Is Chieti a good place to study for international students?
Chieti is a good place to study if you want very low rents and a quiet hilltop city close to the Adriatic. The Abruzzo city had 48,455 residents in January 2023 and is the administrative seat of d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, which also teaches in Pescara, a coastal city nearby. The old town sits at 348 m, with Chieti Scalo in the valley below. It suits students who want a calm, affordable base for psychology, health, science or economics degrees.
Which universities are in Chieti, and which are public?
Chieti's university, d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara (UdA), is public, and it is the one ApplyAZ works with. Founded in 1965 and part of the state system since 1982, it teaches on two campuses, Chieti and Pescara, and ranks 8th among Italy's large public universities in Censis 2026/27. Tuition is set by family income: for 2026/27, students with an ISEE up to €24,000 paid no annual contribution if they met the merit rules, only the €156 first instalment.
What can you study in English in Chieti?
In Chieti, English-taught options come from d'Annunzio University, which teaches six degrees fully in English and three partly in English across its Chieti and Pescara campuses. The full English list includes a bachelor's in Economics and Finance and master's degrees in Psychology of Well-being and Performance, Planetary Sciences, Health Professions of Rehabilitation Sciences, and Building Engineering for Cultural Heritage. Check which campus hosts your course before you rent. See English-taught programmes.
How much does it cost to live in Chieti as a student?
Chieti is one of Italy's cheapest university cities: plan on about €550 to €750 a month. Immobiliare.it Insights put the average single room at €240 in August 2026, the lowest of the cities it listed, while Pescara averaged €388 after a 28.6% jump. Living in Chieti keeps rent low even if some classes are in Pescara. Fees are modest too: without an ISEE parificato, non-EU students pay a flat €0, €600 or €1,300 a year by country group, plus €156.
- Single room in Chieti: €240 a month on average (Immobiliare.it Insights, August 2026)
- Single room in Pescara: €388 a month on average (Immobiliare.it Insights, August 2026)
- University first instalment: €156 a year in 2026/27 (regional tax and stamp duty)
- Phone: about €10 a month for a SIM plan (HousingAnywhere, 2026)
- Monthly total: about €550 to €750, depending on the city you live in
How do you find student housing in Chieti?
In Chieti, most students rent a room in a shared flat, either in the old town on the hill or in Chieti Scalo, the valley district with the railway station and the Via dei Vestini campus. ADSU Chieti-Pescara offers housing support, including rent contributions, so read its current call. Rooms are cheaper and easier to find than in Pescara, where prices rose 28.6% in a year. Deposits are capped by law at three months' rent. Start looking in summer, and see the room before you pay.
Which scholarship covers students in Chieti, and how much is it worth?
In Chieti, the regional DSU scholarship is run by ADSU Chieti-Pescara, which also runs canteens, part-time jobs and housing and transport support. The national minimum for off-site students in 2026/27 is €7,171.11 a year, and the national ISEE ceiling is €28,339.88. The university also offered 15 scholarships for international students for 2026/27, each worth €6,000 gross plus a fee exemption; that call closed on 20 April 2026. A DSU scholarship winner also gets a tuition waiver.
How do you get to Chieti and get around once you are there?
Chieti is about 12 km from Abruzzo Airport at Pescara and about 10 km from the Adriatic coast. Chieti station, in Chieti Scalo, sits on the Rome to Pescara railway, which links the city with Pescara on the coast and, inland, with Rome. Locally, buses and a trolleybus climb between Chieti Scalo and the old town on the hill. If your classes are on both campuses, live near the station or a good bus line, because the climb and the Chieti to Pescara trip add up.
What is student life like in Chieti?
Student life in Chieti is quiet and local, with Pescara's beaches and nightlife close by. The old town has the Teatro Marrucino, opened in 1818, Roman temples, the La Civitella archaeology museum and the Villa Comunale park, all along or near Corso Marrucino. Chieti's Good Friday procession, dating back to the 16th century, is considered Italy's oldest. ADSU supports cultural and sports activities, and the mountains of Abruzzo are within reach for weekend hikes.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Chieti?
Your first weeks in Chieti go smoothly if you follow a clear order. Non-EU students must request the permesso di soggiorno within 8 working days of arrival, using the post office kit. Then get your codice fiscale, sort out health cover, register on the university portal, pay your first instalment and present your original documents, and check your ADSU outcome. Learn the bus links between Chieti Scalo, the old town and Pescara early, before the timetable catches you out.
- Request your permesso di soggiorno with the post office kit within 8 working days (non-EU students)
- Get your codice fiscale from the Agenzia delle Entrate if you do not have one yet
- Register with the SSN or keep private health insurance valid in Italy
- Register on UdAOnline, pay the €156 first instalment and show your original documents
- Check your ADSU Chieti-Pescara outcome and plan your bus or train routes
Can you work part-time while studying in Chieti?
Yes, you can work part-time while studying in Chieti: a non-EU study permit allows up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. ADSU Chieti-Pescara offers part-time jobs for students, and universities run 150-hour collaborations (collaborazioni 150 ore) in offices and libraries. Chieti's own job market is small, and Pescara has more openings in shops, bars and summer tourism, but nearly all need Italian. Low rents matter more than wages here, so plan without relying on work.
How does Chieti compare with other Italian student cities?
Chieti is one of the cheapest student cities in Italy. In August 2026, single rooms averaged €240 in Chieti and €388 in Pescara, against €585 in Bologna, €615 in Rome and €704 in Milan (Immobiliare.it Insights). It is small and quiet, so you trade nightlife and a big international scene for low costs and a large public university, 8th among Italy's large public universities in Censis 2026/27. It suits students who want to study cheaply, with the coast next door.
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Chieti?
ApplyAZ helps you study in Chieti by building d'Annunzio University into a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities, if it fits you. We take no commissions from any university. We write your CV and tailored SOPs, submit applications and Universitaly, file your ADSU scholarship and prepare your visa file, and a named person owns each stage. The university still decides admission, and organised students can use our roadmap alone: see how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
