Higher Education Institutions
Public Universities
The first University in the Republic of Cyprus, the University of Cyprus, was founded in 1989. It admitted its first undergraduates in 1992 and its first postgraduates in 1997. The University community in Cyprus was expanded in 2006 with the foundation of the Open University of Cyprus, which is the only Higher Education Institution in Cyprus focusing exclusively on distance education. The Cyprus University of Technology, which focuses on applied research and adds another dimension to Higher Education in Cyprus, was founded a year later, in 2007. The Cyprus University of Technology is based in Limassol. It was the first University institution founded outside the capital, in keeping with the principle of decentralisation. The University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology and the Open University of Cyprus quickly increased the courses available at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.Additional information on the Public Universities can be found by clicking on the following links:
Private Universities
In 2007, three private Universities were registered and given Initial Licence to operate based on the legislation regarding the establishment and operation of private Universities in Cyprus. These Universities were the Frederick University, the European University and the University of Nicosia. Since 2011 these three Universities have been operating under a (final) Licence of Operation. Neapolis University - Pafos and the University of Central Lancashire – Cyprus received their Initial Licence of Operation in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Since 2015 they have been operating under a (final) Licence of Operation. In 2019 the Philips University in Nicosia received an Initial Licence to operate. In 2021 Initial Licence to operate was also granted to the American University of Cyprus (AUCY) in Larnaca and in 2023 to the University of Limassol (UoL) in Limassol and to the American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo (AUB Mediterraneo) in Pafos.Additional information on Private Universities can be found by clicking on the following links:
- Frederick University
- European University of Cyprus
- University of Nicosia
- Neapolis University
- UCLan Cyprus
- Philips University
- American University of Cyprus (AUCY)
- University of Limassol
- American University of Beirut – Mediterraneo (AUB Mediterraneo)
Public Institutions of Tertiary Education
The following Public Institutions of Tertiary Education operate in Cyprus:- Higher Hotel Institute of Cyprus (HHIC)
- Police Academy of Cyprus
- Mediterranean Institute of Management
- Post-Secondary Institutes of Vocational Education and Training (PSIVET)
- School for Tourist Guides
Private Institutions of Tertiary Education
There are 45 Private Institutions of Tertiary Education in Cyprus. These Institutions, according to the relevant law, are inspected by the DHE, which ensures that they adhere to the provisions of the Laws on Tertiary Education Institutions of 1996 to 2019. In order to achieve the goal set by the government to promote Cyprus as a Regional Centre for Higher Education, the DHE of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth was given responsibility for examining the academic qualifications of perspective third-country foreign students.Additional information on Private Institutions of Tertiary Education can be found here.
