision-making processes in Turkish higher education institutions. It offers practical recommendations for enhancing resource utilization, boosting academic performance, and formulating policies to improve the sustainability and global competitiveness of Turkey’s higher education system.}, number={1}, publisher={Akademik Çalışmalar Derneği}