Applying to an Italian university right after completing the 11th grade is unlikely to yield success. You either need to undergo a preparatory program or spend an extra year studying at a university in your home country. The admission process in Italy occurs in two main stages: pre-enrollment and entrance exams.
In this article, we will thoroughly explain the admission procedure, the requirements at each educational stage, the cost of education, and important points to consider.
The first step involves making a decision about your field of study. For guidance on selecting the correct path and avoiding missteps, refer to our separate article.
Your chosen career path will dictate the suitable university type. In Italy, higher education can be pursued through various educational institutions:
Universities — provide programs for bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD candidates across diverse fields
Higher art schools (Alta Formazione Artistica e Musicale) — focus on creative disciplines
Higher technical institutes (IstitutiTecnici Superiori) — for those inclined towards technical subjects
Your primary guides for university selection are subject ratings. These prove to be more dependable indicators compared to the global rankings of universities alone. Subject ratings highlight the institutions where your chosen field of study is best taught.
For instance, in the QS subject ratings, Milan Polytechnic Institute holds the 123rd position in the overall university rankings and an impressive 10th position in architecture[1]. Similarly, the University of Milan secures the 276th spot worldwide, but 29th in pharmacy and pharmacology[2].
Budget
Italy stands out as one of the most budget-friendly European countries for pursuing education. The expenses for a bachelor's program begin at 1,820 USD per year, while a master's degree starts from 5,353 USD. PhD programs are also notably cost-effective, starting from 910 USD.
Private universities invariably carry higher price tags compared to public ones. For example, the Computer Science program at the private Bocconi University is priced at 14,988 USD, whereas at the state-run University of Rome La Sapienza, the cost is 3,130 USD.
Language
Italy offers a multitude of programs conducted in English, boasting 703 options at the master's level and 162 for bachelor’s studies[3].
Furthermore, if you plan to enter a creative field and wish to study in English, it's advisable to choose a university over a higher art school. Typically, higher schools conduct instruction solely in Italian.
Additional criteria
Admission statistics. You can find these on the university website. Key factors to look for are the number of international students enrolled and their scores.
Internships. It's a good idea to think about your career prospects early on, even when choosing a university. Check which companies the university collaborates with, whether they offer career guidance and assistance with employment, and if internships are available.
Atmosphere. Find out in advance how far the campus is from the city center and if it's easy to reach. Also, consider whether you prefer a lively big city or a peaceful province. The good news is that every part of Italy has its own beauty.
#349 QS Rankings#401-500 THE Rankings#151-200 ARWU Rankings
from5,353USD
Requirements for admission to Italy
Academic differences
Entering an Italian university directly after the 11th grade will not be possible, as Italian students undergo a 12-year educational journey.
You can make up for this difference in three ways:
Successfully finish a Foundation program — details on its Italian counterpart can be found below
Engage in one year of study at a university in your home country
Complete the IB program either in your home country or abroad — a noteworthy bonus being exemption from English exams
Application submission
In Italy, university programs fall into two categories:
Limited enrollment programs. Typically found in medical, architectural, and technical fields. These programs primarily rely on entrance exams. Student rankings are determined by their exam performance, and admission is granted to those with higher rankings.
Open admission programs. These programs enroll all students who fulfill the entry requirements. While an exam is still necessary, the selection process is less stringent. Think of it as crossing a points threshold — meeting it results in an invitation for admission.
The admission process for bachelor's and master's programs unfolds in two stages, starting with a pre-enrollment phase.
The process of getting admitted follows these steps[4]:
Applying to a university
Visit the official website of your chosen university to register and apply for admission. Submit the required documents — including certificates, diplomas, language proficiency certificates, CIMEA (if applicable), and so on.
Please note that you are allowed to submit only one application to one university[5].
Pre-enrollment
For pre-enrollment, refer to the Universitaly platform. There, you will find complete instructions. If you encounter any difficulties, it is best to directly contact your chosen university for precise clarifications.
Preliminary evaluation
The university will carefully assess your application again, specify documents that need attention, and ultimately make a final decision.
