Top Universities in Italy for International Students

With its impressive historical heritage, popular cuisine, friendly people, and beautiful landscape, it is easy to see why many students are drawn to Italy. The country boasts more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country and also has the oldest university in the world: the University of Bologna. 

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Italy is often called the boot of Europe, as it resembles the shape of one on a map. The country is bordered by France in the northwest, Switzerland, and Austria to the north, and Slovenia to the northeast. It is also the fourth most populous European Union (EU) country and has the eighth largest economy in the world.

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Although a relatively small country, the weather in Italy varies considerably from north to south. For example, in the mountainous alpine areas of the north, temperatures can be cold during winter, making it a popular skiing area. At the same time, in the south, temperatures rarely drop below the 40s. 

The admissions process for public universities is pretty tricky.  American applicants to undergraduate studies need either an IB or 3 AP classes with minimum scores of 3. For both  master's and bachelor's applicants, the first step in the application procedure occurs around January and involves completing the pre-acceptance procedure at the various schools. This usually means submitting transcripts and such to the school. Since most programs are non-selective you will receive a pre acceptance offer if you meet the designated criteria.  You then take your pre acceptance letter and all the official certified documents  to the embassy or consulate who will legalize your qualifications (called pre-enromment). This is done at a set time each year, usually for about 6-8 weeks beginning in March.  Basically, pre-acceptance means that so long as the embassy determines that the documents you submitted for pre-acceptance are valid then you are in.  After pre-enrollment at the embassy you accept the admission offer and pay a deposit for yout spot.  Then, in September, you bring all your documents including final transcripts and such and get your final enrollment offer after sumbitting these forms.The various tuition procedures are pretty confusing as well. The issue is that, if you go to a public university, you won’t know your exact tuition up front since it is based on your family income. As part of this procedure, you will take the family income statement to the Italian Embassy for approval and translation. You then take that form, along with a fiscal code that you also get after your arrival, with you to the regional CAF agency for your school. After that process is complete you will be assigned a tuition.  The tuition listed for public schools in Italy on this database is the maximum tuition fee assigned to students.  Some schools offer a chart on their websites that outline the tuition fees charged for various income brackets. Many schools may require you to get your diploma legalized.  If your country is a member of The Hague Conference (and the US is a member), this is a fairly easy process as all you will need is something called an apostille certificate affixed to your diploma. 

At present, the minimum amount of money necessary for proof of means is 1000 EUR per month for each month of the academic year.

International students can work up to 1,024 hours per year.  Master's degree graduates can stay in Italy for up to 12 months after their studies to seek employment.

The process begins by applying in person at the nearest Italian embassy or consulate.

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Along with your application, you'll need to provide proof of housing, proof of admission to college, proof of means, health insurance, and you'll need to show either proof that you have funds to return home or a return ticket.

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Note: this is done through the re-enrollment process.

When attending college in Italy, you'll need to make arrangements for health insurance. You must do one of the following:

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1. furnish a statement from your consulate that you'll have coverage while in Italy;

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1. show a private health insurance contract from your home country that will be in effect in Italy, or

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1. purchase health insurance from an Italian provider.

Many schools offer both one- and two-year master's degree programs.  It is important to note that, like in other countries, the one-year programs prepare you for the work force and do not provide the entry requirements needed for Ph.D programs.