More than 2,600 PhD holders applied this year for jobs in Greece’s public education system, highlighting the growing appeal of teaching for highly qualified academics facing limited opportunities in research and higher education.
According to ASEP recruitment data, 2,611 doctoral degree holders applied among a total of 87,971 candidates, representing about 3% of all applicants. The figure is notable because doctoral studies are typically pursued by those seeking careers in research or university teaching, paths traditionally associated with higher academic status, better pay and stronger professional prospects.
Data shows that biologists had the highest share of doctoral degree-holders among applicants to secondary education positions, with 18.1% holding PhDs. They were followed by chemical engineers (12.9%), chemists (10.9%), medical doctorate holders (10.4%) and physicists (9.9%).
In absolute numbers, however, the largest group of PhD applicants came from larger teaching specialties. Philologists led with 613 applicants, followed by physicists with 373, biologists with 324, chemists with 216 and mathematicians with 161.
The presence of so many doctorate holders in education recruitment lists is attributed to several factors. Data from the National Documentation and Electronic Content Center shows that 57.1% of new PhD graduates pursued doctoral research primarily because of personal interest. Another 21.6% cited the prospect of an academic career, while 19.1% sought better professional opportunities. Only 1.4% said addressing a technical or production problem was their main motivation.
