Tuscany's historic public university charges international students by their country's income level and teaches most bachelor's degrees in Italian. Fees, entry rules, deadlines and the DSU grant explained.
The University of Pisa (Università di Pisa) is a public university in Tuscany, recognised as a Studio Generale by a papal bull in 1343. It has no single campus: its 20 departments sit across a small city, so university life and town life overlap. Three things shape the decision for an international applicant. Fees depend on where your family's income comes from rather than on the programme, and for many countries in Asia and Africa they stay in the hundreds of euros a year. A regional grant, DSU Toscana, is open to students of any nationality. And the language picture differs by level: almost all bachelor's degrees are taught in Italian, while 17 master's degrees, mostly in engineering and computing, run fully in English.
Location
Pisa, Italy
Establishment year
1343
Students
46,898
International students
2,024
Female students
51%
Place in ratings
There's not enough data to display the dynamics of this rating.
By subject
Subject
Place in QS 2024
Natural Sciences
143
Arts & Humanities
188
Engineering & Technology
243
Life Sciences & Medicine
262
Social Sciences & Management
451-500
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Scholarship options
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University of Pisa at a glance for international students
Language of teaching
Italian; in English: 2 bachelor's degrees, 17 master's degrees and an MBA
Italian for Italian-taught degrees
B2 or higher
Annual fee
Up to 3,277 USD plus a 158 USD regional tax in 2026/27
Schooling required
At least 12 years in total
Places for non-EU visa students
4500 for 2026/27, capped per programme
Room rent in Pisa
Typically 339-395 USD a month before utilities
Strengths and limitations of the University of Pisa
Advantages of the University of Pisa
Country-based fees from 328 USD a year
Students with income and assets abroad are automatically charged a flat fee: the 3,277 USD maximum multiplied by a coefficient for their country, plus the 158 USD regional tax. The coefficient follows the World Bank income group, so students from India, Nigeria, Kenya or the Philippines pay 655 USD a year.
The DSU Toscana grant is open to any nationality
The regional DSU grant covers tuition, a free place in a university residence or a rent subsidy, free meals in DSU canteens and an allowance for other expenses. The amount depends on your family's financial situation.
17 English-taught master's degrees, mostly in engineering and computing
The list includes Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Data Science and Business Informatics, Bionics and Nuclear Engineering, plus Neuroscience and Economics. Each lasts two years and 120 ECTS credits.
A pathway for 11-year school systems and US diplomas without APs
The Foundation Course is designed for students with 11 years of school, an American high school diploma without three AP exams, or UK qualifications without three A-levels. Completing it gives the right to apply to any University of Pisa bachelor's degree.
Drawbacks and limitations of the University of Pisa
Most bachelor's degrees require Italian B2
Only two bachelor's programmes are taught in English: the International Programme in Humanities (IPH) and Management for Business and Economics (MBE). Everything else needs Italian at B2.
A US high school diploma alone is not enough
Holders of a US High School Diploma need at least three AP exams in subjects relevant to the degree, scored 3 to 5; UK applicants need three relevant A-levels. Otherwise, a year of college or the Foundation Course fills the gap.
High-income countries pay the full 3,277 USD
Applicants from the USA, the UAE, Saudi Arabia or the UK fall into the high-income group, with a coefficient of 1. The only way to a lower fee is an ISEEU Parificato, an equivalent family-income calculation obtained through a CAF tax centre in Italy.
No campus, so you find housing yourself
Students rent in Pisa or in towns up to 20 km away, and landlords usually ask for a deposit of two or three months' rent.
The university has 20 departments, 59 bachelor's degrees, 73 master's degrees and 9 single-cycle degrees that combine bachelor's and master's study in one programme. Its scientific record is long: Leonardo Fibonacci worked in Pisa, the Calcolatrice Elettronica Pisana (CEP) computer was built here in the 1960s along with Italy's first Internet connection, and its alumni include the Nobel laureates Enrico Fermi and Carlo Rubbia. Some programmes are shared with neighbouring institutions: the Bionics Engineering master's, for example, is run with the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies.
