Best universities in Italy 2024
Explore the top universities in Italy using data from the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings 2024
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Top 8 universities in Italy 2024
Scroll down for the full list of best universities in Italy
| Italy Rank 2024 | World University Rank 2024 | World University Rank 2023 | University | City |
| 1 | =155 | =161 | University of Bologna | Bologna |
| 2 | =168 | =183 | Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa | Pisa |
| 3 | 181 | 201–250 | Sapienza University of Rome | Rome |
| =4 | 201–250 | 201–250 | University of Padua | Padua |
| =4 | 201–250 | 301–350 | Politecnico di Milano | Milan |
| =4 | 201–250 | 201–250 | Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies – Pisa | Pisa |
| =7 | 251–300 | 201–250 | Humanitas University | Milan |
| =7 | 251–300 | 201–250 | Vita-Salute San Raffaele University | Milan |
It isn’t difficult to see why Italy is a popular place to study. After all, it is the home of the University of Bologna, believed to be the world’s oldest university.
Situated in the heart of southern Europe, Italy has a multitude of landscapes: from the alpine pistes in the north to the Mediterranean beaches in the south. You would be forgiven for thinking you had crossed international borders every time you entered a new region.
Italy (tied with China) is home to more Unesco World Heritage sites than any other nation in the world. These attractions, alongside Italy’s famous cuisine and rich history, are just some of the reasons it is among the world’s most visited countries each year.
If you think Italy sounds like a good destination for your studies, read on to find out about the nation’s best institutions based on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024.
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Every major Italian town has a university, most of which are state-funded. However, there are also private universities and superior graduate schools, which are specifically focused on teaching and research at graduate level and above.
There are four main types of qualification in the Italian higher education system. The most basic is the three-year laurea – the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree.
The laurea magistrale consists of the three-year laurea followed by an additional two years of study, which makes it the equivalent of a master’s degree. Then there’s the laurea magistrale a ciclo unico, a five- or six-year course only awarded in some fields – including medicine, architecture and law – which is similar to an integrated master’s degree because there is no separation between the bachelor’s and master’s parts to the qualification.
Finally there’s the dottorato di ricerca, a doctoral programme primarily offered in superior graduate schools.
Top 6 universities in Italy
=4. Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies – Pisa
The Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies – Pisa is a public university specialising in applied sciences.
The university has a rigorous entrance exam and if students are able to achieve top marks and demonstrate proficiency in two languages, they are able to study for free. As a result, the student population is very small with fewer than 1,000 students attending the university.
The Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies offers degrees in business sciences, economic sciences, legal sciences, political sciences, agricultural sciences, medical sciences, industrial engineering and information engineering.
=4. Politecnico di Milano
Politecnico di Milano was established in 1863.
It provides courses in engineering, architecture and design and is the largest technical university in Italy. Many of the courses are taught in English and the university has more than 7,000 international students from over 100 countries.
The university's two main campuses are located in Milan, while there are other satellite campuses in five other cities across the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions.
=4. University of Padua
The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law.
It is the second oldest university in Italy and the world’s fifth oldest university.
The university is made up of 32 departments and eight schools. It also has a university hospital, a museum and 14 halls of residence.
3. Sapienza University of Rome
The Sapienza University of Rome was founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII, making it Rome’s oldest university.
It is the largest university in Europe, supporting about 115,000 students, including nearly 9,000 international students, and almost 4,000 academic staff.
It offers 280 degree programmes and 200 specialist courses across 63 departments, with 50 libraries available for student use (the largest number of any Italian university) as well as 18 museums.
2. Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
The Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, together with the University of Pisa and Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, is a part of the Pisa University system.
The university was founded in 1810 as a branch of the École Normale Supérieure in Paris.
It offers programmes in both the humanities and sciences and still operates from its original building, Palazzo della Carovana, in the medieval centre of Pisa.
1. University of Bologna
The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is believed to be the world’s oldest university.
There are campuses in Bologna, Cesena, Forli, Ravenna and Rimini in Italy and an international campus in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Bologna has varied nightlife and lots of live music, from opera to modern DJs and bands.
The University of Bologna is also responsible for the Bologna Process, a series of agreements between European countries with the aim of ensuring cooperation and comparability between the higher education systems of Europe.
The university’s long list of alumni includes Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket, a number of popes, Nobel-winning inventor and engineer Guglielmo Marconi, and Enzo Ferrari and Giorgio Armani, founders of their eponymous brands.
