20 best universities in Greece in 2026
Ranking based on the average of the three main global rankings: Shanghai (ARWU), Times Higher Education and QS.
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Average rank: #385
No. 1National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Founded in 1837, Greece's oldest and largest university, a comprehensive research institution in the heart of Athens.
No. 2National Technical University of Athens
Greece's most prestigious engineering school, founded in 1837, known as the Athens 'Polytechnion'.
No. 3Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The largest university in the Balkans, founded in 1925, spanning every discipline from medicine to engineering and fine arts.
No. 4Harokopio University of Athens
A small public research university near central Athens and Greece's reference in nutrition, public health and geography.
No. 5University of Crete
A public research university in Heraklion and Rethymnon, renowned for its English-taught international medical programme.
No. 6University of Patras
Greece's third-largest university, founded in 1964 in Patras: engineering, science, health and humanities.
No. 7University of Piraeus
A public university specialising in economics, management and informatics, at the heart of Greece's great port of Piraeus.
No. 8Athens University of Economics and Business
Greece's leading economics and business university, renowned for its master's programs and strength in data science and finance.
No. 9University of the Aegean
A 'multi-island' public university spread across six Aegean islands and a pioneer of interdisciplinary studies.
No. 10University of Thessaly
A multi-campus public university in central Greece with strengths in medicine (English-taught MD), engineering and sport science.
No. 11Democritus University of Thrace
A public university in Greece's northeast, spread across four cities, with strengths in law, engineering and veterinary medicine.
No. 12University of Ioannina
A large public research university in western Greece, founded in 1964, in one of the country's most affordable student cities.
No. 13University of Macedonia
A public university in Thessaloniki devoted to economics and social sciences, known for its MSc in Applied Informatics.
No. 14Hellenic Open University
A public distance-learning university in Patras, Greece's pioneer of open education and adult learning since 1997.
No. 15Technical University of Crete
A public technical university in Chania, Crete, founded in 1977 and renowned for engineering excellence and international master's programs.
No. 16International Hellenic University
A public university founded in 2005 in Thessaloniki, historically dedicated to English-taught international programmes.
No. 17University of West Attica
A public university formed in 2018 from the Athens and Piraeus technological institutes: applied sciences, health and engineering.
No. 18University of Western Macedonia
A multi-campus public university in Greece's northwest, spread across five cities, with strengths in engineering and education.
No. 19Ionian University
A public university in Corfu, founded in 1984, known for archival studies, translation and audiovisual arts.
No. 20University of the Peloponnese
A young public university centred on Tripoli: humanities, social sciences, technology and management with a European outlook.