The University of Western Macedonia (UoWM), with campuses in the cities of Kastoria, Florina, Grevena and Ptolemaida, was founded in 2003 in Kozani. It runs 7 Schools, 21 Undergraduate and 36 Postgraduate Study Programmes, which are organised either by individual academic units (Departments) or are interdepartmental and interdisciplinary (in collaboration with other national and international universities).

The University is a fully self-governing Legal Entity under Public Law, supervised and funded by the Greek State through the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. In accordance with the institutional framework for Higher Education, the University is run by the Rector and Vice-Rectors, and the Senate.