Greece combines a deep academic tradition with public universities, Mediterranean cities, and comparatively affordable living costs. For international students, however, choosing a university involves more than considering history and location. Program language, tuition fees, scholarship availability, research strengths, and opportunities after graduation should all shape the decision.
This guide introduces prominent universities in Greece while highlighting the real journeys of scholarship recipients and graduates. Their experiences include earning fully funded Erasmus Mundus Scholarships, succeeding after an initial application reached only the reserve list, and competing in a program whose students were told that approximately 1,000 applicants were considered for 18 scholarships.
The stories also show what happened afterward: one graduate returned to the Philippines to teach and conduct research, while another progressed to a fully funded Geology PhD at the University of Texas at Austin. Alongside these application strategies and outcomes, you can compare each Greek university’s admissions requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, academic strengths, and language of instruction.
| University | Selected Academic Areas |
|---|
| National Technical University of Athens | Engineering, Technology, Applied Mathematics, and Physical Sciences |
| University of Crete | Medicine, Science and Engineering, Social Sciences, and Philosophy |
| Aristotle University of Thessaloniki | Engineering, Medicine, Sciences, and Humanities |
| National and Kapodistrian University of Athens | Health Sciences, Law, Economics and Political Science, and Natural Sciences |
| Athens University of Economics and Business | Economics, Business, Information Technology, and Data Science |
Top Universities in Greece for International Students
1. National Technical University of Athens
The National Technical University of Athens, also known as Athens Polytechnic, is a public institution of higher education located in Athens, Greece. Established in 1837, it is the oldest technical university in Greece and one of the country’s leading institutions for engineering and technology. It began as a technical school that operated on Sundays and holidays and later developed into a university of science and technology. Today, NTUA consists of nine schools, including eight engineering schools and the School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, with 40 departments and extensive laboratory facilities. Its undergraduate programs are mainly delivered in Greek, while incoming exchange students may find selected courses or academic work available in English through Erasmus+ and school-level international offerings.
Because of its strong engineering focus, international collaborations, and location in Athens, NTUA remains an attractive option for international and exchange students. Students can pursue demanding engineering and science programs while living close to Athens’s cultural and historical landmarks.
2. University of Crete
Located on the island of Crete, the University of Crete was founded in 1973 as a multidisciplinary public research university. It is one of Greece’s well-regarded research universities and has campuses in Rethymnon and Heraklion.
Since its founding, the university has grown into an academic and research hub. Its schools are organized across the two cities: Philosophy, Education, and Social Sciences in Rethymnon; and Sciences and Engineering plus Medicine in Heraklion. The university’s undergraduate programs are primarily taught in Greek, and it also supports exchange and international cooperation through partnerships with universities abroad.
In current international rankings, the University of Crete is placed in the 601–800 band in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. The university also reports that it ranks first in Greece for the Research Environment pillar in the same ranking. Its research profile, international outlook, and location on Crete make it a strong choice for students interested in studying in Greece.
One student’s journey: Divine Anjorin, a Zoology graduate, entered the fully funded Erasmus Mundus ACES-STAR Joint Master’s, whose Greece semester is taught at the University of Crete. She began preparing about three months before applications opened, gathering documents, requesting recommendations, working on her statement of purpose and preparing for IELTS, and she stresses that interview preparation matters too. She believes her hands-on aquaculture experience, clearly defined goals for addressing problems in Nigeria’s aquaculture sector and strong recommendation letters helped her application stand out. View More University of Crete recipients →
- Outcomes for University of Crete joint-degree student: Jay Tering, who returned to the Philippines after completing ACES to teach at a university and work on research and extension projects.
3. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Established in 1925, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, often abbreviated as A.U.Th., is a public university based in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city. It is widely described by the university as the largest university in Greece and covers a broad range of disciplines across more than 40 schools.
Greek is the main language of instruction for most degree programs, but A.U.Th. participates extensively in international exchange, has been active in Erasmus since 1987, and offers language support through its Centre for Foreign Language Teaching, where English, German, French, and Italian are among the main languages taught. International students should check individual programs or exchange agreements for the exact language of instruction.
Research is a strong part of the university, as it works across a wide range of fields through specialized laboratories and academic units. Current global rankings place Aristotle University of Thessaloniki at #=502 in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and in the 801–1000 band in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. Its size, disciplinary breadth, Erasmus activity, and location in Thessaloniki make it a significant option for international students.
One student’s journey: Sayyidah Humairah, whose Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s in Biomedical Engineering includes Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, entered the fully funded program from an Informatics background. She said her intake was told there were around 1,000 applicants for 18 scholarships; during selection, she highlighted biomedical-engineering projects, a defined research direction, and skills that matched her intended healthcare focus. Her advice is to identify the strongest intersection between your experience, interests, and the program’s priorities rather than presenting credentials in isolation. View More Aristotle University of Thessaloniki recipients →
4. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, more commonly referred to as the University of Athens, is a public institution of higher education in Athens, Greece. Officially founded on April 14, 1837, it is the first university of Greece, the Balkan peninsula, and the Eastern Mediterranean region. Today, it operates across multiple schools and departments in Athens, with 42 departments and more than 200 postgraduate programs.
It is one of the leading universities in Greece for international students. Current rankings place the university at #=402 in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and in the 401–500 band in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. Its nine schools include Agricultural Development, Nutrition and Sustainability; Economics and Political Science; Education; Health Sciences; Law; Philosophy; Physical Education and Sport Science; Science; and Theology.
To this end, the university is nationally considered to be a hub for Greece’s academic excellence, coupled with the authentic culture and rich traditions that have long been carried through the country’s history.
Gabriel Ojo’s path to National and Kapodistrian University of Athens: After a first PANGEA application landed him on the reserve list, Ojo reapplied the following year after a GIS internship, taking more time over the essays and preparation; he ultimately won the fully funded Erasmus Mundus Scholarship and completed the joint master’s through the University of Lille and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. In his full recipient story, the Nigerian geology graduate says the closer fit between PANGEA and his prior geology training, along with stronger essays, helped his successful second application. After the master’s, he progressed to a fully funded Geology PhD at the University of Texas at Austin and described the Erasmus Mundus program as pivotal to securing that admission. View More National and Kapodistrian University of Athens recipients →
5. Athens University of Economics and Business
We end our list of the best universities in Greece for international students with Athens University of Economics and Business. Located in Athens, AUEB is a public university specializing in economics, business, and related fields. It was founded in 1920 as the Higher School of Commercial Sciences and is the third-oldest university in Greece, as well as the country’s oldest university in economics and business. It has three schools—the School of Economics, the School of Business, and the School of Information Sciences and Technology—and eight departments.
In addition to Greek-taught undergraduate degrees, AUEB now offers a Bachelor in International Business and Technology for international students and a wide range of master’s programs. The university lists 30 master’s programs, many taught entirely in English, including programs in Business Analytics, MBA International, Financial Management, International Shipping, Finance and Management, AI and Data Science, and Statistics.
AUEB’s downtown Athens location gives international students access to Greek culture and a major European business environment. AUEB’s official rankings page lists QS 2026 subject placements in Business and Management, Accounting and Finance, and Economics and Econometrics, along with QS and Eduniversal rankings for several master’s programs and a 4 Palmes Eduniversal Business School ranking.
We hope that this article on the best universities in Greece for international students was helpful. If you are interested, explore Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for International Students!
