Greece is trying to present its universities to the world. But a recent Kathimerini report suggests that some English-language programs may still be operating mainly for Greek-speaking students.
That is the contradiction at the center of Greece’s push to become a more serious destination for international education. The country has respected public universities, competitive tuition, and a cultural pull that is especially strong for Greeks abroad. But attracting foreign students is one thing. Building a system that can actually receive them is another.
According to Kathimerini journalist Apostolos Lakasas, some foreign applicants have been turned away from English-language postgraduate programs at Greek public universities, not because the seats were filled by other foreign students, but because they had already been taken by Greek-speaking students from Greece and Cyprus. In some cases, the report said, programs advertised as English-language were effectively being taught in Greek once the classroom was mostly Greek-speaking.
Kathimerini described recent cases involving applicants from India and Nigeria. The article did not name the specific universities or programs involved, so the report should be read carefully. It is not a complete map of the problem. It is, however, a warning sign.
The report does not erase the progress Greece has made. Greek universities do offer English-language degrees, and Study in Greece, the country’s official educational outreach platform, lists international bachelor’s and master’s programs for students coming from abroad.
One of the most striking points in the Kathimerini report is the attitude that can develop when an English-language program already has enough students from Greece and Cyprus to cover its costs. If a program can run with those students, why go through the extra work of teaching, advising, and administering everything in English for a small number of applicants from abroad?
That logic may be convenient for a department. It is harder to reconcile with Greece’s goal of becoming an international education hub.
The numbers show why this matters. Kathimerini, citing data from Greece’s Ministry of Education and the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education, reported that Greece had about 735 postgraduate programs with 17,300 students around ten years ago. Today, the number is approaching 1,350 postgraduate programs with 31,000 students. Of those, 161 are foreign-language programs, most of them English-language, with 6,962 students.
Other institutions show that the opposite model is possible: English-language programs designed from the start for students coming from abroad.
Thessaloniki offers one of the clearest examples: the International Hellenic University (IHU), known in Greek as the Διεθνές Πανεπιστήμιο της Ελλάδος, has a University Center of International Programs of Studies (UCIPS) based in Thermi. The university says it was originally established as Greece’s first public university, where programs were taught exclusively in English.
That model matters because it includes more than classroom language. IHU’s international student support services help students navigate residence-permit procedures, consular communication, accommodation, health insurance, tax numbers, bank accounts, and daily life in Thessaloniki.
Other Greek universities have also shown that international programs can attract real demand. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki’s English-language medical degree has drawn students from dozens of countries. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens created a four-year English-taught BA in the Archaeology, History, and Literature of Ancient Greece, aimed at students who want to study Greek antiquity in Greece itself.
These examples make the Kathimerini report more important, not less. They show that Greece has institutions that understand what English-language education requires. The problem is not the absence of a model. The problem is that the model is not yet consistent across the system.
For Greek-American families, that distinction matters. Greece is increasingly discussed as a realistic study destination. Some students are drawn by heritage. Others are looking for a European degree at a lower cost than many American options.
The fields vary: medicine, archaeology, shipping, technology, business, international relations, and Greek language and culture.
But the phrase “English-language program” is not enough.
A student applying from the United States or elsewhere should ask whether the full experience is actually available in English. It includes more than lectures and exams: thesis supervision, registration, student support, visa guidance, residence-permit assistance, health coverage, tax numbers, and bank accounts matter too.
The visa and residence process adds another layer. Non-EU students need acceptance documents, proof of financial means, and other paperwork before and after arrival. Kathimerini reported that in some cases, delays can become so long that students are forced to submit new applications.
Internationalization is not only a brochure, a website, or a booth at an education fair. It is the language spoken in the classroom. It is the answer a student receives from the secretariat. It is the residence permit, the bank account, and the professor who agrees to supervise a thesis in English.
None of this means students should avoid Greece. But families should approach the process with clear eyes.
Before applying, students should ask direct questions. Are all required courses taught in English? Are exams and theses handled in English? Does the department communicate with students in English? Is there a Welcome Office or international student office? Does the university assist with residence-permit procedures? Are Greek-speaking students placed in the same classroom, and does that affect the language of instruction?
What remains is the harder part: making sure the system that receives international students is as international as the language used to recruit them.