Where to apply if you want to study in Italy as an international student: six universities, counted down from #6. Each card gives the city, the subjects the university is known for, and its QS 2026 world rank where we could verify one. Fees scale to what your family actually earns. Prove a low income and tuition can drop to near zero, with a housing grant on top.
Checked 7 September 2026 against Universitaly — the Italian Ministry of University portal.
The cards below count down from #6 — the best come last.
Skip to the top 3📍 Milan
📍 Turin
📍 Padua
None of our twelve fully funded scholarships is tied to Italy. That does not mean there is no money — it means the money here comes from the universities themselves. Ask each of the six above about entrance scholarships, which are less competed for than the famous international awards.
Four steps, in this order. Pick a course you meet the entry requirements for. Sit the English test the university asks for. Apply to the university and get an offer. Then apply for the funding and the visa — in that order, because almost every scholarship wants proof of a place first.
The six best universities in Italy for international students are listed on this page.
The six on this page. PoliMi, Sapienza and Bologna lead the list, and we counted them down from #6 so the strongest come last. Each card names the subjects the university is known for, its city, and its QS 2026 rank where we verified one.
Where we could verify a QS World University Rankings 2026 position we show it. Where we could not, we leave the number off instead of guessing.
Public university fees are calculated on family income through the ISEE system, so a low-income international student can pay as little as €200 a year. International families use the ISEE Parificato. Below an ISEE of about €13,000 you can get a full waiver plus a DSU grant covering housing and meals. Add a regional study tax of €140–€160.
Living costs: €8,400–€12,000 a year. The south and smaller university cities are considerably cheaper than Milan or Rome.
No award in our list of twelve is dedicated to Italy, but several are open worldwide and can be used here.
There are three separate things people mean by scholarships to study in Italy: a Italy government scholarship, a Italy university scholarship awarded by the institution itself, and international awards that happen to fund study here. University entrance scholarships are usually the easiest to win and the least competed for, so ask each of the six above directly.
Both. A masters in Italy is the more common route for international students, partly because more funding exists at postgraduate level and partly because it is shorter. Bachelors in Italy take longer and attract less scholarship money, so plan the budget carefully.
All six universities above run both. If you are looking specifically at Italy universities for masters, check whether the course is taught in English before anything else.
The three at the top of the list above — PoliMi, Sapienza and Bologna. That is the Italy top universities list as far as reputation goes, and it is the order employers outside the country will recognise.
Prestige and cost do not track each other neatly. Check what each course costs before letting a ranking decide for you.
No — six. Past that, the differences stop mattering for most applicants, and a longer list mostly makes the decision harder. What separates places 7 to 10 is usually research output, which affects your supervisor rather than your degree.
Public universities in Italy for international students are generally the better value, because their fees are regulated. Private ones charge what they like.
Sometimes — ask before you pay for a test. Most universities will waive an English test if your previous degree was taught in English, and many accept TOEFL, PTE or their own internal test instead of IELTS.
It is decided university by university, never nationally — so check the admissions page of each of the six above. A blog listing "universities in Italy without IELTS" will be out of date. Your visa may still require a test even when the university does not.
Cheapest by tuition is rarely cheapest overall. Public university fees are calculated on family income through the ISEE system, so a low-income international student can pay as little as €200 a year. International families use the ISEE Parificato. Below an ISEE of about €13,000 you can get a full waiver plus a DSU grant covering housing and meals. Add a regional study tax of €140–€160.
Rent usually moves your total bill more than the fee does, so a lower-ranked university in a smaller city often costs far less than a famous one in the capital. The city is named on every card above for exactly that reason.
20 hrs/week, up to 1,040 hours a year. 12-month permit to look for work after graduating.
This is worth checking before you choose a country, not after. Post-study work rights change with the government of the day.