Greece Education and Training Services Sector Snapshot
Last published date:

Capital:  Athens

Population: 10.5 million (2022 est.)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $292.4 billion (2020 est., in 2017 dollars)

Currency: Euro

Language: Greek

 

UNESCO Student Mobility Number

Greece has 40,395 students studying abroad according to UNESCO.

 

CIA World Factbook

24.8% of the Greek population is under 25 years of age.

  

OVERVIEW

Greece, per its Constitution, offers free education as a right to all citizens. Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 4 and 15 and, as of September 2021, pre-school education starting at the age of 4 is now mandatory for all children. 

The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs administers the budget, develops the curriculum, and oversees all schools in the Greek public system, as well as managing examinations including the Panhellenic exams that determine which public university students can attend based on performance.

The Greek education system is divided into Early Education and Care for children up to the age of 6, Primary Education for ages 6-12 and Secondary Education for ages 12-18.  Secondary Education includes what is traditionally known as middle and high school in the United States, respectively referred to as Gymnasium and Lyceum in Greece. After age 15, students can either pursue vocational tracks or attend high school. Students attending high school can pursue Higher Education, which includes university-level education.  Most students in Greece attend public schools of all levels, for which there are no tuition fees, while less than 10% of the student population enrolls in private schools. 

The pandemic has dramatically impacted student mobility throughout the world. In 2021-2022, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors survey, 2,407 Greek students studied at U.S. institutions, a 6.7% increase compared to the previous year which saw dramatic low figures due to the pandemic. Of the total Greek students attending U.S. educational institutions, 1,121 attended graduate programs, 761 students attended undergraduate programs, and the remaining 525 participated in non-degree programs. Most Greek students pursued the fields of science, economics, and law in the U.S.

According to the Institute of International Education (IHR), Greece ranked 9th as a destination for U.S. students in the 2021-2022 academic year, with 418 U.S. students attending Greek institutions. Italy attracted 2,193 U.S. students, followed by 2,089 in Spain, 1,612 in Britain, and 1025 in France. This figure is down considerably from years past; Greece attracted 6000 American students in 2018-2019 and over 5000 students in 2017-2018.

U.S.-Greece Educational Partnerships

In December 2019 the Greek Ministry of Education and the U.S. Institute of International Education inaugurated an academic cooperation program between Greece and the United States to promote bilateral cooperation programs among higher education institutions. After a long delay caused by the pandemic, in November 2022 Greece welcomed representatives from 30 American universities including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornel, Brown. Stockton, and Johns Hopkins under the banner of the Pharos Summit 2022. The event brought together representatives from U.S. and Greek higher educational institutions to explore areas of collaboration, establish partnerships and increase both academic and research student mobility between the two countries.  The program laid the foundation for over a hundred agreements and will result in increased academic exchanges and partnerships between these institutions. The U.S. Embassy to Greece supported the visit, which showcases the United States’ strategic engagement in international education, including through the Fulbright and Gilman Programs, to support increased student mobility.

As a result of the Pharos Summit 2022, Columbia University will launch an International Education Center in Athens in September 2023, while the postgraduate student exchange programs between the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA) and Yale University will most likely launch within the current academic year. A cornerstone of the partnership with Yale University is that Greek participants will be exempt from paying tuition fees. As part of this new partnership, EKPA postgraduate and doctoral students will be able to take one-semester or one-year courses at Yale’s science, medical and environmental schools, which will count toward their degree.

The U.S. Commercial Service in Greece expects many partnerships and continued collaboration to come from this program.


SUB-SECTORS

Higher Education- Universities & Colleges

Higher education refers to university level education. In Greece, public higher education is free, and the state supervises and finances 25 High Education Institutions (HEI) with two parallel sectors: the university sector and the technological sector (TEIs). 

The university sector includes majors such as Shipping, Tourism, Economics, Philosophy, Law, and Medicine, among other traditional disciplines. Most majors are four-year degrees, while Polytechnics require five years of study and Medicine takes six years. Additionally, while not universities, there are schools that provide Diploma degrees known as IEK which typically take 2-3 years.

Private universities in Greece are not considered part of this “university” system. This creates a disadvantage as the system does not allow for equivalence for private institution degree holders despite the many private programs affiliated with EU universities. The American College of Greece (ACG) is the oldest American-accredited college in Europe and the largest private college in Greece.

TEIs focus on practical and professional skills, in areas such as agriculture, healthcare, applied technology, management, and art and design. There are 15 TEIs in Greece.

