Following the legislation change in March 2024, four branch campuses have already been granted approval to open up Greek campuses – with five more under review as of mid-2025, according to a new report.
The report, a joint venture from MSM Unify and Study in Greece, sets out the new law as a promising sign of Greece’s ambition to become more international, easing the way towards new transnational delivery partnerships with US, UK and French institutions.
Greece is currently home to some 24 public universities, 16 polytechnic and specialised institutions and growing interest from the private sector.
“The presence of new private and branch campus actors is also expected to ease capacity pressures on metropolitan universities and stimulate specialisation in high-demand fields such as tourism management, data analytics, and renewable-energy technology,” the report said.
It also marks out Greece as one to watch on the international education stage, with its relative proximity to sending countries in the Balkans, the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, as well as its popularity with American students – a market the report suggests is only likely to become more significant.
“These regions represent growing sources of academically motivated and upwardly mobile learners, and their inclusion strengthens Greece’s trajectory toward a diverse and balanced international student profile,” it said.
And its relative affordability is making Greece an “especially compelling” option for middle-income families from South and Southeast Asia, it added.
“The country’s geography further strengthens its case,” the report said. “Positioned at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Greece offers both symbolic and logistical proximity to emerging student corridors in South and Southeast Asia. Its cultural familiarity, safe environment, and European mobility rights form a powerful composite that aligns with the next wave of global student decision-making.”
Positioned at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Greece offers both symbolic and logistical proximity to emerging student corridors in South and Southeast Asia
MSM Unify and Study in Greece
Meanwhile, demand from international and postgraduate students is offsetting in plateauing domestic interest in the 18-24 age bracket, meaning that “the new enrolment frontier will depend on international diversification rather than domestic expansion”.
To help align resource allocation to demand, institutions should align their field-level data, the report suggested – particularly in program areas that are especially popular with international students, such as business, engineering, and health sciences.
With lower tuition fees than many of its Western European counterparts, Greece is increasingly positioning itself as a study destination that balances high quality education with good value for money, the report noted.
However, to keep its “competitive advantage”, Greek institutions will need to rapidly expand the number of English-language programs on offer.
But data shows that Greece is well on the way towards making this a reality, if current trends continue, with the number of bachelor’s and master’s degrees offered entirely in English increasing by around 80% between 2019 and 2025.
