The number of American students studying in Greece shows a steady rise, according to statistics released by the Institute of International Education.
Almost 6,000 American students studied in Greece in the 2018-2019 academic year, an increase of almost 12 per cent compared to the previous year.
In its Open Doors 2020 survey, the IIE said that 5,834 US students arrived in Greece, compared to 5,223 the previous academic year.
Greece climbed two places to rank 12th worldwide among international educational destinations for American students. Greece had ranked 14th in 2019 and 17th in 2018, showing a steady increase in popularity in the country as an education destination for U.S. students.
Greek universities offer a number of undergraduate and graduate level programs in English, which are attractive options for American students. The University of Athens has a popular year-long intensive Master’s Program in Southeast European Studies and another in Greek and Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology. Both programs are offered in English.
Furthermore, many students participate in semester, year or even full four-year programs at U.S.-accredited institutions of higher learning such as the Hellenic American University in Athens and the American College of Thessaloniki, each offering U.S.-style education in English-recognized degree programs.
The value proposition for U.S. Students
“We’ve seen an increase in American students opting to pursue their entire four-year program at our school,” said Dr. Leonidas Tzonis, Executive Vice President at Hellenic American University in Athens.
“It’s not only about the high quality education and unique experience they’re getting by being in a world-class, exciting city like Athens, it’s also the value proposition. A semester at HAU costs much less than a semester at almost any institution of higher learning in the United States,” Tzonis said.
U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt welcomed the news.
“I’m thrilled that Greece is becoming a study destination of choice for more and more American students. I expect this increase to accelerate as we get through the COVID-19 pandemic together and the Greek Ministry of Education builds on its excellent initiatives to attract more international students, deepening the bonds between our peoples and strengthening our shared values. The U.S. Embassy will continue to support these efforts,” Pyatt in a statement from the Embassy’s website.
The Open Doors is the IIE’s annual statistical survey on international students in the U.S., in partnership with the U.S. State Department.
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