Studying in Greece

Greece attracts thousands of foreign students each year, especially through Erasmus+, as well as scholars of archaeology, ancient history and classics, for whom it is indispensable.

Erasmus and universities

Greek universities take part in Erasmus+ and welcome students from across Europe. The most popular are:

Many courses are taught in Greek, but universities offer courses in English for Erasmus students. In recent years English-taught master's and some full degrees, fee-paying, have also grown.

Learning Modern Greek

The language centres of the universities of Athens, Thessaloniki and Crete run Modern Greek courses for foreigners during the year and in summer. There are also private schools and summer courses on islands such as Crete, Syros and Corfu. The Certificate of Attainment in Greek, issued by the Centre for the Greek Language in Thessaloniki, is the official qualification from A1 to C2, and can also be taken abroad.

Archaeology and classics

• The foreign archaeological schools in Athens (British, American, French, German, Italian and others) host fellows and researchers and run excavations across Greece.
• Many universities run summer schools and dig seasons in Greece, open to archaeology students.
• The libraries of the foreign schools in Athens are among the richest in the world for classical antiquity.

Scholarships

Besides Erasmus, there are Greek government scholarships for foreign students, foundation grants (such as the Onassis Foundation) and university exchange programmes. Opportunities are published by university international offices.

Living costs

Student living costs are generally lower than in big western European cities, but rents in Athens have risen sharply with the spread of tourist rentals. A room in a shared flat costs roughly €300-500 a month in Athens, less in Thessaloniki, Patras or Ioannina. Public transport and university canteens offer discounts.

See also the Greek school system and the phrasebook.