Is Ancona a good place to study for international students?
Yes, Ancona is a good place to study if you want a calm, affordable port city on the Adriatic with a fast-rising public university. The capital of Marche has about 99,000 residents (2025) and is one of Italy's main passenger ports, with ferries to Croatia, Greece and Albania. Its public university, Marche Polytechnic University, is known for engineering, medicine, economics and science. It suits students who want lower costs, the sea and a focused university.
Which universities are in Ancona, and which are public?
Ancona has one public university, Marche Polytechnic University (UNIVPM), with more than 17,000 students in 2025. Founded in 1969 as the Free University of Ancona, it took its current name in 2003. It teaches economics in the city centre, engineering, agriculture and science at Monte Dago, and medicine at Torrette, with some programmes elsewhere in Marche. The region's other public universities are in Urbino, Macerata and Camerino, and all set tuition by family income.
What can you study in English in Ancona?
In Ancona, Marche Polytechnic University lists 11 English-taught degree programmes for 2026/27: 2 bachelor's, 8 master's and Medicine and Surgery (MedTech). The bachelor's are Digital Economics and Business, and Environmental Sciences and Civil Protection. Master's include Biomedical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, International Economics and Commerce, Food and Beverage Innovation and Management, and Marine Biology. See our English-taught programmes.
How much does it cost to live in Ancona as a student?
Living in Ancona as a student costs about €600 to €850 a month by our estimate, well below Milan or Bologna. UNIVPM says private rooms usually cost €250 to €350 a month, plus up to €100 for utilities; its older 2021 guide put a full monthly budget at €500 to €600, before recent rent rises. Canteen meals cost €4 to €7 in that guide. For 2026/27, UNIVPM students can buy a 12-month urban bus pass for €190, or a 9-month pass for €166.
- Private room: €250 to €350 a month, plus up to €100 for utilities (UNIVPM)
- University canteen meal: €4 to €7 (UNIVPM guide, 2021)
- Urban bus pass: €190 for 12 months or €166 for 9 months (UNIVPM students, 2026/27)
- Bus ticket €1.25 and pizza margherita €4.50 (UNIVPM guide, 2021)
- Monthly total: about €600 to €850, rent included (ApplyAZ estimate)
How do you find student housing in Ancona?
In Ancona, apply for an ERDIS Marche residence place through the scholarship call, which usually opens in June or July, and start your private search at the same time. Most students rent rooms in shared flats, which UNIVPM says usually cost €250 to €350 a month plus up to €100 for utilities. Choose your area by campus: economics is in the centre, engineering and science at Monte Dago, medicine at Torrette. Visit or video-call before paying any deposit.
Which scholarship covers students in Ancona, and how much is it worth?
The scholarship for students in Ancona is run by ERDIS Marche, the regional right-to-study agency. For 2026/27 the grant for off-site students is €7,171.11 a year, and winners get canteen access and, if off-site, the chance of a residence place. The call usually opens in June or July. Tuition is set by family income (ISEE): at UNIVPM, students with an ISEE up to €28,000 pay no university contribution in 2026/27, and a DSU scholarship winner also gets a tuition waiver.
How do you get to Ancona and get around once you are there?
Ancona is reached through Marche Airport at Falconara, about 20 minutes by train from Castelferretti station opposite the terminal, while Bologna and Rome airports offer more flights. Ancona sits on the Adriatic railway, with trains to Rome as well. In the city, Conerobus buses and the Politecnica Link shuttle connect the stations with the Monte Dago campus. For 2026/27, UNIVPM students pay €190 for a 12-month urban pass, after a €50 university contribution.
What is student life like in Ancona?
Student life in Ancona mixes a working port with beaches and a compact centre. Students meet around Piazza del Plebiscito and Corso Mazzini, where the central market runs Tuesday to Saturday, and swim or walk at the Passetto. The Romanesque cathedral of San Ciriaco overlooks the harbour, and the cliffs and beaches of Monte Conero are just south. The San Ciriaco fair comes around 4 May. The pace is calm, and the city is small enough to know quickly.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Ancona?
In your first weeks in Ancona, sort out your paperwork before anything else, because your residence permit, tax code and health cover unlock rent, banking and scholarship payments. Non-EU students must request a permesso di soggiorno within 8 days of arrival, using the kit from a post office. Confirm your ERDIS Marche place, then request your student bus pass at an ATMA retailer before 28 February 2027. Keep copies of every document you submit.
- Request your permesso di soggiorno within 8 days, using the post office kit (non-EU students).
- Get your codice fiscale (tax code), needed for rent contracts, a SIM card and enrolment.
- Arrange health cover: private insurance or voluntary registration with the SSN.
- Confirm your ERDIS Marche scholarship and residence place, or sign a registered rental contract.
- Buy your UNIVPM student bus pass from an ATMA retailer, by 28 February 2027.
Can you work part-time while studying in Ancona?
Yes, you can work part-time while studying in Ancona, within the limits of your permit. Non-EU students on a study permit may work up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Universities offer paid part-time student jobs, the collaborazioni 150 ore, through yearly calls. Ancona's local economy offers work in the port, retail, hospitality and summer tourism along the coast, but most jobs need Italian. Keep work secondary to your exams.
How does Ancona compare with other Italian student cities?
Ancona is cheaper and calmer than Milan, Rome or Bologna. UNIVPM puts private rooms at €250 to €350 a month, while Immobiliare.it Insights put the average single room at €599 in Bologna, €609 in Rome and €729 in Milan in March 2026. It is smaller, with about 99,000 residents, and slower-paced. Students pick Ancona for engineering, medicine, economics or marine science in English, at a university that rose 142 places in QS 2027.
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Ancona?
ApplyAZ helps you study in Ancona by building a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at public universities, including Marche Polytechnic University where it fits your profile. No university pays us. We write your CV and SOPs, submit applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your ERDIS Marche scholarship and prepare your visa file, with a named person owning each stage. Organised students can use our roadmap alone. Next step: see how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
