Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης
Greece's largest university: a tuition-free, Greek-taught campus in central Thessaloniki, plus a few English-taught degrees.
- Students
- 88,283
- 77,198 undergraduates
- International
- 5%
- of students
- Tuition
- €6,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1925
About AUTh
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), founded in 1925 and named after the philosopher born at nearby Stageira, is the largest university in Greece. About 88,000 students study there, roughly 77,000 of them undergraduates. Its main campus covers about 33 hectares in the middle of Thessaloniki, and it is organised into 10 faculties made up of 40 schools, plus one single-school faculty, running 41 undergraduate programmes.
The range is unusually wide for one campus: theology, philology and four foreign-language schools sit alongside law, medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, a full engineering faculty with architecture and electrical and computer engineering, fine arts (film, drama, music, visual arts), education, sport science, agriculture and forestry. First degrees take four to five years, and medicine takes six.
Be realistic about language before you apply. Entry to AUTh's regular degrees is through Greece's national Panhellenic exams, and teaching is in Greek. Foreign nationals of non-Greek origin have only a narrow quota route through the Ministry of Education. The main exceptions are a handful of fee-paying English-taught degrees: Medicine, Law (LLB) and several science and engineering programmes launched for international students. AUTh suits students who want a big, public, city-centre university at low cost and who are ready to learn Greek, or who are aiming at one of those English-taught tracks.
Μούσαις Χάρισι Θῦε
“Sacrifice to the Muses and the Graces” — university motto
Why students choose AUTh
Greek-taught undergraduate degrees at Greek public universities such as AUTh charge no tuition.
The Aristotle University School of Medicine runs an English-taught undergraduate medicine programme with 60 places a year for international students.
English-taught bachelor's and integrated master's degrees include Law (LLB), Clean Energy Science and Engineering, and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, at €6,000 to €8,000 a year.
Everything from film and drama to veterinary medicine and forestry sits in one university, on a campus in the middle of Greece's second city.
Admissions
2027-28 entry
Selectivity
No overall admit rate is published. Greek-taught places are allocated nationally: Greek students through the Panhellenic exams, and foreign nationals of non-Greek origin through a separate Ministry of Education application. The English-taught Medicine programme has 60 places a year.
Typical entry requirements
| Greek-taught degrees (foreign school leavers) | Foreign nationals whose parents are not of Greek origin can apply as graduates of non-EU lyceums or of EU secondary schools. You submit a Ministry of Education application with your school-leaving certificate, its average converted to Greece's 0–20 scale, and official Greek translations. Teaching is in Greek. |
|---|---|
| English-taught Medicine (AUSoM) | At least the last two years of high school completed outside Greece; high school diploma or IB; English certificate; personal statement; interview; admission test unless exempt (MediTest-EU, or final A-level grades of at least AAB in Chemistry, Biology and one other subject besides English) |
| Other English-taught bachelor's degrees | Law (LLB), Clean Energy Science and Engineering, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Sustainable Agriculture and Food Science, applied for on the national Study in Greece platform; check each programme page for its requirements |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 79 These scores are for the English-taught Medicine programme (IELTS 6.0 overall or TOEFL iBT 79, B2 level). Greek-taught degrees require Greek, not English. |
Deadlines
- Greek-taught degrees, foreign-candidate application (2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed9 July 2026
The 2026 window ran from 2 to 9 July 2026, with documents couriered by 10 July. The 2027 dates had not been published when this page was checked.
- English-taught Medicine, first cycle (2027-28) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~4 months29 January 2027
Opens 9 November 2026. The school's FAQ gives 31 January as the first-round deadline.
- English-taught Medicine, second cycle (2027-28) Non-binding In ~8 months31 May 2027
Opens 22 March 2027.
- English-taught Law LLB (2027-28) Non-binding In ~8 months31 May 2027
Applications open 8 September 2026 on the Study in Greece platform.
Medicine and Law dates are for 2027-28 entry. The foreign-candidate dates for Greek-taught degrees are from the 2026 cycle; expect a similar short July window in 2027. The 2026-27 calls for the other English-taught science degrees close on 30 September 2026.
How to apply
Greek-taught degrees: foreign candidates submit an electronic application and entry form on the Ministry of Education's platform (exams-foreigner.it.minedu.gov.gr), choosing departments in order of preference, then courier apostilled and translated documents to the Ministry. English-taught Medicine: apply online at aristotlemedical.edu.gr, upload documents with an admissions adviser, then sit an online interview and test. Other English-taught degrees: apply through the Study in Greece platform (apply.studyingreece.edu.gr).
What admissions looks for
- For Greek-taught places: eligibility in the foreign-candidate categories (neither you nor your parents of Greek origin) and a complete, correctly certified document file, since late or incomplete files are not accepted.
- For English-taught Medicine: a strong science base in biology and chemistry, shown through the admission test or strong final A-levels.
- For English-taught Medicine: motivation shown in the personal statement and interview, plus at least B2-level English.
Tips for applying to AUTh
- 1 If you plan to study in Greek, learn Greek early. AUTh's School of Modern Greek Language has taught foreigners since 1970 and runs courses all year.
