The best universities in Italy, which have the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, host international students worldwide. The oldest university in Italy is Bologna University. Its establishment dates back to 1088 and is a major attraction where international students worldwide have been studying in Italy for almost 10 centuries. Again with its historical and prestigious position in the world, many universities such as the University of Padova, the Technical University of Milan (Politecnico Di Milano), the La Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Florence, and the University of Pavia are just some of the oldest and best universities in Italy. These universities open their doors to thousands of international students every year for undergraduate, master’s, and Erasmus education in Italy.

You can also check our “Study Undergraduate in Italy” article.

Politecnico Di Milano - Best Universities in Italy

Politecnico Di Milano

Why Study in Italy?

Located in Southern Europe’s heart, Italy is very close to many European countries. It is a true cultural and tourism centre. From the alpine slopes in the north to the south’s Mediterranean beaches, you can witness that each region has a very different cultural value.

Italy is the country with the most artefacts on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Italy’s world-famous cuisine and its extraordinary historical heritage, high culture, and tourist attractions are just a few of the reasons it is among the most visited countries in the world every year.

Studying at a university in Italy means getting a well-established education in the oldest universities in Europe and the world. Italy is among the leading countries in Europe in the field of education with its wide range of English programs and extensive scholarship opportunities.

For detailed information, you can check our “Study on a Scholarship in Italy” article.

World Rankings of Italian Universities

The rankings are made according to the subjects; 18 Italian universities are among the world’s top 100 universities.

The following organisations determine some generally accepted “rankings” of universities:

  • Times Higher Education (THE),
  • QS World University Rankings,
  • Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)

According to the QS 2020 rankings, 4 Italian universities are among the world’s top 200 universities. According to Times Higher Education 2020 data, 27 Italian universities found themselves in the top 500. According to the other research organization ARWU, 15 universities in Italy are among the world’s top 500 universities.

The La Sapienza University of Rome has been chosen as the best university in the world for classical and ancient history studies.

You can check our “Study University in Rome” article.

Two Italian universities rank among the top in the world in engineering and technology. In the field of engineering and technology, Politecnico Di Milano is the 17th best university in the world, and Politecnico Di Torino is the 33rd university. Besides, the University of Padova is the 67th best university in the world for psychology.

Moreover, you can read our “Study University in Milan” article.

Italy is the third country in Europe with the highest number of universities among the top 500 universities globally and the 7th in the world.

Italy’s Best University

According to QS Ranking 2020 data, Italy’s best university in Politecnico Di Milano, with 137th in the world in the overall ranking. According to CWUR, another university ranking organization, Italy’s best university was chosen as the La Sapienza University of Rome. The reason for this difference is that the institutions rank universities by choosing different criteria as a priority.

La Sapienza University of Rome

La Sapienza University of Rome

Best Universities to Study in Italy

There are over 300 programs in Italy where you can study completely in English, and these are the best universities in Italy. When choosing the program you want to study in Italy, you should choose universities specialised in the department you prefer. For example, you can choose Milan University, one of the world’s fashion capitals for fashion and design, or Venice due to having Italy’s first and Europe’s second business schools for business and economy programs. You can also choose Italy’s automobile capital, Turin, for engineering and architecture education.

The world university ranking includes all programs. However, it should be noted that Italian universities are in much better positions in the world rankings in the fields they teach. For example, when it comes to architecture and engineering education, Politecnico Di Milano and Politecnico Di Torino universities find themselves in the top 50 in the world rankings.

Best Universities in Italy

  • Politecnico Di Milano
  • Politecnico Di Torino
  • University of Bologna
  • La Sapienza University of Rome 
  • Tor Vergata University of Rome
  • University of Milan
  • University of Milan-Bicocca
  • University of Bergamo
  • Bocconi University
  • University of Padova
  • University of Pavia
  • Venice Ca’Foscari University
  • Florence University
  • University of Pisa
  • University of Siena
  • Luigi Vanvitelli University of Naples
  • University of Naples Federico II
  • University of Bari 
  • Politecnico Di Bari
  • University of Genova
  • University of Messina 
  • University of Turin
  • University of Trieste 
  • University of Trento 
  • University of Cattolica 
  • University of Perugia 
  • University of Catania 
  • University of Modena
  • University of Ferrara
  • University of Verona
  • University of Parma
  • University of Palermo 
  • Roma Tre University
  • UniCamillus University
  • Venice IUAV University
  • Humanitas University
The University of Bologna

The University of Bologna

While creating our ranking of the best universities in Italy, we preferred Italian universities among the top 500 universities globally and are popular. Although the numbers vary according to different research institutions, the universities we mentioned above maintain their place in the top 500.

Top 10 Universities in Italy

  • Technical University of Milan (Politecnico Di Milano)
  • University of Bologna
  • University of Padova
  • University of Milan
  • Technical University of Turin (Politecnico Di Torino)
  • University of Florence 
  • University of Turin
  • University of Rome Tor Vergata
  • Venice Ca’Foscari University
  • University of Pisa

Although the top 10 universities in Italy vary according to various research institutions and fields, the general picture is like this.

Please check our “Study University in Torino” article.

Best Medical Schools in Italy

  • La Sapienza University of Rome 
  • University of Milan
  • University of Bologna
  • University of Cattolica 
  • University of Padova
  • University of Pisa
  • University of Florence 
  • University of Pavia 
  • Tor Vergata University of Rome 
  • University of Turin
  • Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
  • Humanitas University

In addition, you can check our “Study Medicine in Italy” article.

Best Engineering Faculties in Italy

  • Politecnico Di Milano (Milan Technical University)
  • Politecnico Di Torino (Turin Technical University)
  •  La Sapienza University of Rome
  • University of Padova
  • University of Bologna
  • University of Pisa

You can read our “Master’s Degrees in Engineering in Italy” article.

Best Technical Universities in Italy

  • Politecnico Di Milano
  • Politecnico Di Torino
  • Politecnico Di Bari
Politecnico Di Torino

Politecnico Di Torino

Although Italy’s technical universities are the ones mentioned above, many programs such as engineering and architecture are also offered in English by other universities. These universities are not called Politecnico (technical universities) because they have technical fields and other social science programs.

Italy’s best technical university is the Technical University of Milan, named Politecnico Di Milano. 

You can check our “Best Technical Universities in Italy” article.

Best Social Sciences Universities in Italy

  • Bocconi University
  • University of Bologna
  • La Sapienza University of Rome 
  • University of Padova
  • University of Milan
  • University of Pavia

Best Public Universities in Italy

  • Politecnico Di Milano
  • Politecnico Di Torino
  • University of Bologna
  • La Sapienza University of Rome 
  • Tor Vergata University of Rome 
  • University of Milan
  • University of Padova
  • University of Pavia
  • Venice Ca’Foscari University
  • University of Florence 
  • University of Pisa
  • University of Siena
  • Luigi Vanvitelli University of Naples
  • University of Naples Federico II
  • Venice IUAV University

Furthermore, you can review our article on “University Programs to Study In Italy“.