Study in Athens, Greece

Athens, the cradle of Western civilization, has been a city of global proportions for more than 3000 years. Since its rise to power in 1230 BC, Athens has been home to some of the world's most influential philosophers, artists, and political leaders. It has also given birth to the Olympic Games and the world's earliest glimmer of democracy. After dwindling to a small village during the dark ages, Athens became the capital of modern Greece and entered a period of rapid growth that continues to this day.

Tourists often come to Athens expecting a city wrapped up in its own past, dominated by ancient ruins and monuments to the glory of Greek antiquity. What they find instead is a place of constant activity befitting a modern European capital. Thanks to the erstwhile prosperity of the EU, many parts of Athens have recently been renovated, and gleaming new buildings have sprung up amongst the ruined temples. The ongoing Greek debt crisis has put a stop to new construction, but has had little impact on the culture and lifestyle of the city. Today, Athens is a city of style and leisure, undaunted by the challenges of its uncertain future.

Athens is blessed with a brand-new subway system and is easily navigable overall. The city center has been closed to vehicles and is now connected by a series of pedestrian walkways that weave in and out among numerous historic buildings. Throughout Athens, cars are waning in popularity as other means of transportation become cheaper and more convenient, so visitors and foreign students typically have no difficulty getting wherever they want to go.

Given that Athens was the most learned city in the ancient world, its popularity among foreign students is no surprise. The Greek capital has within it a number of prestigious universities, most notably the University of Athens. With more than 50,000 undergraduate students, it is the 2nd largest university in Greece and offers courses in the sciences, arts and humanities, and applied fields such as law and medicine. Several other colleges and universities call Athens home, mostly smaller schools that specialize in specific areas of study–notable examples include the Athens University of Economics and Business, the Agricultural University of Athens, and the international engineering heavyweight Athens Polytechnic.

While the quality of instruction an Athenian institutions is by far the most significant factor in drawing foreign students to the city, many come to enjoy the great culture and lifestyle, and to take advantage of the many unique travel opportunities that Athens has to offer. International students spending a semester in Athens can take weekend trips to the mountains of Thrace, relax on the warm beaches of Greece's many Aegean islands, or spend a study break in Istanbul or the Middle East. This wealth of enticing destinations, coupled with the excitement of Athens itself, makes this one of the world's foremost destinations for international travelers and students.