Greece is a historically significant country in southern Europe. It has a mainland and thousands of islands, islets, and rocky islets, many of which are popular visitor destinations.
Greece attracts international students with its climate, coastline, and cities such as Athens and Thessaloniki. Tuition depends on the program: Greek-taught undergraduate programs are tuition-free, while English-taught bachelor’s programs and many postgraduate programs charge fees. The official Study in Greece portal describes Greece as an affordable European study destination and says apartment rents commonly range from €250 to €600 per month. In this article, we list public universities in Greece that international students may wish to consider.
Affordable Schools in Greece for International Students
1. University of Crete
- Tuition information: Greek-taught undergraduate programs are tuition-free. Fees for English-taught bachelor’s and postgraduate programs vary by program.
- Admissions
The University of Crete is a public university with campuses in Rethymno and Heraklion. It accepted its first students during the 1977–1978 academic year. The university currently has more than 18,000 undergraduate students and approximately 3,000 postgraduate students.
The university offers 17 undergraduate programs and 60 graduate programs, many of which are tuition-free. Students should check the official program page for the applicable tuition fee, language of instruction, and admissions requirements.
2. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Founded in 1925 and based in Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest university in Greece. Its official profile states that its main campus covers approximately 33.4 hectares and that it has approximately 88,283 students. The university has 10 faculties, 40 schools, and one single-school faculty.
Courses are normally taught in Greek. However, some courses are available in other languages, and incoming Erasmus students may have access to additional language-specific arrangements. Students should review the university’s current course information before applying.
3. University of Patras
Founded in 1964 and based in Patras, the University of Patras is a public academic institution. Its official profile describes it as the third-largest university in Greece in terms of students, faculty members, administrative personnel, departments, and degrees awarded.
The university currently has seven schools and 31 departments. It also reports 161 laboratories and 17 clinics, supporting teaching and research across a broad range of academic fields.
4. University of Piraeus
The University of Piraeus traces its roots to the School of Industrial Studies, which was founded in 1938. The university currently has four schools and 10 departments. Its academic areas include economics, business, international and European studies, maritime studies, industrial management and technology, finance and banking, statistics and insurance science, informatics, and digital systems.
The university participates in Erasmus+ and other international activities through its International Relations Office. Students should consult the university’s official pages for current program, admissions, and exchange information.
5. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, or NKUA, was officially founded in 1837 and is the oldest university in Greece. Its current homepage reports 41,454 undergraduate students, 25,417 postgraduate and doctoral students, 8,255 international students, and 42 departments.
NKUA is organized into nine schools and offers programs across a wide range of academic disciplines. Its undergraduate options include the Medical Degree in English, which is designed for international students.
6. Hellenic Open University
Founded in 1992 and operational since 1997, the Hellenic Open University is a public higher education institution based in Patras. It was established to provide open and distance higher education in Greece.
The university is organized into four schools: Humanities, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, and Applied Arts and Sustainable Design. Its official international page states that it offers nine undergraduate programs and more than 60 postgraduate programs, including 12 programs taught in languages other than Greek.
7. International Hellenic University
The International Hellenic University was initially established under Law 3391/2005 and based in Thessaloniki. In its original form, it was Greece’s first public university with programs taught exclusively in English. Following its restructuring, the university’s current homepage lists eight schools and 25 departments. Its University Center of International Programmes of Studies, based in Thessaloniki, offers English-taught programs.
FAQS About Studying in Greece
Who Is Referred to as an EU or EEA Student?
This article is written for international students, so it is helpful to clarify which countries are part of the European Union and the European Economic Area.
If you are a national of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, or Sweden, you are an EU student.
The EEA also includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association but is not part of the EEA. Students should check the applicable university and program rules because tuition and admissions arrangements may vary.
What Are the Requirements for Studying in Greece?
Requirements depend on the university, level of study, language of instruction, and admissions pathway. For foreign applicants applying to undergraduate programs through the national procedure, the official Ministry of Education instructions require a validated secondary-school graduation certificate with an official Greek translation, along with additional supporting documents. Students enrolling in Greek-taught university programs generally need proof of Greek-language proficiency. English-taught programs and postgraduate programs set their own admissions and language requirements, so applicants should review the current official program page and the latest government guidance.
Do Universities in Greece Offer English-taught Programs?
Yes. Greece currently has 24 public, state-accredited universities. Greek remains the predominant language of instruction, but English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs are available. Students can use the official Study in Greece program finder to search for current programs by institution, study level, and language of instruction.
We hope that this article on affordable universities in Greece was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in Europe!
