Languages & Linguistics Study Abroad Programs in Greece

Heritage Greece had a profound impact on me, but the most meaningful part of the experience was the people I met along the way. Being surrounded by other young Greeks who shared similar values, ambitions, and a passion for their heritage allowed me to build genuine friendships and connections that I know will last for years to come. As the grandchild of Greek immigrants who came to Canada and often faced discrimination because they were different, I feel incredibly proud to carry on and celebrate the heritage they worked so hard to preserve. Heritage Greece reinforced that pride and showed me that being Greek is something to be celebrated openly and confidently.

Studying abroad in Greece through CYA was one of the most rewarding experiences of my college career. Living in Athens allowed me to experience everyday Greek life while exploring iconic landmarks like the Acropolis and discovering the neighborhoods such as Pagrati. One of my favorite memories was taking a field study to Thessaloniki, where we encountered pelicans on a boat tour and even had the chance to feed them by hand. I also loved traveling throughout Greece, trying authentic Greek food, and making lifelong friendships with students from around the world. This program helped me become more independent, confident, and open to new experiences, and I would encourage anyone considering studying abroad to take the opportunity.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewJuly 24, 2026

Hi Molly, thank you for sharing your experience with CYA! We are so happy to hear you were really able to make Athens your home and found your time learning and exploring in Greece to be unforgettable. Hopefully you can visit again soon!

This program gave me an opportunity that I wouldn’t have been able to do by myself. I had learned a lot about being the best Speech Language Pathologist should look like and continue that with my career moving forward. I would encourage anyone is capable of going on a journey to see it from a different perspective.

I will never forget my time at CYA! We went on guided trips across the entirety of Greece, were completely immersed in the culture, received a great education, and created a sense of community thousands of miles away from home.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewJuly 02, 2026

Hi Tori, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love to hear that you were able to learn so much while traveling around Greece through our hands on program. We hope you can visit us again soon!

This experience was definitely worth it, but looking back I wish I had known what to expect. First I warn you to AVOID LANGUAGES, or at least avoid taking more than one. Greek learning expectations are lower than American for anything BUT language. You will drain all of your free time. College Year in Athens almost exclusively has students from certain universities that have direct partnerships. If you're at anything other than a New England or Pacific Northwest school, prepare to be the outlier. Students are very cliquey. There are exceptions to this, and you do find your group, but it takes a while. Also, everyone spends their free time traveling all around Europe, which can feel like a letdown if you don't have the budget can do the same. Don't worry. Field Study programs are great and free ways to travel, and there are so many cool things to do in Greece alone, and even in Athens. Get an internship or volunteer. It's worth it. And befriend the staff, they're all cheering for you.

Studying abroad with CYA in Athens, Greece was one of the most transformative experiences of my college career. As a Psychology major, I was excited to explore how culture influences human behavior, but I gained much more than academic knowledge during my semester abroad. Through courses in psychology, Greek history, and Modern Greek language, I developed a deeper understanding of both Greek society and the broader cultural factors that shape people's lives. Living in an apartment with three other students from my program created a strong sense of community and led to friendships that became one of the most meaningful parts of my experience. Together, we explored Athens, traveled throughout Greece, and supported one another as we adapted to life in a new country. One of my favorite memories was sitting at the top of the Panathenaic Stadium with my friends, reflecting on everything we had experienced and accomplished during our time abroad. Having previously moved to Los Angeles without knowing anyone helped prepare me for the challenges of studying abroad. The experience strengthened my independence, adaptability, and confidence while encouraging me to step outside my comfort zone. Thanks to support from USC, CYA, and the Gilman Scholarship, I was able to pursue an opportunity that broadened my academic, personal, and professional horizons in ways I will carry with me for years to come.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewJune 19, 2026

Hi Lorien, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love to hear you found the program to be highly impactful and had the chance to see so much of Greece as part of your program. We hope you can visit again soon!

AIFS provided so many amazing experiences. We had group dinners, tours of different sites, as well as a swim cruise. It was truly an outstanding experience and I would highly recommend to anyone looking to study abroad.

Study abraod changed my life for the better and I couldn't be more grateful for AIFS and the ability to go to Greece. I made some of my very best friends abroad and miss being there every day. Living situation was awesome, my roommates were great and I got to meet so many new, amazing people from all over. Study abroad gave me the wings I needed to fly.

