What Greece charges, by type of programme
Greece is the cheapest eurozone country on this site's list for tuition, and the reason is structural: the universities are public, the state funds them, and the fees charged to international students are set programme by programme rather than by a national price list.
| Route | Typical annual tuition | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Public university, English-taught master's | EUR 1,500-4,000 | The most common route for a Bangladeshi student |
| Public university, English-taught bachelor's | EUR 3,000-8,000 | A newer and still narrow catalogue |
| Public university, Greek-taught | Little or none | Greek language proficiency is the real barrier |
| Private college awarding a UK or US degree | EUR 6,000-12,000 | Check the awarding body, not the campus |
| Living costs, for comparison | EUR 450-700 a month | Among the lowest in the eurozone |
Two figures in that table do most of the work. EUR 1,500-4,000 is what a realistic English-taught master's costs, and EUR 450-700 a month is what living costs. Put together, a first year in Greece frequently lands under EUR 10,000 all in - the sort of number that makes an EU degree possible for a family that could not consider Denmark or Sweden. The full comparison sits in what studying in Greece costs from Bangladesh.
The rule that catches people: one-third before the visa
This is the part of Greek admissions that is different from every other country on our list, and it is worth understanding before you like the price.
Greek institutions generally require at least one-third of the tuition paid up front before they issue the enrolment or acceptance certificate. That certificate is a required document in the national student visa file. So the sequence is not "get the visa, then pay" - it is pay, then get the certificate, then apply, and only then find out whether the visa is granted.
On a EUR 3,000 fee that is EUR 1,000 committed before an embassy has looked at your file. It goes to the university's own account, not to any consultancy, and it should be sent through the proper banking channel as a student file.
⚠️ Get the refund policy for a visa refusal in writing before you pay. Institutions differ, some refund in full, some retain an administrative charge, and a few say nothing at all in their published terms. The time to discover which is before the transfer.
Why the fee varies so much between programmes
Greek universities are autonomous in how they price English-taught provision. A master's in shipping at a maritime-focused department and a master's in computer science at the same university can carry different fees, decided by different faculty boards, and both can change between intakes.
That means a fee quoted in an article, a forum, or an agent's brochure has an expiry date. The programme page on the university's own site is the only number worth building a plan on. It is worth checking three things there at once: the annual fee, whether it is charged per year or for the whole programme, and the instalment schedule.
The two largest public universities are a reasonable place to see the range for yourself - the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Public university or private college
Both exist in Greece and they are not the same product.
Public universities are state institutions. The degree is a Greek public-university degree, recognised across the EU without qualification, and the fees are the low ones in the table above.
Private colleges in Greece mostly operate as validated centres for a British or American university, so the degree you receive is awarded by that foreign institution, not by a Greek one. That can be a perfectly good outcome, and it is often the faster route to an English-taught bachelor's. It costs two to three times as much, and it changes what the qualification says on it. Before committing, read how to check a private university or college and confirm what body actually awards the degree.
What tuition does not cover
The fee is the smallest line in a Greek year. The rest:
- Funds to evidence for the visa: plan on about EUR 7,200 for the year. Greek law sets the floor at EUR 400 a month, but consulates in practice ask to see EUR 600-700.
- Health insurance, required in the file, typically EUR 300-550 a year.
- The residence permit applied for after arrival, which carries its own fee.
- Living costs, EUR 450-700 a month outside Athens and higher in it.
None of that is unusual, but a plan built on EUR 3,000 of tuition and nothing else is a plan that runs out in month five.
Is a Greek-taught degree really free?
Close to it at a public university, and this is genuinely the cheapest degree available anywhere on our list. The obstacle is not money, it is Greek. Reaching the level a university entrance process expects takes most people two to three years of serious study, and the language is little used outside Greece and Cyprus. For a Bangladeshi student planning to enter within a year, it is not a live option. For someone already living in Greece it can be.
What to do next
- 1Shortlist three English-taught programmes and read the fee, the instalment schedule and the refund clause on each university's own page.
- 2Ask each one, in writing, what happens to the one-third payment if the visa is refused.
- 3Price the whole year - tuition plus twelve months of living plus insurance - in the cost calculator, then check it against the nine countries ranked by real cost.
Official sources — check for yourself
- Study in Greece - official national portal
- Hellenic Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - international students
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Rules and figures change. We review these articles periodically and show the date above, but always confirm the current requirement with the official source before you act on it.
Common questions
How much is tuition in Greece for a Bangladeshi student?+
About EUR 1,500-4,000 a year for an English-taught programme at a public university, which is among the lowest in the eurozone. English-taught bachelor's degrees sit higher, roughly EUR 3,000-8,000, and private colleges awarding a UK or US degree charge EUR 6,000-12,000. Each programme sets its own fee, so confirm it on the university's page.
Do I really have to pay tuition before the visa?+
Usually a portion of it. Greek universities generally require at least one-third of the fee before issuing the enrolment certificate, and that certificate is part of the visa file. Send it through a proper student file at your bank, and get the refund policy for a visa refusal in writing first.
Is university free in Greece?+
Greek-taught programmes at public universities carry little or no tuition, including for international students, but they require Greek at a level that takes years to reach. English-taught programmes, which is what a student applying from Bangladesh realistically enters, do charge a fee.
Why is Greece so much cheaper than Finland or Denmark?+
Two separate reasons that compound. Greek public universities set low fees on English-taught programmes, and Greek living costs are among the lowest in the eurozone at EUR 450-700 a month. The honest counterweight is a weaker graduate job market and less clearly defined post-study routes than in the Nordic countries.
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