An important intersection for Greek Higher Education is the decision of the plenary session of the Council of State, which It ruled Constitutional Law 5094/2024 which provides for the operation of foreign university branches in our country. This development essentially paves the way for the launch of 12 non -state HEIs since September 2025.
Despite the appeals submitted by academics and trade unions, the Plenary of the CoE, chaired by Michalis Pikrammenos, rejected the arguments of unconstitutionality, judging that the establishment of such NPEs (Legal Entities) is a European Education.
The 12 universities taking a stand in Greece
According to data from the National Higher Education Authority (ETHAE), the applications approved relate to the following institutions:
| Title NPE (English) | Seat | Schools | Estimated admissions | Maternal institution | Collaborating college |
| BCA ULE | Athens | 3 | 420 | University of West London | BCA |
| City University | Piraeus | 3 | 360 | London Metropolitan University | City Unity College |
| City ULE – Univ. of York Europe Campus | Thessaloniki | 3 | 337 | University of York | CITY |
| Mediterranean Global ULE | Athens | 3 | 340 | University of Derby | Mediterranean College |
| Queen Margaret Univ., Greece – ULE | Athens | 3 | 900 | Queen Margaret University | Metropolitan College |
| The Univ. of Keele, Greece ULE | Athens | 3 | 170 | University of Keele | Metropolitan College |
| UNIC Athens ULE | Athens | 6 | 850 | University of Nicosia (Cyprus) | – |
| Univ. of East London, Greece ULE | Athens | 3 | 1.110 | University of East London | Metropolitan College |
| Univ. of New York in Greece ULE | Athens | 3 | 312 | University of Greater Manchester | New York College |
| Anatolia American Univ. Greece – ULE | Thessaloniki | 3 | 183 | The Open University | Anatolia College of Thessaloniki |
| The French Univ. of Greece ULE | Athens | 3 | 360 | Sorbonne Paris-Nord University | IdEF |
| Aegean Omiros Univ. Ule | Athens | 3 | 938 | University of Essex | Aegean College |
Total: 39 schools and 6,280 new students
How will they work – the control phas
The operation of the NPEs will be under the supervision of ETHAE and will follow three phases:
- Phase 1: Licensing dossier control by ETHAE and EOPPEP for infrastructure.
- Phase B: Programs Certification and Operating License.
- Phase C: Annual monitoring and periodic certification by ETHAE.
What do the protagonists say
Sofia Zacharakis (Minister of Education):
“The road to the implementation of a historical educational reform opens. The institutionalization of foreign university branches reinforces educational diversity and makes Greece a regional knowledge hub. “
Kyriakos Pierrakakis (Finance Ministry):
“This is a historical decision that crushes obsessions and offers more choices to students. The Constitution should not be an obstacle of progress. “
Nikos Papaioannou (Education):
“The new page in Higher Education is written with confidence in the academic community, without exclusion.”
Evangelos Venizelos:
“The CoE’s decision incorporates the” augmented constitution “based on Union law – a fundamental interpretive intersection.”