Greece Climbs in Rankings as Top Destination for Students from United States

A growing number of Americans are choosing Greece as a destination for study, according to findings by the Open Doors 2023 survey, published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

More specifically, Greece moved up in the global rankings and is now the 8th top study abroad destination for US students, with 4,484 US students studying in Greece for the 2021/22 academic year. Greece ranked 9th in 2022 and 17th in 2018, showing Greece’s trajectory to become a top destination for US students.

“I was so pleased to see this year’s data and to see that our outstanding collaboration with the Greek government and its universities is yielding such impressive results,” US Ambassador to Greece George J. Tsunis said in an announcement.

At the same time, a growing number of Greek students chose the United States for their studies, with a total of 2,539 Greek students studying in U.S. academic institutions during the 2022/23 academic year, marking an increase of 5.5 percent compared to the prior academic year. Almost half of the Greek students in the United States (1,141) attended graduate programs, 790 students attended undergraduate programs, and the rest attended other, non-degree programs. The previous year, 2,407 Greek students studied in the United States.

“These are real, tangible results that have positive implications for our young people, for our economies, and for our bilateral relationship. We have reached new heights, and I know that together we can reach even higher,” the ambassador said.

The annual statistical survey of international educational exchange activity into and out of the United States has been conducted by the Institute of International Education (IIE) since 1948. The results of the survey have been published annually as the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange since 1955. The Open Doors project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by IIE.