Only one in five students (19.62%) of Greek universities graduate on time.that is, in the minimum period of study of his school.

The average student needs six years to complete four years of study and, respectively, 7.5 for five years and nine for medicine, which is six years.

For every 100 students entering universities every year, 52 graduates of the total number of students. That is, two enter, and one finishes..

The latest National Higher Education Authority (ETHAAE) 2022 report presented by “K” is particularly troubling.demanding a change in policy from universities and the state at a time when university knowledge and changes in the economy and the labor market are rapid.

In particular, the expansion of university education is not a Greek phenomenon. However, in our country it is especially intense. According to a recent OECD report Education at a Glance 2022 in countries that track students individually, an average of 39% of undergraduate students (double compared to 19.62% of Greek universities) complete their degree on time.

In terms of the ratio of new admissions / graduates per year, central specialized institutions have the best indicators: Macedonia (for every 100 students admitted annually, 82 graduates) and Piraeus (80) specializing in the field of economic sciences, Pantheon of social sciences (77) and Foundation NTUA engineers (73).

Of those that offer a wide range of studies, they have higher coefficients AUTHORIZATION (71), University of Crete (64) and EKPA (63). Below is University of Thessaly (48) which merged with TEI Larissa, Technical University of Crete (46) Harokopio (45) Aegean University (44) and Ionian University (37).

In fact, the phenomenon of late release or no release has worsened significantly in the last decade since the financial crisis. ETHAEE data shows that the graduate rate of 10.04% of all enrolled students in 2013 has steadily decreased since then (9.91% in 2015, 9.41% in 2017, 8.91% in 2019 . and 8.60% in 2020). The corresponding EU average in 2020 was 23.15%, rising from 22.13% in 2018 and 22.28% in 2019. This pathogenicity, however, intensified with the intervention of the previous government in the academic map of the country, which, unfortunately, had unique criteria for client transactions and micropolitical benefits. I had the opportunity, as the rector of the University of Crete, to respond to the undocumented and largely ill-considered increase in the number of admissions by appealing – unfortunately unsuccessfully – to the State Council,” Odysseas Zoras, Secretary General of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, commented to “K”.

“This phenomenon has reached explosive proportions and threatens to discredit higher education in our country, which was unthinkable in the past, when higher education was a very important factor in upward social mobility, especially for people from the lower and middle classes,” he notes, speaking at “K » former Ph.D. higher education Apostolis Dimitropoulos.

This phenomenon has become much worse in the last decade after the financial crisis.

Very poor performing universities are thought to have been burdened by the takeover decisions that took place in 2018 and 2019. It is significant that only 12.08% of his students complete their studies normally.

“In May 2019, at the University of Western Macedonia, out of the current 22 faculties, 10 were restored and six were created from scratch. In some of the 10 restored universities, the only graduates are former university students who took advantage of transitional conditions to obtain a university degree. There are no graduates at 6 new departments yet, as they have not completed 4 years of work. Therefore, it makes sense to show a university with a low percentage of graduates, since it is calculated by the ratio of the number of graduates and enrolled. The pace is expected to pick up over the next two academic years as we have our first graduates from the new departments,” he says. The same explanation was given by Nikolaos Katasarakis, the rector of the Hellenic Mediterranean University (ELMEPA), which arose as a result of the “universitization” of TEI Crete. According to ETHAAE, only 0.79% of ELMEPA students graduate within the minimum study time.

However, do not relax, as even highly effective universities have problems. Tellingly, NTUA Rector Andreas Butuvis told K that “NTUA’s comparatively high performance in terms of graduate share in normal years of study and average degree time is also due to the nature of engineering studies. , which are characterized by a homogeneous background, in the professional perspectives of graduates inside and outside of Greece and at the NTUA student level. However, these indicators even lag far behind their European counterparts, especially in terms of the average time to complete a degree. It is characteristic that the value of the index for NTUA is 31.57%, while for the Delft University of Technology – 80%, and for the Danish Technical University (DTU) – 65%. There are many reasons for this difference, but one of them, the Greek uniqueness, is the possibility of unlimited duration of study combined with unlimited/unconditional participation in university examinations. Well, they might be delayed if they have the opportunity.”

