10 Best Universities in Greece

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10 Best Universities in Greece

Greece is known as the birthplace of academia and democracy. It was home to the well-known Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, Socrates Plato among others. Aristotle was a private tutor to Alexander the Great.
The philosophers and other intellects from this Great land influenced the western culture through; language, philosophy, culture, legal, social, ethical beliefs and other systems.
Institutions of higher learning from Greece have always ranked among the top globally. This has attracted many international students to not only get the best education but to also experience the Greek culture.
Greek universities are among the best in offering degrees in architecture and philosophy. What’s more, is that most of the programs are offered in English. Read our previous blog on the best Universities in Athens.
Here are the 10 best Universities in Greece.

1. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh)

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest Greek university and was named after the great philosopher Aristotle. Its main campus is located in the heart of Thessaloniki.
The main campus is on a 430-acre land while other facilities are found in their other campuses. This university is the sixth oldest in Greece and among the highest-ranked.
There are 10 schools with 40 departments. Its clinics for the school of medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine are 61 and are well equipped.
It has a total of 295 institutionalized laboratories and 23 study centres. AUTh has the largest well-stocked library in the whole of Balkans.
The student population is estimated to be 40,000, both undergraduate and postgraduate.
The main language of training is Greek, but there are programs offered in foreign languages. Programs for international students are carried out in English, French, German, and Italian.

Website: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

2. University of Patras

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The University of Patras is Pan-Hellenic and is internationally recognized as a renowned Higher Education Foundation. This can be attributed to its diverse and innovative activities in the fields of science, health sciences, humanities and social sciences.
It was founded in 1964 as an institution that sought to nurture international cooperation and scientific progress. It is currently one of the leading research institutions in Greece.
In 2019, it merged with the University of Western Greece through a government gazette.
This university has adopted the European strategy in its teaching and is collaborating with other international universities and research institutions.
Being a public university, it is the third-largest in Greece in regards to the student population, teaching staff and departments.
Its location is set in a rich beautiful environment.

Website: University of Patras

3. University of Ioannina

The University of Ioannina is located 5 km southwest of Ioannina, Greece. It was founded in 1964 as a charter of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and became an independent university in 1970.
By 2017, the student population was 25,000 both at the undergraduate level and the postgraduate level. It had a faculty of 580 members while teaching is further complemented by at least 171 Teaching Fellows and 132 Technical Laboratory staff.
The university campus is on an 850 acres land. Here you will find classrooms, offices, laboratories, libraries and amphitheatres. There are plenty of green spaces and recreation facilities for students too.
Two student residence halls can be found within the campus close to the student union building.
The most attractive place in the campus is the old monastery of Dourouti. It is an 18th-century building that was renovated and turned into a guest house.

Website: University of Ioannina

4. University of Crete

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The University of Crete is a multi-disciplinary research-oriented institution in the island of Crete, Greece. It has campuses in Rethymnon and Heraklion and is celebrated as one of the reputable universities in Greece.
There are 16 undergraduate degree programs and 30 Masters programs. The student population is about 17,000 and 500 faculty members. It was ranked 62nd in 2018 by The Times Higher Education among the top 50-year-old universities in Greece.
As a public university, it is under the state. Most of its educational activities and research are funded by the government.
The University of Crete runs European Union programs such as Erasmus, Lingua and Tempus. It collaborates with other international universities in Europe, the Mediterranean and America.

Website: University of Crete

5. University of Thessaly

The University of Thessaly was founded in 1984. It is a public university with the main campus being in Volos and others being in Karditsa, Larissa, Trikala and Lamia.
Its main administrative and academic buildings are on the seafront. The student population is about 16,000 with 710 faculty.
There are 8 schools with several departments at this university that cater to undergraduates and postgraduates. The main language of instruction is Greek but foreign language such as English, French and German are used.

Website: University of Thessaly

6. University of the Aegean

The University of the Aegean was started in 1984 with its first Departments starting operation from 1985 to 1994. It established seven departments on four islands; Lesvos, Chios, Samos and Rhodes.
The university then began a second phase in 1997 by establishing 9 other departments.
This public university today has five Schools and 18 Departments offering undergraduate and post-graduate degrees programmes.

Website: University of Aegean

7. Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH)

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The Democritus University of Thrace was established in July 1973, with its first students registering for the Department of Law and the Department of Civil Engineering in 1974.
It got its name after the ancient pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Democritus who was born in the city of Avdira. He is credited for his formulation of an atomic theory of matter.
Other campuses are located in Komotini, Xanthi, Alexandroupoli and Orestiada.
There are eight schools in total with 18 departments.
The number of students is approximately 30,000, including 18,000 undergraduates. The research, administrative and teaching staff body is around 900.
Democritus University is home to thousands of both Greek and international students. This been influenced by its quality education and eclectic mix of Western and Oriental aspects of the city’s life, making it an increasingly attractive tourist destination.

Website: Democritus University of Thrace

8. University of Piraeus

The University of Piraeus is a public university located in Piraeus, Athens, Greece. It has a total of ten academic departments focusing on Business Management, Computer science, Economics, Finance and Maritime Studies.
This University has the second-oldest business school established in the country. Its department of Banking and Financial Management is the country’s oldest academic department in finance.
It was founded as a school of industrial studies in 1938. This university is one of the two public universities that offer executive M.B.A programme.

Website: University of Piraeus

9. University of Macedonia

The University of Macedonia is the second and most recent University in the city of Thessaloniki. It specializes in economics and social sciences programs. This university was founded by the Hellenic state.
There are at least 13,000 students in their undergraduate and postgraduate studies. The teaching staff are made up of skilled professors who have published in international journals. They have innovative teaching methods and use modern infrastructure.
It collaborates with other universities and research institutions to enhance research and other activities. The university has a main auditorium that hosts cultural events of the city.

website: University of Macedonia

10. Hellenic Open University

The Hellenic Open University was founded in 1992 in Patras and it is the only distance learning university in Greece. It was established to fill an important gap for open and distance education in the Hellenic Republic to cater to the growing demand for continuing education and lifelong learning.
There are four schools in this university. The programs are offered to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Its main focus area is research by encouraging the development of new methodologies in line with high technology for open and distance learning.
Students can select classes according to their availability and there is no entrance examination required.

Website: Hellenic Open University