Universities in Greece

Located in southeast Europe and sharing borders with Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania, Greece is a, EU nation famous for its ancient history and unmistakable architecture. Greece has a long held tradition of education and is a fascinating choice for international students.

The types of University

In total there are 24 universities in Greece, and a handful of additional educational institutions. There are three types of university in Greece:

Universities – providing higher education in a variety of different subjects and often with a large focus on the quality of research produced, including the Panteion University, the University of Ioannina and the University of the Aegean.

Polytechnics – focusing mainly on education surrounding engineering subjects, including National Technical University of Athens, the Technical University of Crete and the Polytechnic School of the University of the Aegean.

Specialist higher education institutions – A handful of specialist HEI’s exist in Greece that offer undergraduate programmes, including Hellenic Coast Guard Officers School, Hellenic Police Officers School and Hellenic Fire Service Officers School and the School of Pedagogical & Technological Education – ASPETE.

All degree awarding institutions in Greece are publicly owned, private colleges are not permitted to award degrees.

Language of tuition

The official language of Greece is Greek, whilst other regional languages such as Cretan are spoken throughout the country. Most degree courses are taught in Greek, but this is slowly changing. There are now several degree courses in Greece taught entirely in English, and this number is expected to increase. These courses include the BA in Archaeology, History, and Literature of Ancient Greece at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the International Program in Medicine at the University of Crete and a range of online courses at ALBA Graduate Business School.

Popular Greek cities for students

Athens – Located in the south of the country, Athens is the both the largest city and the capital of Greece. The history of ancient Greece is both well known and fascinating, and it all stemmed from Athens. With so much culture to explore, Athens is a wonderful place to study and there are many universities to choose from for international students, including the Panteion University, the National Technical University of Athens and the Athens University of Economics and Business.

Thessaloniki – Situated towards the north of the country is Thessaloniki, a port city which is very popular with students, with universities including the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the International Hellenic University and the University of Macedonia.

The top universities in Greece

Greece has many prestigious universities that feature in world university rankings including institutions such as the University of Crete, University of the Aegean, National Technical University of Athens and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Table of the top ranked universities in Greece

See below for a list of universities and higher education providers in Greece. Click on universities you are interested in below to read more and to see which courses are available for international students.