The issue of private universities in Greece has entered a new phase, following the landmark ruling by the Council of State (Greece’s Supreme Administrative Court) to revoke the operating licenses and academic accreditations of three out of the first four foreign university branches established in the country. The affected institutions are CITY College University of York, Keele University, and Anatolia College. Greece’s National Authority for Higher Education (NQAA/ΕΘΑΑΕ) has now launched a process to revise the accreditation criteria for the study programs of the three private universities, which were licensed last year and began operating in the 2025–2026 academic year.
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The NQAA, which is responsible for evaluating applications from private universities and accrediting their study programs, issued a statement expressing full respect for the decisions of the Supreme Administrative Court and pledging cooperation with the Ministry of Education to restore legal certainty for the affected study programs. The authority also acknowledged the significant disruption caused to students and their families, noting that there is enormous time pressure ahead of the new academic year.
Private universities: What the NQAA’s statement says
The statement notes, among other things, that “the Supreme Council and the Evaluation and Accreditation Council of the NQAA have already initiated compliance measures in response to the Council of State rulings, including the further specification of accreditation criteria to fully meet the requirements set by the legislature, without compromising meaningful alignment with European practice. The Authority will work closely with the Ministry of Education, as well as with the academic community, to ensure that the revised framework guarantees both legal certainty and the quality of higher education provided in the country.”
The legal battle escalates
The legal battle appears to be intensifying, now extending to all seven new private universities following annulment petitions filed with the Council of State by Panos Lazaratos, a Professor of Administrative Law at the University of Athens (EKPA). The institutions targeted are: Georgetown University Greece, the Scientific and Technological University of Iowa AGS based in Thessaloniki, Roger Williams University (in collaboration with Deree), the European University Cyprus, the French-language University of Greece (Paris Nord), the University of Essex, and the University of Derby.
What Deputy Minister Nikos Papaioannou says
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education maintains that the institutional framework for private universities remains in force, assuring that “no student will lose their academic year,” and that all necessary steps will be taken to safeguard students’ rights and ensure the uninterrupted continuation of their studies. Deputy Minister of Education Nikos Papaioannou, speaking on Skai TV, stated: “Our position is clear: the two bodies — the NQAA and EOPPEP — will take all the necessary steps,” adding that the government “fully respects the decisions of the judiciary.” He further emphasized that “the NQAA must produce a new, more specialized regulatory framework based on quantitative criteria, publish it, and proceed once again with the re-accreditation process for the programs.”
Originally published in Apogeumatini
