Best Public Universities in Italy 2025: Rankings, Acceptance Rate & Fee

Which are the best public universities in Italy? Italy is home to some of the top-ranking universities in the world in 2024. Out of the 61 public universities in Italy for international students, 21 Italy public universities rank globally.

The cost of studying at Italy public universities for international students is around EUR 400 - EUR 4,000 based on the level of education (Bachelor, Master, Doctoral). You would be amazed to note that about 70% of the graduates in Italy find employment within 1 year of graduation.

Let us further decode the top public universities in Italy for international students.

10 Best Public Universities in Italy

The comprehensive list of top 10 public universities in Italy along with the best courses, average tuition fee, acceptance rate, and employment rate in 2024 are as follows:

*Source: QS World Ranking 2025

1. Politecnico di Milano

Politecnico di Milana is one of the leading public universities of Italy for international students. Established in 1863, Politecnico do Milano with approximately 42,000 enrollments across various disciplines like engineering, architecture, design, etc, is also known to be the largest technical university in Italy.

2. Sapienza University of Rome

Sapienza University of Rome was established in 1303, and is ranked 2nd among the Italy public university list. This is a public research university which is also one of the largest European universities as per enrollments. Many of the Nobel laureates have been educated at this historic university of Italy.

3. University of Bologna

Established in 1088, the University of Bologna is one of the oldest public universities in Italy and the world. Despite being one of the oldest continually operating universities in the world, the University of Bologna is well known for offering high-quality education infrastructure to international students. The university hosts more than 86,500 student communities across its 11 campuses.

4. University of Padua

The University of Padua established by a group of students and teachers in 1222 is one of the oldest and best public universities in Italy for international students. One of the famous astronomers Nicholaus Copernicus, who placed sun at the center of the Solar system, is among its most celebrated alumni.

5. Politecnico di Torino

Politecnico di Torino is one of the youngest yet among the top 5 public universities in Italy offering 70+ courses across various levels of education. The university is among one of the best on list of public universities in Italy for research studies.

6. University of Milan

As one of the latest public universities in Italy established in 1924, the University of Milan has gained a great reputation and success. With over 60,000 plus international enrollments this UniMi (University of Milan) a popular public university in Italy for Medicine the university also offers over 83 undergraduate and 111 postgraduate courses.

7. University of Naples Federico II

The University of Naples Federico II was founded in 1224 and is known to be one of the world’s oldest non-sectarian universities. The University is divided into 26 departments and hosts one of the largest student populations in Italy.

8. University of Pisa

The University of Pisa is among the top on the list of public universities in Italy for international students, thanks to its advantage of welcoming international students with open arms. Established in 1343 this is one of Italy's oldest universities, with strong alumni like Galileo Galilei.

9. Vita-Salute San Raffaele University

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University is one of the youngest public universities in Italy. Established in 1996, the Vita-Salute San Raggaele University continues to create a great impact specifically in the fields of medicine, philosophy, and psychology studies. This is a great university to pursue MBBS in Italy.

10. University of Trento

Established in 1962 as a Higher University Institute for Social Sciences, the University of Trento is known to be the first public university in Italy for sociology. Over the years the university has quite diversified its programs and offerings for students globally.

Embrace Affordable Excellence at Public Universities in Italy

The public universities in Italy offer a wide range of options for pursuing high quality education at an affordable cost of study in Italy for international students. The universities' strong emphasis on research and innovation ensures that the public universities in Italy remain competitive and appealing at a global scale.

Do you also aspire to embrace affordable excellence offered by Italy public universities? Seek GetGIS study abroad assistance to ensure your secure and smooth integration into the student community of Italy,

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Also Read: Master’s in Italy for Indian Students