Home / Education / Greece Halves Student Ranks: 300K Removed!
Greece Halves Student Ranks: 300K Removed!
3 Jan
Summary
- Over 300,000 inactive students removed from Greek university rolls.
- This action halves the country's official student population.
- Reforms aim to increase degree value and university planning.
Greece's state universities have removed over 300,000 inactive students, drastically cutting the official student population by nearly half. This significant reform, ending a decades-long practice of extended enrollment, aims to enhance the value and credibility of university degrees. The Education Ministry emphasized that student status is no longer valid for life in European universities.
Approximately 35,000 students successfully applied for re-enrollment in 2025, but the majority of those admitted before 2017 have been removed. Opponents from the academic community argue the reform doesn't address disruptions from the past decade's financial crisis. The current active student body is just over 350,000.
Officials note that while dormant students didn't pose a direct financial burden, they created administrative challenges. Updated lists will enable universities to plan more precisely, improving academic quality, daily operations, and international rankings. This move seeks to ensure degrees reflect tangible effort, skills, and passion.