In fact, even in areas that are in high demand in the labor market, such as information technology, there is a large release delay. For this reason, as Periklis Mitkas, President of ETHAAE, noted in K, a working meeting between the management of the Office and the presidents of the IT and Computing departments will take place in early April. Is the delay due to the backlog of secondary school students, to the excessive complexity of the curricula of some university departments, or some other combination of reasons? “The reasons can vary greatly, such as indifference in the first years of study, difficult financial or family conditions, health conditions, immaturity, shortcomings in the curriculum, or inadequacy of teachers.

In any case, each case should be investigated and dealt with appropriately by the relevant departments,” says Mr Mitkas, adding the possibility that some students were accepted to a school they were not interested in and either dropped out or studied at foreign universities. or Greek colleges. In addition, some students of a science that is in high demand in the labor market (for example, computer science) may work at the same time and thus delay obtaining a degree. “Universities must act dynamically, seize opportunities and limit their weaknesses. For example, increasing the role of an advisory professor who could monitor student progress, evaluate learning progress for each student individually and make suggestions for improvement, getting both the student himself and the institutions that control and regulate the educational process, this would be a significant step. to solve the problem,” says Mr. Zoras.

Unemployed graduates

“The disconnection of higher education from the labor market, which intensified after the economic crisis of 2010, and to some extent the cost of living during studies, especially outside the family home, seems to reduce interest and motivation in studying and early graduation from higher education institutions. university research. Despite a decline in graduate unemployment in recent years, the percentage of unemployed graduates in Greece is still twice the EU average. In addition, almost every third graduate (32%) works in a profession that does not require high qualifications and is paid accordingly. This percentage is the second highest in Europe after Spain. An important role is also played by the curricula of universities, their theoretical focus and academic requirements that exceed the capabilities of students, as well as their structure and overall duration, which differ from those used in other European countries. where three-year programs predominate.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of four-year programs that are turning into five-year programs,” notes Mr. Dimitropoulos, emphasizing: “The ever-increasing dropout rates increase the likelihood of higher education becoming obsolete in the country. Solving the problem requires strengthening the knowledge economy and creating highly skilled jobs. This, of course, requires changes in higher education. First of all, it is necessary to change the orientation of universities. From preparing graduates for employment in the public sector, as has been the case for many decades, they must move to preparing for employment predominantly in the private sector. Especially for those who are export oriented. On the other hand, a shift is needed in the internal organization of universities so that the development of students’ knowledge and skills is placed at the center of their daily activities.

Numbers

2 accepted students
1 Graduates

For every 100 students admitted each year, there are:

82 – University of Macedonia
80 – Univ. Piraeus
77 – Pantheu
73 – NTPA
66 – Finances of Athens
64 – un-t. Crete
62 – un-t. Athens
57 – un-t. Western Attica
50 – Univ. Yanina
48 – Univ. Thessaly
55 – Univ. Patron
52 – Democritus of Thrace
46 – Technical University of Crete
45 – Harokopio
44 – un-t. Aegean Sea
37 – Ionian University.
36 – Agricultural University. Athens
34 – International univ. Greece
32 – un-t. Peloponnese
31 – Greek Mediterranean University.
24 – un-t. Western Macedonia

52 students (on average) of all universities annually graduate for every 100 accepted students

19.62% they complete their studies on time

6 years on average, a student at a Greek university requires four years of study and, respectively, 7.5 for five years and 9 for medicine, which are six years.

8.6% registered students (including “perpetuals”) graduated in 2020 from Greek universities.

23.15% – the corresponding percentage of graduates when enrolling in Europe.

In 2003 the Greek average was 10.04% and has been declining ever since.