Higher education in Greece for international students

Higher education in Greece for foreigners is practically free of charge – you just need to pay an annual university fee, the amount of which depends directly on the chosen university and specialty; Compulsory Greek language courses will also be paid. Prices for studying in Greece can vary from €3000 to €8400.

But foreign students will still have expenses. The main item will traditionally be housing. Here, the student has two options:

• accommodation in a dormitory from the university,
• Rent an apartment.

The first option will be much cheaper, but there are always very few places in dormitories and there are not enough for everyone, so you need to have time to apply. Apartment prices vary depending on the city, area and area of housing: for example, in Athens, the cost of rent can "float" from €300 to €600 and above, literally briefly from option to option. In addition, living in an apartment, you will have to pay separately for utilities - but this is usually up to €100 per month.

The next significant item of expenditure is food: expenses will be about €100 per month per person (but this amount does not include going to cafes and restaurants). In addition to accommodation and meals, you will need to pay for household needs - cellular communications, Internet, buying clothes, entertainment costs, and so on. Here you determine the amount that is comfortable for you, of course, yourself.

Every student studying at universities in Greece has the opportunity to work legally (no more than 20 hours per week). Curiously, you don't even need to get permission for this! Most students choose the service sector.

Education in Greece goes back deep to antiquity, when Plato and Aristotle founded the Academy and the Lyceum, respectively, which became the place where the sciences were studied and knowledge and ideas were exchanged.

Until the XIX century, higher education was the privilege of only a narrow circle of people, but with the acquisition of independence by Greece, education began to develop. Already in 1837, the first modern university in the country appeared - the University of Athens. In the period from the late XIX - early XX centuries, the state, foreigners and wealthy citizens of Greece actively financed higher education. Therefore, Greek higher education borrowed a lot from German and French academic traditions, and teachers were even invited from these countries to universities.

Modern higher education in Greece offers students a system of scientific degrees in accordance with the Bologna system. There are more than 40 state universities in the country with a wide range of faculties and specialties.

Among the most popular universities in Greece are:

• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest university in the Balkans, teaching just under 100 thousand students in 11 faculties. A unique feature of the institution is the presence of its own farm and seismological station. It even has its own hospital!
• The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the oldest university not only in the country, but also in the entire Eastern Mediterranean region; it is famous for its medical faculties.
• The National Technical University of Athens is a member of the international associations of technical universities TIME and CESAER. This university has come a long way from the Royal School of Art to the Polytechnic .
• The University of Crete is located on the island and is considered to be one of the best universities in Greece. There are several research centers here, medicine and exact sciences are considered strong areas.
• The University of Patras is the third largest in the country. The university cooperates with a large number of international organizations, which provides opportunities for student exchange and internships abroad. Among the strong areas are engineering, medical and biological, and management.

Greek universities offer students a wide range of areas and faculties. Among the most popular are:

• Medicine (from surgery to therapy). The highest score is required for admission, and you will need to study excellently, a very competitive direction.
• Information technologies. Applied specializations are in particular demand: financial areas, biomedicine, cybersecurity.
• Tourism is a direction that enjoys stable popularity in Greece. There are more than 20 specialties in this area, the most prestigious are  management and entrepreneurship in the field of tourism.
• Engineering. Specialists in this field have also long and firmly occupied a leading position in the list of demand.
• Agro-industrial areas – this area is an important part of the Greek economy: specialists in the field of agriculture and agribusiness are always in great demand.

To study at public universities in Greece, you must have a certificate of knowledge of the Greek language. If there is none, you can take the exam in special centers, which are located in all major cities of the country.

The exam includes several stages:

• Language rules test; here they check both the applicant's vocabulary and general understanding of the language,
• Essays – 2 texts on a specific topic (in official and free formats),
• Oral part, where the applicant is talked about a certain topic.

To enter, you need a language proficiency level of B2 ("good", level 4), but for some specialties they require at least G1 ("very good", level 5 out of 6 possible).

Usually the exam takes place in May; If an applicant does not pass the entrance exam on the first try, he has a chance to retake it in September. For those students whose knowledge is not enough to pass the exam, there are special courses at universities, but keep in mind that they are always paid - about € 700 for the entire period of study.

