Is Benevento a good place to study for international students?
Benevento is a good place to study if you want a quiet, historic city in inland Campania and a small public university with personal attention. The city has about 55,300 residents (June 2025) and one public university, the University of Sannio, founded in 1998. Most teaching is in Italian, so it suits Italian speakers best, plus engineering students aiming at its English-taught master's. Students who want a big-city scene usually look at Naples instead.
Which universities are in Benevento, and which are public?
Benevento has one public university, the University of Sannio (UniSannio), founded in 1998, with three departments: Engineering; Law, Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods; and Science and Technology. Censis 2026/27 ranked it 5th among Italy's small public universities. The city also has a public music conservatory and Giustino Fortunato University, a private online university with fixed fees. Campania's large public universities are in and around Naples.
- University of Sannio: public, founded 1998, engineering, economics, sciences and law
- Nicola Sala Conservatory: public music conservatory (AFAM)
- Giustino Fortunato University: private online university, fixed fees
What can you study in English in Benevento?
In Benevento, English-taught study is limited: the University of Sannio's clearest option is the master's in Electronics Engineering for Automation and Sensing, which is delivered entirely in English. Other master's degrees, including Computer Engineering, Economics and Management, and Biotechnologies for Health, are taught in Italian. Treat Benevento as one option on a wider shortlist, and compare others on our English-taught programmes page.
How much does it cost to live in Benevento as a student?
The cost of living in Benevento is hard to pin down, because the city is not covered by the national student-rent reports, so there is no reliable average for a room. For context, single rooms in Naples averaged €447 a month in August 2026 (Immobiliare.it Insights). What you can plan for: at UniSannio a family ISEE up to €30,000 pays no university contribution in 2026/27, and ADISURC pays off-site scholarship winners €7,171.11 a year.
- Single room: no published Benevento average; Naples averaged €447 (August 2026)
- University contribution: €0 for a family ISEE up to €30,000 (2026/27)
- Non-EU students residing abroad: UniSannio quotes €600 a year (2026/27)
- ADISURC grant: €7,171.11 a year for off-site winners (2026/27)
- ADISURC local students: €2,890.16 a year plus one free meal a day (2026/27)
How do you find student housing in Benevento?
Finding housing in Benevento mostly means renting a room or flat privately, ideally near the university offices in the historic centre, such as Piazza Guerrazzi and Palazzo San Domenico. To count as off-site for the ADISURC scholarship, you need a university residence or a registered rental contract covering at least 10 months. Ask the university and current students about typical rents, and never pay a deposit before a viewing and a written contract.
Which scholarship covers students in Benevento, and how much is it worth?
ADISURC, Campania's right-to-study agency, runs the scholarship for University of Sannio students. For 2026/27 it is worth €7,171.11 a year for off-site students, €4,190.71 for commuters and €2,890.16 plus a free daily meal for local students, with limits of €25,500 ISEE and €54,000 ISPE. The call closed at noon on 10 September 2026. Tuition is set by family income (ISEE), and a scholarship winner also gets a tuition waiver.
How do you get to Benevento and get around once you are there?
Benevento station is on the Caserta to Foggia railway, with fast trains towards Rome and Bari; an Italo service launched in 2021 cut the trip to Rome to about 2 hours. The nearest airports are Salerno, about 89 km away, and Naples Capodichino, about 91 km. In town, the historic centre where most university offices sit is compact and walkable. Ask the university about local bus services and student fares when you enrol.
What is student life like in Benevento?
Student life in Benevento is quiet and rooted in history. The Arch of Trajan, built in 114 AD, the Roman theatre and the Lombard church of Santa Sofia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, sit within walking distance of class. The city is the home of Strega liqueur and sits among the vineyards of the Sannio hills. Social life is small-scale, with fewer English-language services than Naples, so learning Italian makes a real difference.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Benevento?
Your first weeks in Benevento are about permits, enrolment and your ADISURC file. Non-EU students must request a permesso di soggiorno within 8 days of arrival with the post office kit, then get a codice fiscale and health cover through private insurance or voluntary SSN registration. Finish your enrolment on UniSannio's online system and pay fees in Italy, and if you applied to ADISURC as off-site, register a rental contract of at least 10 months.
- Request your permesso di soggiorno with the post office kit within 8 days of arrival.
- Get your codice fiscale from the Agenzia delle Entrate if you do not have one yet.
- Arrange health cover: private insurance or voluntary registration with the SSN.
- Complete enrolment on unisannio.esse3.cineca.it and pay your fees in Italy.
- Register a rental contract of at least 10 months if you are an off-site ADISURC applicant.
Can you work part-time while studying in Benevento?
Yes, you can work part-time while studying in Benevento: a non-EU study permit allows up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Italian universities, Sannio included, can offer paid student collaborations of up to 150 hours a year. Benevento's job market is small and almost entirely Italian-speaking, so jobs in English are rare. Plan your budget without relying on work, and use your first year to build your Italian.
How does Benevento compare with other Italian student cities?
Benevento is a small, quiet alternative to Italy's big student cities. It has no published student-rent average, but Naples, the region's main student hub, averaged €447 for a single room in August 2026, against €585 in Bologna, €615 in Rome and €704 in Milan (Immobiliare.it Insights). Benevento offers short distances and personal attention, but a narrow English-taught menu, so it suits Italian speakers and focused engineering students most.
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Benevento?
ApplyAZ can include the University of Sannio in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities, if its English-taught master's fits you, and we will tell you honestly if it does not. We are independent and take no commissions. We write your CV and SOPs, submit applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your ADISURC scholarship and prepare your visa file. Organised students can use our roadmap alone. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