What international students pay
Academic calendar
Semesters
Bachelor
Local158USD/year
Foreign328USD/year
Master
Local158USD/year
Foreign328USD/year
Doctorate
402USD/year
Italian public fees normally follow the ISEE, an indicator of a household's income and assets. With an ISEE up to 29,380 USD and steady progress, a student pays only the 158 USD first instalment, and nobody studying within the standard duration pays more than 3,277 USD a year. Students whose income and assets are abroad get a country rate instead. Amounts for 2026/27:
Lower middle income: India, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Philippines, Pakistan, Egypt
655 USD
832 USD
Upper middle income: South Africa, China, Indonesia, Brazil
1,311 USD
1,487 USD
High income: USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom
3,277 USD
3,453 USD
Fees per country come from the university's coefficient table; we added the 158 USD regional tax and the 18 USD first-year stamp duty to get the first-year total. Students who need a visa must pay the first instalment by 31 December 2026 or their enrolment is cancelled, and may apply for an ISEEU-based reduction by the same date without a late fee. Merit discounts do not apply to qualifications earned outside Italy, while holders of an Italian Government scholarship pay only the regional tax.
For housing, a room in Pisa typically costs 339-395 USD a month plus utilities, and the DSU agency runs CercoAlloggio, a platform of verified student rentals.
DSU Toscana is a regional agency separate from the university, and applications go through its online Sportello Studente portal. For 2026/27 the deadline was 7 September 2026 at 13:00. Documents must be translated into Italian and legalised by the Italian diplomatic mission in your country; applicants from countries on DSU's list of particularly poor and developing countries can instead submit a certificate that the family is not wealthy. Provisional rankings usually appear by the end of September and final ones by the end of November. The grant lasts one academic year, and renewal requires both economic and merit criteria. Our page on the DSU scholarship explains the application in detail.
The university also lists Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) scholarships and Invest Your Talent in Italy, offered by MAECI and the university; each has its own call and deadline.
Bachelor's entry: 12 years of school and Italian B2
Applicants with 10 or 11 years of schooling must show one or two completed years of university study or take the Foundation Course. The Foundation Course requires English at B2 (IELTS 5.5, TOEFL iBT 72, Cambridge English 160 or Duolingo 100) and costs 5,650 USD plus a 18 USD stamp duty and a 34 USD application fee. To earn its final certificate you need 60 credits and Italian at B1, and the certificate gives the right to apply, not automatic admission.
For an Italian-taught bachelor's, pre-enrolment needs your school certificate with an official Italian translation and a B2 certificate from the CLIQ system (Certificazione Lingua Italiana di Qualità). Certificates from Italian Cultural Institutes are not accepted. Without a certificate you can take the online CISIA TEST ITA L2, where 55 out of 72 is the pass mark, followed by an oral interview; each costs 40 USD and can be taken only once. For the visa, Italian consulates require a Declaration of Value and a comparability certificate from CIMEA, Italy's ENIC-NARIC centre. If you are starting Italian from scratch, our guide on how to learn Italian is a practical first step.
Applications for the 17 English-taught master's degrees go through a dedicated university portal, and each programme sets its own deadline. The admission letter you receive must then be uploaded to Universitaly, the national pre-enrolment portal, together with your degree, transcript and course descriptions translated into Italian; without the letter, pre-enrolment cannot be validated. Once it is validated, the Italian consulate contacts you to apply for a type D national study visa.
Stage, 2026/27 intake
Deadline
English-taught master's for non-EU students: Computer Science, AI and Data Engineering, Neuroscience and others
5 February 2026
Cybersecurity / Economics and Digital Intelligence and Change Management
15 March 2026 / 30 April 2026
DSU Toscana grant
7 September 2026
Universitaly pre-enrolment
30 September 2026
Latest visa accepted for enrolment
Issued by 30 November 2026
The 2027/28 cycle follows the same pattern, and last cycle's English-taught master's opened applications in late November and early December 2025, so prepare documents well ahead. For the national rules behind these steps, see our guide to the admission process in Italy.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Italian for an English-taught master's?
Not for admission: pre-enrolment in an English-taught programme does not require an Italian B2 certificate. An English certificate at B2 or higher should be uploaded if you already have one.
Does pre-enrolment guarantee a visa?
No. The university states that neither admission nor pre-enrolment guarantees a visa or even a visa appointment; both are decided by the Italian consulate.
Can I switch programme after pre-enrolment?
Not at first enrolment: you can enrol only at the university and in the programme named on Universitaly. If a programme's quota is full, the university may offer a related programme with places left.
How do I compare Pisa with other Italian universities?
Pisa works well for master's applicants in engineering, computing and data science who want an English-taught degree at public-university prices, especially from countries with a low country coefficient. Bachelor's applicants need a realistic plan for Italian B2 and for the 12-year rule. Before applying, check:
your country's coefficient in the fee table and whether DSU is realistic for your family income;
12 years of schooling, three APs or A-levels, or a plan for the Foundation Course;
Italian B2 from the CLIQ system, or English B2 for an English-taught programme;
the deadline of your chosen master's, often in winter;
the Declaration of Value or CIMEA certificate and a visa appointment well before 30 November.
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