National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.

About the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

The university was inaugurated on 3 May 1837 as the Othonian University, named after Greece’s first king. It began with 4 academic units and 52 students in a neoclassical building below the Acropolis, which is now the University Museum. In 1932 it was renamed National and Kapodistrian University of Athens after Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first governor of Greece after independence.^[1] The university’s English home page gives 14 April 1837 as the date of official foundation, so sources differ by a few weeks.^[2]

NKUA has nine schools: Agricultural Development, Nutrition and Sustainability; Economics and Political Sciences; Education; Health Sciences; Law; Philosophy; Physical Education and Sport Science; Science; and Theology. A separate CORE department is listed beside them.^[2] Wikipedia places the central administration in the Propylaea building on Panepistimiou Street in central Athens.^[8]

How is the University of Athens ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, NKUA is 402nd. A Greek education news report of 20 June 2026 describes this as just outside the top 400 and ranks the Greek universities in the list as NTUA (378th), NKUA (402nd), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (502nd), University of Crete (649th) and University of Patras (771–780).^[3] A second Greek news site of 22 June 2026 also reports that NKUA dropped out of the top 400.^[9]

Wikipedia lists NKUA at 216th worldwide in the U.S. News Best Global Universities 2025–2026 and in the 201–300 band of the THE University Impact Rankings 2025. That article carries maintenance notices, so treat these figures as secondary.^[8] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so one position is only one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the University of Athens?

NKUA offers undergraduate study in 42 departments across its schools and more than 200 postgraduate programmes.^[2] Undergraduate study takes a minimum of four years.^[1] Most teaching is in Greek.^[4]

Three undergraduate programmes are taught in English:^[7]

• BA in the Archaeology, History and Literature of Ancient Greece (programme website)
• Medical Degree English Programme (programme website). Clinical training takes place at sixteen affiliated hospitals.^[6]
• MPharm, Integrated Master in Pharmacy (programme website)

English-taught master’s programmes are collected in a PDF list titled “Non-Greek-taught programmes” for 2025–2026 on the university’s website; check it for the current offer.^[10]

How much does the University of Athens cost?

Greece has no single tuition rate. The Eurypedia description of the system (page updated 28 October 2024) says that first-cycle studies at public universities are free of charge and that fees may be charged for particular postgraduate programmes.^[5] Study in Greece, the national portal, states that Greek-taught undergraduate programmes are free and that English-taught bachelor’s programmes charge roughly €5,000–15,000 per year.^[4] For master’s programmes it gives an average of €3,000–7,000 per year, set by each programme’s own regulation.^[11] The portal’s page on doctoral studies does not mention tuition.^[12]

The European Commission’s country profile (page updated 24 April 2026) lists €5,000–15,000 per year for non-EU/EEA bachelor’s students and €3,000–7,000 for non-EU/EEA master’s students.^[13] We found no official page that states how these rules apply to a non-EU student in a Greek-taught bachelor’s programme at NKUA, so confirm this with the department secretariat.

Medical Degree in English

The programme’s fee page states €17,000 for the academic year 2026–2027, the same for EU and non-EU citizens. A €5,000 non-refundable deposit is deducted from the fee; the remaining €12,000 is paid in two instalments, in early September and mid-January. The deposit is refundable only if a conditionally admitted student misses the predicted grades or if an admitted applicant cannot enrol because of visa problems.^[6]

For rent and living costs in Athens, see our Greece guide.

How do you apply to the University of Athens?

• Bachelor’s, foreign applicants: Study in Greece describes the route for applicants who, like their parents, do not hold Greek nationality. You prepare your documents with an apostille or legalisation, have them translated into Greek and certified, and apply electronically through the Ministry of Education’s system for foreign applicants (exams-foreigner.it.minedu.gov.gr) during a short window each year. After acceptance you contact the department secretariat for visa documents.^[4]
• Medical Degree in English: applications are made through the programme’s own website, which has separate pages for admission requirements and the application process.^[6]
• Master’s: admission requirements, selection and fees are set by each programme. The Ministry’s master’s finder and the Study in Greece portal list the programmes.^[11]
• Doctorate: the departments set their own admission requirements, and a postgraduate diploma is normally required.^[12]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by programme. Check the programme or portal for the current timetable.

Do you need to speak Greek?

For most programmes, yes. Study in Greece notes that undergraduate courses are generally taught in Greek, so Greek language study may be relevant for foreign applicants.^[4] The pages we read do not name a required Greek certificate or level. Ask the department you plan to apply to.

The three English-taught undergraduate programmes and the English-taught master’s programmes need strong English instead.^[7][10] For international master’s programmes, Study in Greece says that knowledge of one or more foreign languages is an essential prerequisite; the exact proof is set by each programme.^[11] NKUA also runs a Modern Greek Language Teaching Center and a Summer Course in Modern Greek Studies.^[2]

More about studying in Greece

• Greece: best universities
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

More university profiles in Greece

• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• National Technical University of Athens
• University of Crete
• University of Patras