Greece’s university graduation numbers are rising, driven largely by a new law purging so-called “eternal students” who had exceeded their programs’ maximum study time, according to the National Authority of Higher Education’s latest annual report.
Total graduates grew from 54,203 in 2020-2021 to 58,415 in 2024-2025, a 7.7% increase. The ratio of a year’s graduates to new enrollees jumped from 52.21% to 86.5% over the period, according to analysis by Apostolos Dimitropoulos, a government adviser and former higher education chief.
He attributes the gain to shrinking enrollment – from 84,665 to 67,549 – and to students racing to graduate before being struck from the rolls, first enforced in 2025. Still, only 49.9% of registered students graduate within allowed timeframes, and just 20% finish within the minimum years required. Delayed graduation postpones labor-market entry.
