Aim: This study was a cross-sectional study aimed at determining depression prevalence and comparing levels of perceived social support in resident and refugee students attending secondary and high schools in the Bağcılar county of Istanbul. Materials and Methods: A total of 563 students (277 residents and 286 refugees) who were enrolled in a secondary school, two high schools and a temporary training center were included. The students answered the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results: When the refugee and resident students were compared in terms of presence of depressive symptoms, 30.4% of the refugees and 17.3% of the residents were found to have depressive symptoms, and the difference between them was significant (p<0.001). When the girls and boys in the refugees group were compared, 38.9% of the boys and 25.3% of the girls had depressive symptoms (p=0.015). No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of mean MSPSS scores (p=0.073). When the CDI results were compared in terms of school type for the refugee students, 19.5% of those from the public schools and 34.1% of the temporary training center attendees had depressive symptoms, and the difference between them was statistically significant (p=0.019). Discussion and Conclusion: We found that the refugee students had a significantly higher presence of depressive symptoms, compared to the residents. Although no significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of MSPSS results, there was significant difference in terms of the mean scores from the MSPSS Family and Friend subscales. These were found higher for the resident students.