Universities in Italy

Explore the uniRank League Table and University Ranking of 86 Universities in Italy

The Italian Republic is divided into 20 regions (Italian: regioni), which are further subdivided into provinces (Italian: province) and municipalities (Italian: comuni). The largest number of higher education institutions that meet the uniRank selection criteria are located in the Lombardy Region (Lombardia), centered around Milan, and the Lazio Region (Lazio), which includes Rome. The following uniRank league tables and sub-rankings consider all regions that include at least one Italian higher education institution meeting the uniRank selection criteria.

Abruzzo (3)  
Basilicata (1)  
Calabria (4)  
Campania (7)  
Emilia-Romagna (4)  
Friuli Venezia Giulia (3)  
Lazio (13)  
Liguria (1)  
Lombardia (14)  
Marche (4)  
Molise (1)  
Piemonte (4)  
Puglia (5)  
Sardegna (2)  
Sicilia (4)  
Toscana (7)  
Trentino-Alto Adige (2)  
Umbria (2)  
Valle di Aosta (1)  
Veneto (4)  

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The Higher Education System in Italy

The Italian higher education system is supervised and under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (Italian: Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, MIUR) which was established in 1861 and headquartered in Rome. MIUR is a government ministry that is responsible for determining the policies and direction of the higher education system in Italy.

Types of higher education institutions in Italy

In Italy there are 3 different types of higher education institutions:

1. State Universities: State Universities (Italian: Università statali) in Italy are multidisciplinary public institutions of higher education and research that can provide academic degrees and education in various fields at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Italian State Universities are autonomous and are responsible for their management structure, resource allocation and budgets, staff and student enrolment policies, accreditation of qualifications, quality assurance and University curricula. uniRank currently includes 61 Italian State Universities, including 3 Polytechnics which focus on Engineering and Architecture fields.
2. Non-State Universities: Non-State Universities (Italian: Università non statali) in Italy are private institutions of higher education that are recognized by the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research and can provide academic degrees and education in various fields at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. uniRank currently includes 20 Italian Non-State Universities.
3. Superior Graduate Schools: Superior Graduate Schools (Italian: Scuole Superiori Universitarie) in Italy are specialized and autonomous institutions of higher education that can provide academic degrees and research in a few fields at a graduate or post-doctoral level. uniRank currently includes 5 Italian Superior Graduate Schools.

Access to higher education in Italy

Italian students access higher education after a total of at least 13 years of primary (Italian: scuola elementare), lower secondary (Italian: scuola media) and higher secondary school (Italian: scuola superiore) studies, from the age of 6 to the age of 19, and after obtaining the Diploma di Maturità which is the official Italian diploma awarded at the end of the higher secondary school.

Languages of Instruction in Italy

University programs and courses are mainly taught in the Italian national language, Italiano. A limited number of courses are taught in English.

Stages of higher education in Italy

1. First stage: the first stage of University-level higher education in Italy usually lasts 3 years, depending on the area of study, and leads to the award of the Bachelor's degree (Italian: Laurea).
2. Second stage: once obtained a Bachelor's degree, the second stage of University-level higher education lasts 2 years and leads to the award of the Master's degree (Italian: Laurea Magistrale) or 1 year (Italian: Master Universitario di 1° livello).
3. Third stage: the third and last stage of University-level higher education in Italy requires at least 3 years, depending on the area of study, and leads to the award of the Ph.D. or Doctoral degree (Italian: Dottorato di ricerca). Another third-cycle title is the Specialization Diploma (Italian: Diploma di Specializzazione), gained after a 2 year (Law, Diploma di Specializzazione in Professioni legali) or a 3 to 6 year (Medicine, depending on the field) course of study and research. Lastly, the Master Universitario di 2° livello can be obtained after a Laurea Magistrale and is useful for pursuing further studies, such as a PhD or for professional achievements.

Since 2005, UniRank provides original research, valuable information and resources to help you explore and make informed decisions about Italian universities and their online presence.

• Oldest Universities in Italy
  Explore the most traditional and long-established Italian post-secondary institutions according to uniRank's original research.
• A-Z Universities in Italy
  Search for Italian higher education institutions listed alphabetically from A to Z.
• Italian Universities by Town
  Look for tertiary institutions located in a particular Italian town or city.
• Top Public Universities in Italy
  Discover Italian public higher education institutions with potentially lower tuition fees.
• Top Private Universities in Italy
  Find out about Italian private higher education institutions.
• Top Non-Profit Universities in Italy
  Explore Italian not-for-profit higher education institutions that may offer lower tuition fees.
• Top For-Profit Universities in Italy
  Look for Italian for-profit higher education institutions.
• Top Italian Universities on Facebook
  See which tertiary institutions in Italy have the most followers on Facebook, according to uniRank's original research.
• Top Italian Universities on Twitter
  Discover the Universities in Italy that are most followed on Twitter, based on uniRank's original research.
• Top Italian Universities on Instagram
  Find out which post-secondary institutions in Italy are the most followed on Instagram, according to uniRank's original research.
• Top Italian Universities on YouTube
  Explore the Universities in Italy with the most subscribed channels on YouTube, based on uniRank's original research.