Secondary Education

Secondary education includes both private and public middle and high school level programs. As with university education, public middle and high schools are free. There are 3069 public high schools and 159 private high schools in Greece. There are private middle schools as well, often options for the expat community or the very wealthy. There are a few schools that follow U.S. curriculum such as Athens College (Hellenic American Educational Foundation), American College of Greece and the American Community School. British and French curriculums are prevalent as well. Such international schools often have two track programming to allow for students to be able to qualify and pass examinations required to return to the Greek system while also preparing them to attend universities abroad.

Online Programs

The Greek Open University (EAP) was founded in 1997 and enables local students to participate in graduate and/or undergraduate programs through distance learning.  As in other parts of the world, the pandemic compelled Greek educational institutions to implement online and distance e-learning platforms, changing the habits of Greek students. Platforms like Coursera and universities like Thunderbird have grown in popularity. This shift may present opportunities for U.S. institutions offering summer courses or online classes that could be appealing to Greek students.


OPPORTUNITIES

For over 100 years, the United States and Greece have engaged in a cross-cultural educational exchange and cooperation.  English is the first foreign language in the Greek Education system and is taught in private kindergartens and primary schools starting in first grade. Greeks are receptive to education opportunities abroad given access to universities in the European Union.  Until Brexit, the U.K. had been the preferred destination for Greek higher education students, attracting over 11,000 Greek students a year. Other popular destinations include Italy and Germany.

As a non-E.U. destination, the U.S. is prominent. Greeks have a strong affinity to the United States and if finances allow, families are happy to send their children to universities in the United States. While the economic crisis has negatively affected many, it has allowed for a small population to send their children out of the country, even to expensive foreign universities, in search of better employment prospects. According to historians, there have been three major waves of immigration from Greece to the United States, with the most recent wave following the financial crisis. 

As the U.S. will never be the most economical destination, best prospects fall in the following niche areas:

  • Short-term intensive English language training programs
  • E-learning programs from U.S. universities that could include both degrees and certificate programs (ie: full degree programs or certificate programs in areas that could include digital marketing, tourism, business, IT skill building, program management and more).
  • Traditional undergraduate and graduate programs that focus on areas with high marketability and future job prospects.
  • Programs that have work-study elements or follow-on job possibilities. 

How we can Help

Commercial Service Athens can assist U.S. universities and education related firms in entering the Greek market through identifying potential partners, connecting U.S. entities with local stakeholders, and arranging virtual and physical platforms for promotion. In the past, CS Athens has participated in two virtual educational fairs (VEF) with Albania, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Both fairs brought university representatives, educational consultants, and advisors from all over the region who were interested in learning more about programs in the United States.

In Greece, studying abroad entails considerable effort and research by the student, since there are no consulting agencies to assist. Fulbright Greece has an EducationUSA office that offers support to students interested in learning more about studying in the United States and there are 4 Embassy-sponsored American spaces in Greece providing access to information.


DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES

  •  The most common platform used by schools to connect with their students is Webex.  Private schools also use Microsoft teams, Blackboard, ManageBac and Zoom. Greek students use Google for their research, but private institutions provide their students with access to platforms such as Euromonitor, EBSCO, Statista, and Economist. Private institutions maintain private digital libraries, also valuable during research. 
  • Greek public universities use an Integrated Library System and are connected in a common database such as Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) which allows access to digital libraries abroad for more advanced searches.
  • Job opportunities are announced online through LinkedIn and KARIERA - a Greek job search platform. 
  • The most popular platforms for streaming videos are YouTube and Twitch, while Netflix is the lead for film and series content. 
  • Schools advertise their programs through regular TV ads and through social media.  Moreover, some schools organize open campus days.

 EVENTS

There are no major education fairs in Greece. While many other industry shows have education sections with university participation, and while many private schools and Embassies organize forums that allow matchmaking between local students and foreign universities, there is a need and an opportunity for a larger platform that could provide information and allow Greek students to connect with foreign universities. Fulbright has conducted exceptional work, but there is room for private sector players to further support the development of the sector. 

 

RESOURCES

There are many educational institutions in Greece that share an American connection.  Below is a sampling of some U.S. affiliated schools and educational programs in Greece:

U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Greece: https://gr.usembassy.gov/

 

U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE CONTACTS

Maria Georgousi, Commercial Assistant

U.S. Commercial Service – Greece

Email: Maria.Georgousi@trade.gov

Cell:  +30-694-247-4955