I loved living in Greece and doing a Spring Semester with CYA; I will I could be there still! As an Ancient World Studies major, getting to experience the sites in person that I have read about/seen pictures of was so amazing. One of the classes I took was completely on-site, meaning we visited different parts of ancient Athens every class, which was great! I loved exploring Athens and connecting with Greek culture. I even took a marble carving class set up by CYA which was very cool. CYA also took us on many trips across Greece, so I got to see other parts of the country as well. There are so many great things to say about my stay in Greece, but I highly recommend studying there with CYA!

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewMarch 13, 2026

Hi Sara, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love hearing you were able to explore Athens and beyond through our on-site courses and connect with the Greek culture. We hope you can visit again soon!

CYA was the perfect way to experience Greece. The housing was perfect and immersive, the food around Athens was cheap and good, and classes being held at historical sights was a dream come true. I would recommend this program to anybody who has a remote interest in history. I would also like to mention that the work/study trips were amazing, and gave all of us students opportunities to meet friends and learn history hands-on.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewFebruary 20, 2026

Hi Samuel, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love to hear you found yourself immersed in the community and culture plus had the chance to explore Greece through your courses. We hope you can visit again soon!

I studied abroad with College Year in Athens for a semester in Fall 2025 and I am so glad to have made that decision. The staff, courses, students, and extracurricular activities I interacted with while abroad enhanced my experience in Greece, allowing me to connect with the county's history, culture, and everyday life on a personal and interactive scale. The campus, although small, is in a perfect location to explore all that Athens has to offer. CYA is more than willing to help students explore the city, offering tutorials on how to use public transportation, catering events towards students' wants and needs, and housing students in locally-owned apartment blocks within walking distance from campus to encourage students to engage in everyday life in Athens. Studying abroad in Athens was such an incredible experience, and partnering with CYA to do so was a great decision.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewFebruary 20, 2026

Hi Aubrey, thanks for sharing your experience and photos with CYA! We love knowing you were able to make Pangrati your home and see so much of Greece while taking your courses. We hope you can visit again soon!

I studied at CYA for the Fall 2025 Semester. The professors and staff are some of the kindest people you will ever meet. Every professor I had genuinely cared for each student and about the subject they were teaching and wanted to the students to understand the material, not just memorize and pass the class. Some of my best memories happened in in class while visiting different sites around Athens or workshops put together by our professors for a hands on learning experience. The program itself is located in the perfect neighborhood in Athens. Its only a 10 minute walk to the acropolis and a 15 minute walk to the ancient agoras. Pangrati was very safe, even when walking back to our apartments after dark if we were studying at local cafes. CYA offered so many opportunities for us students and I wish more than anything I could relive my semester abroad!

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewFebruary 14, 2026

Hi Lohla, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love hearing you enjoyed your professors, the chance to travel across Greece, and made Pangrati your home. We hope you can visit again soon!

There is almost nothing negative I can say about my experience abroad with CYA, and an infinite amount of positives. Never having left the United States before and knowing very little about Greece, I was very anxious about what my time there would look like. Now looking back, I can confidently say I know Pangrati and much of Athens like the back of my hand. My fears instantly disappeared as I met some of the kindest people I know and was guided the whole time by CYA. Staff and faculty made the effort of incorporating academics into the space around (i.e. Athens and the greater country) while also giving amazing advice and recommendations about what to try. Between a blend of organized travel through the program and my own exploration, I experienced things I never knew existed and am all the luckier that I know them now. I can not recommend this program enough because it allows you to learn in an academic setting while also gaining certain insight about the world, only possible by simply being present and engaged with what is around you. Truly the best 4 months of my life!

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewFebruary 05, 2026

Hi Nicholas, thanks for sharing your experience and photos with CYA! We love to hear you had an unforgettable experience and had the chance to immerse yourself in the culture through our program. We hope you can visit again soon!

I thoroughly loved my time in Athens, although I did sabotage myself by choosing to apply to graduate schools while taking four language classes. The professors were amazing, but the classes I chose were at the senior level and were very stressful to deal with and left me with not much time to explore Athens.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewJanuary 17, 2026

Hi Justin, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We are happy to hear you found your semester in Athens to be rewarding both academically and personally. We were grateful to be able to support you as you prepare for graduate programs and further your studies. We hope you can visit again soon!

