Is Messina a good place to study for international students?
Messina is a good place to study if you want English-taught degrees at very low cost in a coastal city. The Sicilian city had 216,458 residents in 2026 and faces mainland Italy across the Strait of Messina. Its public university, the University of Messina, founded in 1548, has more than 20,000 students and 19 English-taught programmes. It suits students who want low fees and rents, sea views and a calmer pace than Italy's big cities, and who accept a smaller international scene.
Which universities are in Messina, and which are public?
The University of Messina (UniME) is the city's public university, and the one ApplyAZ works with. Founded in 1548 as one of the world's first Jesuit colleges, it is the top-ranked university in Sicily and Calabria in QS 2027, in the 761 to 770 band. Since 2025/26, non-EU students pay a flat yearly fee set by country group, and DSU scholarship winners are exempt from tuition. Medicine, pharmacy, marine biology and geophysics are among its recognised strengths.
What can you study in English in Messina?
Messina has one of southern Italy's widest English-taught offers: the University of Messina runs 19 programmes in English at bachelor's, master's and single-cycle level. Bachelor's options include Business Management, Civil Engineering, Data Analysis, Marine Biology and Blue Biotechnologies, and Political Sciences and International Relations. Medicine and Surgery is taught in English, with entry through the IMAT, and master's options include Data Science and Geophysical Sciences for Seismic Risk. See English-taught programmes.
How much does it cost to live in Messina as a student?
Messina is one of Italy's cheapest university cities: plan on about €500 to €800 a month. Immobiliare.it Insights put the average single room at €284 in March 2026, level with Catania and the lowest in that survey, and many rooms cost €200 to €350. ERSU Messina residences and canteens cost less for scholarship winners. Fees are low too: non-EU students pay a flat yearly fee set by country group. Most daily life happens within walking distance of the seafront.
- Single room in a shared flat: €284 a month on average (Immobiliare.it Insights, March 2026)
- Typical room range: about €200 to €350 a month
- Tuition for non-EU students: a flat yearly fee set by country group (since 2025/26), and study can be tuition-free for eligible students
- Phone: about €10 a month for a SIM plan (HousingAnywhere, 2026)
- Monthly total: about €500 to €800 for rent, food and transport
How do you find student housing in Messina?
In Messina, most international students rent a room in a shared flat, and ERSU Messina residences go to eligible scholarship students through its yearly call. Rooms are easier to find than in the big northern cities, but good flats near the university's central sites and the tram line go first. Student contracts run 6 to 36 months, and deposits are capped by law at three months' rent. Start in summer, ask the university's international office for trusted contacts, and see the room before you pay.
Which scholarship covers students in Messina, and how much is it worth?
In Messina, the regional DSU scholarship is run by ERSU Messina, Sicily's right-to-study agency for the city. It is need-based and combines a cash grant with meals and, for some winners, a residence place. 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. At the University of Messina, a DSU scholarship winner also gets a tuition waiver, and MAECI grants and UniME merit awards add further options.
How do you get to Messina and get around once you are there?
Most students reach Messina through Catania Fontanarossa airport, about 1 to 1.5 hours away by train or bus, with Catania 96 km to the south. Ferries cross the Strait to Villa San Giovanni and the mainland rail network. In town, ATM runs a 7.7 km tramway linking the central station, the centre and the harbour, plus buses, including the coastal Shuttle 100 about every 15 minutes. The city stretches along the sea, so choose a room near a tram or shuttle stop.
What is student life like in Messina?
Student life in Messina is coastal, compact and affordable, with the coast of Calabria in view across the Strait. Beaches to the north fill up in summer, and Taormina, Mount Etna and the Aeolian Islands make easy trips. On 15 August the Vara procession, with its giants and camel, draws the whole city. Summers are long and hot, and Messina is Sicily's rainiest coastal city, with about 847 mm of rain a year. The international community is small, so friendships form quickly.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Messina?
Your first weeks in Messina are simpler 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, confirm your enrolment and your ERSU Messina outcome or private lease, and learn the tram and bus routes. Keep copies of every document and receipt, and expect some offices to work mainly in Italian, so ask the international office for help.
- 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
- Confirm your enrolment, your fee group and your ERSU Messina outcome or lease
- Learn the ATM tram and Shuttle 100 routes along the seafront
Can you work part-time while studying in Messina?
Yes, you can work part-time while studying in Messina: a non-EU study permit allows up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. The university offers part-time student jobs, often called 150-hour collaborations (collaborazioni 150 ore). Messina's own job market is small, with most openings in cafés, shops and summer tourism, and nearly all need Italian. Low living costs help more than wages here, so plan your budget without relying on work and protect your exam credits.
How does Messina compare with other Italian student cities?
Messina is among Italy's cheapest student cities, with single rooms averaging €284 in March 2026, level with Catania and below Palermo at €309 (Immobiliare.it Insights). Milan averaged €729 and Rome €609 in the same survey. The University of Messina leads Sicily and Calabria in QS 2027 and has the widest English-taught catalogue on the island, including medicine. Choose Messina for low costs and the sea; choose Palermo or Catania if you want a bigger city.
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Messina?
ApplyAZ helps you study in Messina by building the University of Messina 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 ERSU scholarship and prepare your visa file, and a named person owns each stage. UniME still decides admission, and organised students can use our roadmap alone: see how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
