Study and Research Opportunities in Greece

Long and short-term academic programs are available in Greece across many universities and educational centers. International students and researchers may apply to BA, MA, Ph.D., and postdoctoral research programs in Greece. Moreover, summer schools and conferences are other excellent academic activities that make Greece an attractive destination for scholars and scientists. Many programs also come with fully-funded scholarships and fellowships as well as travel grants and financial aid, thus every student, researcher, and professor can always find a suitable program in Greece and apply.

Scholarships in Greece

Fellowships in Greece

Grants and Awards in Greece

Summer Programs in Greece

Greek language programs in Greece

Greece as an academic destination

Greece is the cradle of civilization. It is a country with a vibrant history created by the heroes of antiquity, great commanders, scientists, and thinkers who made an invaluable contribution to world science and art. Centuries-old traditions and high culture are combined here with hospitality, rich nature, and an excellent climate. Greece has many important historical monuments and museums and impressive sights, islands, and beaches. 

From ancient times, the country has been known for its high-quality education system. Higher education in Greece is provided by three educational institutions: universities, technological educational institutes, and academies. While studying there, you can develop your professional knowledge to help you in your future career. In addition, many courses are taught in English, which means that you will quickly adapt to life in Greece.

Universities of Greece

Greek universities have a long and rich history. The origin of the exact sciences, ancient architecture, philosophy, and many others belongs to the culture of Greece. Over the past few decades, universities in Greece have shown consistently high academic performance, which is confirmed by numerous rankings. The most popular educational institutions in Greece are public universities. They are the oldest educational institutions in the country, and therefore have great prestige and occupy high positions in international rankings. The higher education system of Greece is highly respected, ranking 41st in the world in the first edition of the QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings.

The oldest university in Greece is the Kapodistrian National University of Athens (the University of Athens), founded in 1837 by King Otto of Greece. Now it is the second-largest institution of higher education in the country after the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the top university of Greece according to world rankings. The university is famous for its faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy, Computer Science, Sociology, and Foreign Languages. The Kapodistrian National University of Athens offers English-taught undergraduate program in Archaeology, History, and Literature of Ancient Greece. 

Here is the list of 10 top universities of Greece:

  1. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  2. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  3. National Technical University of Athens
  4. University of Crete
  5. University of Ioannina
  6. University of Patras
  7. University of Thessaly
  8. Athens University of Economics and Business
  9. University of Piraeus
  10. University of Macedonia

Greek universities are well known in Europe for their exclusive study programs developed by the Greek Ministry of Education to create the competent workforce needed to improve the country's economy. That is why many foreigners study the Greek language and go to Greece to get their higher education in medicine, engineering, computer technology, archeology, linguistics programs, and other subjects taught in Greek universities perfectly.

The admission procedure to Greek state universities is based on a school diploma, without passing entrance exams. Thus, the applicant does not have to waste time preparing, as the university sends a response about the admissions committee's decision to the applicant. International students will only need to pass a standard exam of Greek language knowledge.

International student expenses in Greece

In Greece, international students have the opportunity to get a higher education and a European diploma, practically free of charge or for a symbolic amount of money.

Students from the European Union or the European Economic Area do not pay tuition fees to pursue their Bachelor's degrees at public universities. If you are not an EU student, expect to pay between €1,500 and €2,000 per academic year for most of your Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Most of the Master's programs are also free, with some exceptions in such areas as medicine, business and others. It can cost up to €8,000 per year for both EU and non-EU citizens. 

Meals at the University are provided to you free of charge or at a reduced rate (depending on the university). In case of availability, they also offer accommodation in a dormitory, free medical insurance, a special student card for all types of transport, etc. Most people can comfortably live in Greece, having a budget of 450-750 euros per month. 

If you have not been provided with a dormitory, don’t despair! Renting a private apartment is an affordable option for most international students. Prices vary depending on the proximity to the city center, and you can always share an apartment with other students to cut your overall expenses.

Post-graduate opportunities

As noted above, Greece has developed special courses for demanded professions, so finding a job will be much easier for you if you enrolled in one of them.

As everywhere in the world, nowadays due to the world’s digitalization, the most demanded professions in Greece are Software Developer and Engineer. Doctors and nurses are also much demanded, so Medical faculty graduates can be sure that they will find a job.

It should be noted that a student residence permit in Greece allows foreigners to work from the very first day, but only part-time during the studies and full-time in summer. Besides, a student residence permit allows being hired very quickly because he already has insurance.

However, after graduation, international students face the question of legal stay in the country. Unlike some other European countries, Greece does not give graduates a year to look for work, so students need to extend their residence permit long before graduation.

Studying in the homeland of Socrates has many advantages, ranging from getting good quality education to living in the beautiful Mediterranean climate zone. We hope this section of ARMACAD will help you find your vocation in one of the Greek universities.