I have been sitting here trying to figure out how to summarize my time in Greece with College Year in Athens into a cohesive piece of writing, and I keep coming back to the same conclusion: this experience truly changed me. This experience gave me so much more than just classes abroad. It gave me friendships that made a new place feel like home, moments that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and a new way of seeing the world and myself. If I could do it all over again, I would always choose College Year in Athens.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewJanuary 10, 2026

Hi Sydney, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love to hear that you gained independence, built lasting friendships, and made unforgettable memories while studying with us in Greece. We hope you can visit again soon!

I would definitely recommend this program to anyone considering it. Greece is a wonderful country, with a variety of places to travel whether you like the beach or the mountains. The opportunity to learn Greek added a deeper connection to the community. People are extremely friendly in the neighborhood, and there are so many interesting places to explore. The field study trips are what really make CYA stand out. An organized trip exploring iconic places in Greece as well as abroad is what should sell anyone on this program. On top of that I made lifelong friendships along the way!

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewDecember 31, 2025

Hi Hannah, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love hearing you had the chance to see so much of Greece while immersing yourself in the language and culture. We hope you can visit again soon!

I am so glad I did CYA. Initially, I was going to go to Spain through a different program, but I decided soon after that I would much rather go to Greece because of the archaeology course offerings (especially at Demokritos, the science lab they have a partnership with) and because of my Greek heritage. I had a wonderful time and I wish I could have stayed the whole year! I found friends that will last me forever, grew in my independence, and rediscovered my love for living abroad.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewDecember 31, 2025

Hi Yiannis, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We are so happy to hear you found our partnership with Demokritos and academic offerings to be valuable. We love that you were able to connect with your heritage and hope you can visit again soon!

I had a great study abroad experience through CYA. The program offers a great mix of academics, cultural immersion, social events, and incorporated travel into the semester. One of the main highlights from my time in Greece is the CYA Field Studies. These field studies are trips across Greece and abroad, in which transportation and housing are covered by CYA, and are centered around different academic topics. A couple of the trips that I got to go on included journeys to Olympia and Delphi, the island of Crete, the Peloponnese, and Naples, Italy. These trips guided by CYA professor provided me a greater understanding of Greek culture and history, while also providing a great opportunity to connect with fellow classmates and form new friendships. Additionally, the location of CYA academic buildings and student apartments are in a great neighborhood. With all housing between 3-10 minutes away from classroom buildings, the area is very safe and easy to walk around. Furthermore, the academic building is directly adjacent to the Olympic Stadium! Overall my experience CYA was beyond what I could have imagined and would recommend this program to anyone interested in immersing oneself in a new culture and explore the beauty and history of Greece.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewDecember 13, 2025

Hi Lily, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We are so happy to hear found our courses and field study trips to be beneficial and had the chance to immerse yourself in the Greek culture. We hope you can visit again soon!

I know everybody says that studying abroad changed their life, and now I understand why. While I was in Athens, I was so taken out of my regular routine that I was able to reflect on the ways I was living my life. Now, back in the US, I'm so much more intentional with how I spend my time. The perspective gained from living in Athens is worth every risk I took studying abroad there. There's so much to do and explore that I never felt bored or tied down to a certain routine, which was an amazing way for me to get out of my comfort zone. Transportation was really cheap and easy to understand (after a few weeks of practice), which made traveling in Greece and to other countries very convenient. The professors at the American College of Greece were extremely kind and welcoming to study abroad students, and they were eager to answer any questions I had. The grading scale is a little wonky in Greece - your entire class grade is mostly made up of your final and midterm tests. The Greek students were pretty laid-back in my experience and asked questions less frequently than we do here. The WorldStrides excursions were one of my favorite parts of studying abroad in Greece. They were all included in the program and all amazing! We visited Hydra, Meteora, and many other fascinating parts of Greece that I wouldn't have known to explore without WorldStrides. Long story short, go to Athens!

thank you, Kostas and everyone who made my time on Lipsi so amazing and special! I am going to miss all the cuddling with the cats (and my friends) and the cooling off in the ocean after the work in the morning I'm thankful for the time I had here in the Mamma Mia life I got to live for the past three weeks. Hopefully I'll see you again.