Final decision
The outcome depends on the specific university and programs. You might receive an unconditional offer, which means you are accepted without any additional conditions. Alternatively, you might get a conditional offer, which comes with certain requirements. For instance, you might need to pass an Italian proficiency exam or provide a DDV certificate.
Afterwards, you will proceed to take the required entrance exams.
Entrance exams
These exams vary based on your chosen field of study. They can include standardized tests, internal university assessments gauging fundamental subject knowledge, or even creative evaluations such as presentations, performances, reviews, and portfolio defenses.
For instance, medical fields might require the IMAT exam, while economics programs could necessitate the TOLC test.
Internal exam dates are posted on university websites and communicated to applicants who have successfully cleared the pre-admission phase. Registering with the Universitaly Portal is also an important step.
In some instances, Italian universities might request confirmation that you have passed the necessary entrance exams in your home country.
Legalization and recognition of educational documents are mandatory procedures upon gaining admission to an Italian university.
Diplomas and certificates generally require an apostille, a validation that verifies the legitimacy and accreditation of your alma mater.
However, you will also need to undergo a somewhat more complicated recognition process. The outcome is a certificate attesting that your prior education meets the standards necessary to continue studies in Italy.
To achieve document recognition in Italy (Procedure di riconoscimento dei titoli), you need to:
Attach an apostille to your certificate or diploma
Translate your documents using an accredited translator
Authenticate the translations at the Consulate of Italy
After Consulate verification, acquire a DDV certificate[6] (Dichiarazione di Valore)
Students who receive their diploma in June and cannot apply for a DDV before the document submission deadline must provide a certificate from their university confirming graduation within the current year.
The DDV issuance process is both lengthy and complicated. If you receive your diploma in June, Italian universities are often willing to await your documents and DDV until October-November for final enrollment. To ensure timely completion, proceed with the apostille application immediately after obtaining your documents, followed by prompt DDV processing.
Alternatively, you can obtain a CIMEA certificate — a DDV equivalent that is widely accepted by nearly all Italian universities
Important
Starting September 2023, CIMEA will be developing a digital system for the automated recognition of documents from nations that are signatories to the Lisbon Convention. Consequently, all foreign document recognition services will be temporarily halted until the initial months of 2024[7].
Preparatory programs in Italy
Italian students typically undergo 12 years of schooling. Therefore, if you possess only 11 years of secondary education, the missing year needs to be compensated.
To address this, Foundation programs are available, often referred to as Corsi Propedeutici. These programs not only enhance your language skills, but also cover subjects that Italian students study at school. The key advantage of such preparatory courses lies in the exemption from entrance exams at some universities upon completion. For instance, this holds true at the Academy of Fine Arts Rosario Gagliardi Siracusa[8].
It is best to pursue a Foundation program at the university where you intend to apply for further study. Some universities may not accept a Foundation certificate from another institution.
Foundation programs in Italy are available in both English and Italian. However, even programs in English usually incorporate a segment focused on learning the national language. Only in rare instances do English Foundation courses exclude Italian lessons — for example, if you are applying for a Pre-Masters in applied mathematics[9].
The minimum age for admission to Foundation programs is 17 years. Underage students must have a guardian with Italian citizenship throughout their study period.
There are two application deadlines for Foundation programs in Italy:
End of June — for 9-month programs
December — for 6-month programs
Required documents for Foundation programs
Passport copy
Application
Diploma and grade transcript with Italian translation
Another way to bridge the academic gap is pursuing an IB (International Baccalaureate) program. Enter the International Baccalaureate program right after finishing school. Otherwise, you will still need to undergo a Foundation program or study for an additional year at a university in your home country.
The IB program is conducted in English. Therefore, if you plan to study in Italy with English as the language of instruction, you will not be required to take the IELTS or TOEFL exams.
To pursue a bachelor's degree in Italy (Laurea), you must have completed 12 years of secondary education. If you do not meet this requirement, you can make up for the difference by enrolling in a Foundation program, completing an IB program, or doing a year of study at a university in your home country.
Applying to a university
Visit the official website of your chosen university to register and apply for admission. Submit the required documents — including certificates, diplomas, language proficiency certificates, CIMEA (if applicable), and so on.
