Thessaloniki-based Anatolia College has marked an important milestone in its 139-year history after a new venture with the UK’s Open University was granted an operating license by the Greek state.

The move places the Anatolia American University among Greece’s first non-profit, non-state universities offering degrees that are fully equivalent to those from public institutions.

“This is a transformative moment for Anatolia and for higher education in Greece,” the president of the historic college, Panos Vlachos, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency. “We are proud to contribute to Greece’s emergence as a global educational destination.”

Opening for enrollment in the 2025-2026 academic year, Anatolia American University will initially offer English-language programs through three schools: business administration, humanities and social sciences, and science and technology.

Greek officials have promoted the project as part of efforts to position the country as a regional education hub, attract international students and encourage Greek academics working abroad to return.

Anatolia, founded in 1886, has been accredited in the United States since 1894 and by the New England Commission of Higher Education since 1997. About 30% of its students currently receive scholarships or financial aid.