Cyprus

The school system follows the Greek model: a six-year primary school, a three-year gymnasium and a three-year lyceum. Teaching in state schools is in Greek.

Secondary education ends with the Apolytirion certificate.

The sector is divided into a public part (teaching in Greek, free for citizens) and a large private part where teaching is in English. It is the private universities that take in most international students.

Private universities work on the British model: a bachelor’s takes four years, programmes are accredited, and some courses are taught by visiting lecturers from the UK. Popular subjects are business, hospitality, law and computer science.

English-taught programmes require IELTS 6.0 or the university’s own language test; requirements for the average school grade are softer than in Western Europe.

Admission is directly to the university, and intake is often twice a year (autumn and spring).

Many universities give discounts for academic performance that effectively reduce tuition. The cost of living is lower than in most EU countries.

A warm climate, the English language and simple admission make Cyprus a convenient starting point — students often transfer from here to universities in other countries.