Please note that you are allowed to submit only one application to one university[5].
Pre-enrollment
For pre-enrollment, refer to the Universitaly platform. There, you will find complete instructions. If you encounter any difficulties, it is best to directly contact your chosen university for precise clarifications.
Preliminary evaluation
The university will carefully assess your application again, specify documents that need attention, and ultimately make a final decision.
Final decision
The outcome depends on the specific university and programs. You might receive an unconditional offer, which means you are accepted without any additional conditions. Alternatively, you might get a conditional offer, which comes with certain requirements. For instance, you might need to pass an Italian proficiency exam or provide a DDV certificate.
After that you will be provided with the exams. The nature of entrance exams varies according to the institution type: universities, higher art schools, and higher technical institutes.
Entrance exams at universities:
Subject knowledge test
Interview for evaluating language skills and motivation
Entrance exams at higher schools are more diverse:
Presentation and portfolio defense — applicable for aspiring sculptors, artists, and designers
Grade statement from the university in your home country / Foundation certificate / IB diploma — depending on your chosen method to address academic differences
Keep in mind that some programs might involve an interview as part of the entrance evaluation process.
Universities might also ask to verify your successful completion of entrance exams in your home country.
Specific requirements can differ, so it is best to verify them on the official program website.
Application deadlines typically fall between mid-April and May, although these dates can vary depending on the university.
How to apply for a master’s program
Enrolling in an Italian master's program mandates that your bachelor's education aligns with the chosen field of your intended master's degree.
The process for applying to a master's program does not substantially differ from that of bachelor’s programs. You can refer back to the earlier section for more details, but we will recap here as well.
When pursuing a master's program, the initial step is the pre-enrollment phase. This involves submitting the required documents to your selected university and subsequently completing an application for pre-enrollment through the online Universitaly Portal. Depending on the program, you might be admitted unconditionally or be subject to entrance exams. Your performance in these tests will determine your admission outcome.
Most often, these involve internal assessments and/or interviews. Some disciplines might require GMAT or GRE exam results.
For creative fields and higher schools, specific exams are designed:
Subject-related exams — for example, drawing or artistic design
In most cases, document submissions generally need to be finalized by the end of June, with some extending to July. For precise dates, visit the official website of your chosen university.
Getting into a PhD program (Studi di dottorato) takes a slightly different route compared to the pre-enrollment steps required for both bachelor’s and master's programs. In this case, you can directly apply to the university. Application deadlines for PhD programs tend to be around the end of September.
Ensure that the field you specialized in during your master's aligns with the focus of the PhD program. In some cases, you might also need written approval from a potential supervisor for your research. This supervisor, often a professor from the program, needs to be chosen carefully and contacted ahead of time.
Italy offers numerous scholarship and grant options for international students:
University scholarships. Almost every Italian university offers scholarships for foreign students. For instance, the University of Bologna provides tuition discounts of up to 1,713 USD to students from developing countries[11]. This scholarship is granted automatically, with no extra application or documentation required. Similarly, Milan Technical University presents various scholarship avenues: academic excellence awards for bachelor’s and master's students, scholarships for female students in STEM, and more[12]. When selecting a university, explore the available options in the "Scholarships" section on its official website.
DSU government scholarship. The Italian government runs this unique program catering to students from low-income families. Remarkably, the citizenship of the candidate is not important — both local and foreign applicants can apply for DSU. The reward is solely determined by your personal income or the financial status of your family. Recipients of this scholarship enjoy free education, on-campus housing, meals at university cafeterias, and even monthly stipends. We have detailed the DSU scholarship in a separate article.
Suitable financing programs can also be found on the Scholarship Portal website.
Italian student visa
If you plan to study in Italy, securing a student visa is essential. The application fee is 54 USD[13], and the processing time typically ranges from 1 to 2 weeks.
After arriving in Italy, your next step is to visit the nearest police station (questura) to apply for a residence permit.
Required documents for a student visa
Application
Invitation letter from a university
Grade transcript / diploma copies from previous university
