Greece Education Opportunities
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.
As of 2023, according to the UNESCO student mobility report, the total number of Greek students studying abroad was 40,595.
In 2022-2023, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors survey, 2,539 Greek students studied at U.S. institutions, a 5.5% increase compared to the previous year. Of the total Greek students attending U.S. educational institutions, 1,141 attended graduate programs, 790 students attended undergraduate programs, and the remaining 608 participated in non-Degree programs. Most Greek students pursued the fields of math and computer science, business management and engineering in the United States.
According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), Greece ranked 8th as a destination for U.S. students in the 2021-2022 academic year, with 4,484 U.S. students attending Greek institutions. Italy is currently number one attracting 30,610 U.S. students, followed by United Kingdom with 27,503 students, Spain with 25,348 and France with 14,397.
Greeks tend to prioritize studying in European Union institutions given the lower costs, and until Brexit the U.K. was the preferred destination for Greek higher education students, attracting over 11,000 Greek students a year. As a non-E.U. destination, the U.S. is prominent. Greeks have a strong affinity to the United States and if finances allow, there is strong interest in attending U.S. universities. Given the considerably higher costs, the best prospects are not in four-year degree programs but rather in short-term intensive English language programs; online learning programs that offer dual degrees or certificates; and programs with a work-study or vocational component.
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. In November 2022 Greece welcomed representatives from 30 American universities including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornel, Brown, Stockton, and Johns Hopkins as part of the Pharos Summit, which brought together representatives from U.S. and Greek higher educational institutions to explore 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.
In 2024, Columbia University launched its Global Education Center in Athens to host the university’s professors and students, collaborate with local universities and organize educational programs. Columbia University collaborates with the National Technical University of Athens, among others. Yale University and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA) have initiated a program which where Greek students will be exempt from 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. Another success story for the University of Purdue in Indiana, which has signed six MOUs with Greek universities to expand their collaboration in the country. In fall 2024, the U.S. Embassy will once again partner with the Ministry of Education to host the next version of the Pharos Summit, to encourage increased educational exchanges between U.S. and Greek institutions.
Opportunities
In recent years the Greek government has passed a series of legislative reforms aimed at modernizing and internationalizing the educational system, including a law allowing the legal recognition of private university degrees in Greece. In March 2024, the Minister of Education in March 2024 passed new legislation for the recognition of private university degrees in Greece, to encourage the opening of U.S. university academic centers and branch campuses in Greece. The new privatization law will benefit educational entities in Greece that have historical ties with the United States, which bring thousands of U.S. students to Greece each year.
In spring 2024, the U.S. Embassy and Study in Greece coordinated a delegation of 20 Greek university leaders to NAFSA, the world’s largest international education expo, to promote educational ties. Delegates returned to Greece with a better understanding of the competitive global market for study abroad, with a deeper appreciation of the role of study abroad consortia and motivated to advocate for resources dedicated to international partnerships.
In October 2024, the Forum on Education abroad is organizing the 7th EMEA conference in Athens. The U.S. Embassy will support the return of several U.S. educational institutions exploring collaboration opportunities in Greece. We encourage U.S. institutions interested in establishing partnership with Greek entities to consider participation.
For more information, please contact Education Specialist Maria.Georgousi@trade.gov