Study in Italy: universities, tuition fees and admission

Our catalogue has 295 universities and colleges in Italy offering 2,751 undergraduate programmes in 207 cities. 2,504 of the programmes are at public institutions and 247 at private ones.

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.

How admission works

Access depends on the programme: free access (with an initial knowledge check), local limited places (the university's own admission test, often a TOLC by CISIA) or national limited places (Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary: from 2025/26 an open first 'filter semester' with national exams and a ranking; Architecture, primary-school teaching and health professions: tests on national dates). Non-EU applicants living abroad apply for a reserved quota via Universitaly pre-enrolment and need a study visa; Italian-taught programmes require an Italian language test. There are no cutoff scores.

• Selection: entrance exam
• Main exam or platform: TOLC

Tuition fees in Italy

At public universities an EU student typically pays €2,395 a year, and a student from outside the EU €2,106 a year. All amounts are per year in euros; fees charged per credit or per semester are converted to a full year (60 ECTS credits or two semesters).

Where the fee depends on family income, the typical figure is the full fee and the range starts at the lowest one.

Good to know about fees

• Public universities charge a yearly contribution based on family income (ISEE) plus the regional student tax; with ISEE up to €22,000 students pay only the regional tax and stamp duty. Non-EU students without Italian income or assets pay an amount set by each university — see its fee regulation.

Language of instruction

Italian: 2,635 programmes; English: 233 programmes; German: 16 programmes; French: 2 programmes. See all English-taught programmes in Italy.

Where to study: cities

All 295 universities in Italy by city

What you can study

• Nursing 163
• Business Administration 132
• Computer Science 108
• Languages and Literature 106
• Medicine 94
• Law 74
• Physiotherapy 73
• Pharmacy 69
• Industrial Engineering 68
• Solicitor Studies 63
• Audiovisual Communication 62
• Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy 60
• Economics 56
• Biotechnology 54
• Psychology 52
• Biology 52
• Primary Education Teaching 50
• Sport Sciences 50
• Biomedical Laboratory Science 49
• Pedagogy 47
• Architecture 46
• Social Work 45
• Chemistry 45
• International Relations 44
• Dentistry 44
• Civil Engineering 43
• Environmental Sciences 43
• Mathematics 43
• Food Science and Technology 40
• Industrial Electronics and Automation 39
• Speech Therapy 38
• Philosophy 37
• Agronomy 37
• Physics 37
• Translation and Languages 36
• Tourism 36
• Mechanical Engineering 32
• Geology 32
• Art History 31
• Clinical Physiology 30
• Optics and Optometry 28
• Design 26
• Human Nutrition and Dietetics 26
• Public Administration 24
• Political Science 23
• Animal Science 23
• Biomedical Engineering 23
• Hospitality and Gastronomy 20
• Conservation and Restoration 17
• History 17
• Veterinary Medicine 17
• Performing Arts 16
• Geography 16
• Sociology 16
• Building Engineering 16
• Energy Engineering 16
• Statistics 16
• Environmental Engineering 15
• Forestry 14
• Materials Engineering 13
• Aerospace Engineering 12
• Chemical Engineering 12
• Archaeology 11
• Telecommunications Engineering 11
• Naval and Maritime Engineering 11
• Fashion Design 8
• Occupational Therapy 8
• Finance and Accounting 7
• Data Science 7
• Marketing 6
• Podiatry 6
• Electrical Engineering 5
• Early Childhood Education 2
• Anthropology 2
• Criminology 1

Guides

• How to Get Into a University in Italy as an International Student
• How Much Does It Cost to Study in Italy? Income-Based Fees Explained