Universities in Italy
Higher Education in Italy
Overview
What are the most popular Universities and Colleges in Italy? uniRank answers this question by publishing the 2024 Italian University Ranking of 86 Italian higher-education institutions meeting the following uniRank selection criteria:
- being chartered, licensed or accredited by the appropriate Italian higher education-related organization.
- offering at least three-year bachelor's degrees or postgraduate master's or doctoral degrees
- delivering courses predominantly in a traditional, non-distance education format
2024 Ranking of Italian Universities New
Explore the uniRank League Table and University Ranking of 86 Colleges and Universities in Italy
2024 Sub-rankings by Regions New
The Italian Republic is divided into 20 regions (Italian: regioni) which are further subdivided into provinces (Italian: province) and municipalities (Italian: comuni). The larger number of higher education institutions meeting the uniRank selection criteria are located in the Lombardia Region (Milan) and Lazio Region (Rome). The following uniRank league tables or sub-rankings take into consideration all regions which include at least 2 Italian higher education institutions meeting the uniRank selection criteria.
| Abruzzo (3) | Calabria (4) |
| Campania (7) | Emilia-Romagna (4) |
| Friuli Venezia Giulia (3) | Lazio (13) |
| Lombardia (14) | Marche (4) |
| Piemonte (4) | Puglia (5) |
| Sardegna (2) | Sicilia (4) |
| Toscana (7) | Trentino-Alto Adige (2) |
| Umbria (2) | Veneto (4) |
Featured Universities
Experience new hybrid learning combining online flexibility with on-campus benefits at IU International University of Applied Sciences. Regular feedback, scheduled classes, personal study advice, and career support included. |
Higher Education in Italy
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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).
- 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).
- 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.
Please send us your feedback on the information above or report errors, inaccuracies and updates.
Share Universities
Interesting? Don't forget to share these Italian Universities with your friends now.
Related Italian University lists
- Oldest Universities in Italy
Explore the most traditional and long-established Italian post-secondary institutions according to uniRank. - A-Z Universities in Italy
Search for Italian higher education institutions in alphabetical order from A to Z. - Italian Universities by Town
Looking for tertiary institutions located in a particular Italian town or city? Start your search on this uniRank webpage. - Top Public Universities in Italy
Discover Italian public higher education institutions with potentially lower tuition fees on this uniRank webpage. - Top Private Universities in Italy
Find out about Italian private higher education institutions available in the uniRank selection. - Top Non-Profit Universities in Italy
Explore Italian not-for-profit higher education institutions with potentially lower tuition fees on this uniRank webpage. - Top For-Profit Universities in Italy
Looking for Italian for-profit higher education institutions? Check out this uniRank list. - Top Italian Universities on Facebook
See which tertiary institutions in Italy have the most followers on Facebook, according to uniRank. - Top Italian Universities on Twitter
Discover the Universities in Italy that are most followed on Twitter, according to uniRank. - Top Italian Universities on Instagram
Find out which post-secondary institutions in Italy are the most followed on Instagram, according to uniRank. - Top Italian Universities on YouTube
Explore the Universities in Italy with the most subscribed channels on YouTube, according to uniRank.
Since 2005, UniRank provides valuable information and resources to help you explore and make informed decisions about Emirati universities and their online presence.
Facebook
X