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Top universities in Italy 2024
Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024 results
| Italy Rank 2024 | World University Rank 2024 | World University Rank 2023 | University | City |
| 1 | =155 | =161 | University of Bologna | Bologna |
| 2 | =168 | =183 | Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa | Pisa |
| 3 | 181 | 201–250 | Sapienza University of Rome | Rome |
| =4 | 201–250 | 201–250 | University of Padua | Padua |
| =4 | 201–250 | 301–350 | Politecnico di Milano | Milan |
| =4 | 201–250 | 201–250 | Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies – Pisa | Pisa |
| =7 | 251–300 | 201–250 | Humanitas University | Milan |
| =7 | 251–300 | 201–250 | Vita-Salute San Raffaele University | Milan |
| =9 | 301–350 | NR | Catholic University of the Sacred Heart | Milan |
| =9 | 301–350 | 251–300 | University of Pavia | Pavia |
| =9 | 301–350 | 351–400 | University of Rome II – Tor Vergata | Rome |
| =12 | 351–400 | 401–500 | University of Florence | Florence |
| =12 | 351–400 | 401–500 | Free University of Bozen-Bolzano | Bolzano |
| =12 | 351–400 | 301–350 | University of Milan | Milan |
| =12 | 351–400 | 301–350 | University of Milan-Bicocca | Milan |
| =12 | 351–400 | 351–400 | University of Naples Federico II | Naples |
| =12 | 351–400 | 401–500 | University of Trento | Trento |
| =18 | 401–500 | 351–400 | University of Brescia | Brescia |
| =18 | 401–500 | NR | Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome | Rome |
| =18 | 401–500 | 401–500 | University of Catania | Catania |
| =18 | 401–500 | 401–500 | University of Genoa | Genoa |
| =18 | 401–500 | 401–500 | University of Modena and Reggio Emilia | Modena |
| =18 | 401–500 | 401–500 | University of Pisa | Pisa |
| =18 | 401–500 | 601–800 | Polytechnic University of Turin | Turin |
| =18 | 401–500 | 401–500 | University of Turin | Turin |
| =18 | 401–500 | 351–400 | Verona University | Verona |
| =27 | 501–600 | 501–600 | University of L’Aquila | L'Aquila |
| =27 | 501–600 | 601–800 | Ca’ Foscari University of Venice | Venice |
| =27 | 501–600 | 801–1000 | University of Calabria | Cosenza |
| =27 | 501–600 | 401–500 | University of Ferrara | Ferrara |
| =27 | 501–600 | 501–600 | University of Messina | Messina |
| =27 | 501–600 | 601–800 | Polytechnic University of Bari | Bari |
| =27 | 501–600 | 501–600 | University of Salerno | Salerno |
| =27 | 501–600 | 401–500 | University of Siena | Siena |
| =27 | 501–600 | 501–600 | University of Trieste | Trieste |
| =36 | 601–800 | 601–800 | Amedeo Avogadro University of Eastern Piedmont | Vercelli |
| =36 | 601–800 | 601–800 | University of Bari Aldo Moro | Bari |
| =36 | 601–800 | 601–800 | University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli | Caserta |
| =36 | 601–800 | 801–1000 | University of Foggia | Foggia |
| =36 | 601–800 | 601–800 | Gabriele d‘Annunzio University | Abruzzo |
| =36 | 601–800 | 501–600 | University of Insubria | Como and Varese |
| =36 | 601–800 | 601–800 | Marche Polytechnic University | Ancona |
| =36 | 601–800 | 801–1000 | University of Palermo | Palermo |
| =36 | 601–800 | 601–800 | University of Parma | Parma |
| =36 | 601–800 | 801–1000 | Parthenope University of Naples | Naples |
| =36 | 601–800 | 801–1000 | University of Rome III | Rome |
| =36 | 601–800 | 801–1000 | University of Salento | Lecce |
| =36 | 601–800 | 601–800 | University of Sannio | Benevento |
| =36 | 601–800 | 501–600 | University of Sassari | Sassari |
| =36 | 601–800 | 501–600 | University of Tuscia | Viterbo |
| =36 | 601–800 | 501–600 | University of Udine | Udine |
| =52 | 801–1000 | 801–1000 | University of Bergamo | Bergamo |
| =52 | 801–1000 | 601–800 | University of Camerino (Unicam) | Camerino |
| =52 | 801–1000 | 601–800 | Kore University of Enna | Enna |
| 55 | 1001–1200 | 801–1000 | University of Urbino Carlo Bo | Urbino |
| 56 | 1501+ | 1501+ | University of Macerata (UNIMC) | Macerata |