- 2 Start on apostilles and official Greek translations months ahead: the foreign-candidate window for Greek-taught degrees lasts about a week in July.
- 3 For Medicine, apply in the November to January cycle. A MediTest-EU result, or final A-levels of at least AAB in Chemistry and Biology, lets you skip the admission test.
- 4 AUSoM places cannot be deferred, so sort out your visa and residence permit in time to start in the year you apply for.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Greek-taught degrees charge no tuition. Each year AUTh awards up to three scholarships per faculty to registered foreign students of non-Greek descent, paid as a monthly grant (none during the Greek-language foundation year). The English-taught Medicine programme says no scholarships are currently available.
- Up to 3 per faculty per year (monthly grant)
- AUTh scholarships for foreign undergraduates
- €6,000 non-refundable instalment on acceptance
- English-taught Medicine deposit
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (academic year 1 September to 31 August; at least 13 teaching weeks per semester, with a September resit period)
Medicine in English (Aristotle University School of Medicine)
AUTh's first medicine degree taught in English: 60 international places a year at €12,000, with clinical training in AUTh's university hospital and six affiliated hospitals.
Law (LLB, English-taught)
An 8-semester, 240-ECTS law degree from AUTh's School of Law at €7,000 a year, with 2027-28 applications open until 31 May 2027.
Clean Energy Science and Engineering (BSc, English-taught)
A four-year joint programme run by Mechanical Engineering with Chemistry and Agriculture, focused on designing and optimising energy systems.
Veterinary Medicine
AUTh's veterinary faculty, founded in 1950, was for many years the only one in Greece; Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla trained there.
Film, Drama and Music Studies
AUTh's Faculty of Fine Arts has separate Schools of Film, Drama, Music Studies and Visual and Applied Arts, which few Greek universities offer.
Research
- The School of Medicine reports 82 departments and laboratories, 60 clinics in seven city hospitals and more than 30,000 graduates since 1942.
- AUTh's Seismological Station, founded in 1978, detects and measures earthquakes in Greece and worldwide.
- Archaeologist Manolis Andronikos, an AUTh professor, discovered the royal tombs at Vergina, including the tomb attributed to Philip II of Macedon.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Philosophy
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Fine Arts
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences
- Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment
Student life
AUTh's main campus is an open, tree-filled site in the middle of Thessaloniki, next to the city's exhibition grounds and a short walk from the waterfront, so student life spills into the city's cafés and tavernas. With close to 90,000 students it is huge, and each school has its own library and reading rooms. The Student Club runs a restaurant and medical service for students, and the on-campus sports centre runs internal championships. Student housing is limited and goes mainly to students in financial need.
- The Student Club runs a restaurant, reading room, medical service, choir and music and photography groups.
- The university sports centre on campus hosts internal championships and teams for the Greek inter-university games.
- Since 1987 AUTh has accounted for about a quarter of Greece's Erasmus study mobility.
Housing. AUTh's three residence halls hold about 1,740 students and are reserved mainly for students with financial or other special needs, so most students rent privately in the city.
Location
Thessaloniki is Greece's second-largest city, a port on the Thermaic Gulf in northern Greece. Byzantine churches, Roman ruins and a long seafront promenade sit side by side, and the large student population supports a busy café and music scene. The city is a gateway to the beaches of Chalkidiki and to the Balkans.
Nearest airport: Thessaloniki Airport Makedonia (SKG)
Notable alumni
- AB Albert BourlaChairman and CEO of Pfizer; DVM and PhD from AUTh's veterinary school
- CS Christos SartzetakisPresident of Greece (1985–1990); law graduate
- GA Gianna Angelopoulos-DaskalakiPresident of the Athens 2004 Olympics organising committee; studied law
- VA Vassilis AngelopoulosSpace physicist and principal investigator of NASA's THEMIS mission
- VV Vassilis VassilikosWriter (author of the novel Z) and diplomat
- MA Manolis AndronikosArchaeologist who excavated the royal tombs at Vergina; studied at the University of Thessaloniki and later taught there
Frequently asked questions
Can international students study at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in English?
Only in a few programmes: Medicine, Law (LLB), and English-taught degrees in clean energy, environmental, materials and agricultural sciences. Everything else is taught in Greek, with entry through Greece's national Panhellenic exams (or the Ministry of Education's foreign-candidate route).
Is Aristotle University of Thessaloniki free?
Greek-taught undergraduate degrees charge no tuition. English-taught programmes charge €6,000 to €8,000 a year, and English-taught Medicine €12,000 a year.
How do foreigners get into Greek-taught degrees at AUTh?
Foreign nationals of non-Greek origin apply through the Ministry of Education's foreign-candidate route, not the Panhellenic exams. In 2026 the online application ran from 2 to 9 July, followed by couriered documents. You need Greek to follow the courses.
What are the deadlines for AUTh's English-taught Medicine for 2027?
The first cycle for 2027-28 runs from 9 November 2026 to 29 January 2027, and the second from 22 March to 31 May 2027.
What English score does AUTh Medicine require?
IELTS 6.0 overall or TOEFL iBT 79 (B2 level). You do not need Greek to start; Greek is taught during the programme.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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