• A prestigious European diploma that is accepted in all countries of the world.
• One-year internship in European countries for 3-4 years of study (in many universities).
• The opportunity to get a free education (even for foreigners).
• Discounts and benefits for students – the provision of educational materials, discounts in university canteens and public transport, assistance in obtaining housing, free medical insurance and subscriptions to the gym, museums, libraries...  In Greece, a student is a very respected and protected member of society with various pleasant privileges.
• Exchange programs with partner universities from different countries.
• Possibility of receiving financial support from the university.
• Availability of organizations for the employment of students at each higher educational institution.

Compulsory education in the country begins at the age of 6 (grade 1) and lasts until the end of secondary school (15 years). Next, students choose whether to continue their education at a lyceum, college or vocational school. Only graduates of lyceums can get higher education, and they do not even need to take entrance exams - good marks in the certificate are enough.

The system of higher education in Greece has a number of features:

• All universities teach religious studies, which is considered a very important subject,
• Free tuition is available even for international students. The only expenses for students are annual university fees, room and board, but given the general standard of living in the country, these expenses are not too expensive.
• Knowledge of the Greek language is mandatory, for which foreign students are given a preparatory year,
• Most higher education is self-employed,
• Private educational institutions in Greece do not have state accreditation, but there are branches of foreign and international universities where there are English-language programs and you can get higher education,
• Foreign applicants can apply to 20 (!) universities at the same time.

Higher education in Greece follows the Bologna system and offers the traditional three stages of study. A distinctive feature of the local bachelor's degree is the duration of study - from 4 years (as opposed to the standard 3 years) to 5-6 years, depending on the chosen faculty. For example, engineering majors and applied sciences will require 5 years of study, while medical faculties will require 6 years. At the end of the course, graduates receive a bachelor's degree, after which they can continue their education in a master's degree (1-3 years) or find a job in their specialty.

The highest level of education in Greece is the degree of Doctor of Science. Not all universities in the country offer such programs. For admission, a student is required to have a diploma of higher education (obtained in Greece), engage in scientific activities and write a dissertation.

Applicants can get higher education in Greece:

• in academic universities, where the emphasis is on theoretical knowledge and scientific research,
• in technological institutes: here they study applied disciplines and are engaged in scientific and technical research, train specialists of a narrow profile. Here, in 99% of cases, there is an opportunity to undergo an internship (usually already at the end of training, in the last semester).

The academic year at universities in Greece consists of 2 semesters, after each student takes an examination session. Curricula are based on the study of compulsory disciplines and subjects of the student's choice, but most of the time students are engaged in independent learning - about 60%.

Among the unique advantages of Greek universities is the almost zero chance of being expelled for academic failure. If students miss classes or do not pass exams, they are given a deferment for additional preparation. It is enough to pass at least 35% of the required program so that the student is not expelled.

For foreign students, there is another feature of higher education in Greece – the requirement of a confirmed certificate of knowledge of the Greek language (University of Athens, University of Thessaloniki or the Greek Language Center). If you do not have such a document, the incoming foreign student will have to take paid language courses, which can last 8, 6 or 3 months. During the study, the place at the university is retained by the student.

The country has the Hellenic Open University, a unique university that offers distance higher education. Its structure includes several areas, including humanities, economics, social and natural sciences, information technology.

It is quite easy to enter Greek universities, even for foreign applicants: there are no special entrance requirements and exams, students are evaluated by the points of the school certificate. But, as already mentioned, a confirmed certificate of knowledge of the Greek language is required. Also, for admission, you will need a certain package of documents that must be translated into Greek and notarized:

• application with photo,
• certificate
• a document confirming that there are no Greeks among the close relatives,
• official confirmation that the applicant does not have degrees and diplomas from Greek universities,
• resume
• Language certificate.

An interesting fact is that the package of documents is sent to a single admissions committee, and not to the university chosen by the applicants. Only 10 days are allocated for consideration of documents - from July 20 to July 30.

When a positive answer has been received from the university, the student must apply for a visa for the period of study (this can be done at the Consulate of Greece in your country). The visa is issued for a long-term (type D) and will allow the student to travel freely to European countries.