Greece: University entrance cutoffs expected to rise for medical fields, fall for others

Preliminary estimates for Greece's 2026 university entrance exam cutoffs indicate a notable shift, with medical programs expected to see increased competition while humanities and economics/informatics fields may experience a decline. The Ministry of Education released official statistics following the Panhellenic Exams, providing a clearer picture for the 2026-27 academic year.

A total of 89,032 candidates vied for 68,788 available university positions. Of these, 75,109 came from General Lyceums (GEL) and 13,923 from Vocational Lyceums (EPAL). Educational analyst Giorgos Chatzitegas told APE-MPE that significant overall changes in cutoffs are not expected, but minor fluctuations across scientific fields are likely.

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the cutoff scores are not expected to show major changes, with small increases and decreases per scientific field.

The minimum entrance score (EBE) for the 1st Scientific Field (Humanities) is set at 8.91, down from 9.04 last year. The 2nd Field (Sciences) is at 10.48, up from 9.82. The 3rd Field (Health Sciences) is 9.84, up from 9.60, and the 4th Field (Economics and Informatics) is 8.25, down from 8.40. The EBE is calculated as 80% of the average performance of candidates in each field.

Chatzitegas predicts a downward trend for the 1st and 4th fields due to lower candidate performance compared to the previous year. Conversely, the 2nd and 3rd fields are expected to rise, driven by a threefold increase in top-scoring students (18-20 range), particularly in physics. Medical schools anticipate an increase of 200-250 points, while science and engineering programs are also likely to see higher cutoffs. This trend could lead to more unfilled positions, with the analyst estimating over 10,000 spots remaining vacant due to the EBE policy.

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the rise comes from the tripling of top performers on a scale of 18-20. Last year this percentage was 10%, while this year it is 30%, with physics playing a decisive role.