Report shows lagging university graduation rate

Only one in five students at Greek universities complete their studies within the minimum time of study, while most take almost six years to complete a four-year program, which is the shortest possible duration of an undergraduate program, according to a report by the National Authority for Higher Education.

In its rather non-flattering review of the situation, the authority also notes that Greece has the highest ratio of students per teacher, 33 points below the European average. 

The report notes that Greece has 25 institutions of higher education with 423 departments, 602 undergraduate programs, 1,258 postgraduate programs and 423 doctoral programs.

The student population appears to be one of the highest among European countries, but also internationally, mainly due to the high percentage of "eternal" students who delay graduation for many years beyond the...