Is Padua a good place to study for international students?
Padua is one of Italy's best student cities: compact, bike-friendly and built around one of the world's oldest universities. This Veneto city has about 207,700 residents (2025) and one public university, the University of Padua, founded in 1222, with about 65,000 students, around 5,200 of them international. It suits students who want a top public university, English-taught bachelor's options and lower living costs than Milan, Rome or Bologna, with Venice 30 minutes away.
Which universities are in Padua, and which are public?
Padua has one public university, the University of Padua (UniPD), and it shapes the whole city: its historic seat, Palazzo del Bo, sits in the centre and its departments spread across town. Galileo Galilei taught here, and in 1678 Elena Cornaro Piscopia became the first woman in the world to earn a university degree here. Padua also has a public music conservatory, and Ca' Foscari University of Venice, another public university, is about 30 minutes away by train.
- University of Padua: public, founded 1222, about 65,000 students
- Cesare Pollini Conservatory: public music conservatory (AFAM)
- Nearby: Ca' Foscari University of Venice, public, about 30 minutes by train
What can you study in English in Padua?
Padua has one of Italy's widest English-taught menus: the University of Padua runs dozens of English-taught degrees, including bachelor's programmes, which are rarer elsewhere. Options include Psychological Science, Economics and Management, Information Engineering, Data Science, Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Food and Health, and Human Rights and Multi-level Governance. English-taught Medicine selects through the IMAT. Compare them on our English-taught programmes page.
How much does it cost to live in Padua as a student?
Living in Padua as a student usually costs about €750 to €1,050 a month. The University of Padua puts single rooms at €300 to €600 a month plus bills, and Immobiliare.it Insights put the average single room at €496 in August 2026, well below Milan, Rome and Bologna. Canteen meals cost €2 to €8.50, and ESU charges €4.70 for a full meal until the end of 2026. Busitalia's student pass for under-26s costs €28.60 a month or €247.50 a year.
- Single room: €300 to €600 a month plus bills; €496 average (August 2026)
- Double room: €250 to €400 a month plus bills (University of Padua)
- Canteen meal: €2 to €8.50; ESU full meal €4.70 until 31 December 2026
- Bus and tram pass: €28.60 a month or €247.50 a year for under-26 students
- Typical monthly total: €750 to €1,050, rent included
How do you find student housing in Padua?
Finding housing in Padua means applying to ESU Padova and searching privately at the same time. ESU publishes its call in early July, and its 2026/27 guide lists about 70 places for non-EU first-year students, so most internationals rent privately. The university's International Housing Office translates rental contracts and recommends Cerco Alloggio and HousingAnywhere. Start in spring: Italian law caps deposits at three months' rent, and never pay before a viewing and a written contract.
Which scholarship covers students in Padua, and how much is it worth?
Students in Padua apply for the Veneto regional scholarship through the University of Padua, while ESU Padova runs residences and canteens. For 2026/27, off-site students with an ISEE up to €13,153.12 receive €8,246, or €7,171.11 up to €17,537.50, within limits of €26,306.25 ISEE and €43,125.94 ISPE. The deadline was 30 September 2026. Tuition is set by family income (ISEE), and a scholarship winner also gets a tuition waiver.
How do you get to Padua and get around once you are there?
Padua is well connected: a direct Busitalia bus reaches Venice Marco Polo airport in 45 minutes, running every 40 minutes, and trains reach Venice in about 30 minutes and Milan in about 2 hours. In the city, most students cycle or walk, since the centre and most university buildings are close together, and a tram line crosses town via the station. Busitalia's urban student pass for under-26s costs €28.60 a month or €247.50 a year in the central zone.
What is student life like in Padua?
Student life in Padua is lively and easy to join, because students fill the historic centre. Evenings start with a spritz in Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori, Prato della Valle draws runners and markets, and Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel is a short walk from class. New graduates are celebrated in the streets with laurel wreaths. Winters are damp and foggy and summers hot. Venice, Verona and the Dolomites make easy trips, so weekends fill up fast.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Padua?
Your first weeks in Padua are mostly paperwork, and doing it in order saves time. Non-EU students must request a permesso di soggiorno within 8 days of arrival, using the kit from a post office. Then get your codice fiscale, arrange health cover through insurance or voluntary SSN registration, confirm your regional scholarship or ESU housing status, and buy a Busitalia student pass. The University of Padua's international offices can guide you through each step.
- 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.
- Confirm your regional scholarship, ESU residence place or private rental contract.
- Buy a Busitalia student pass: €28.60 a month or €247.50 a year for under-26s.
Can you work part-time while studying in Padua?
Yes, you can work part-time while studying in Padua, within your permit's limits: non-EU students may work up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Like other Italian universities, the University of Padua offers paid student collaborations of up to 150 hours a year in libraries, offices and services. The local economy is strong, but most shop, café and office jobs expect Italian, so English-taught students do best with tutoring, research assistant roles or internships.
How does Padua compare with other Italian student cities?
Padua costs much less than Italy's big student cities: its average single room was €496 in August 2026, against €704 in Milan, €615 in Rome and €585 in Bologna, according to Immobiliare.it Insights. It is smaller and calmer than those cities, but its university is as large and as old as any. Students choose Padua for a top public university, English-taught bachelor's degrees and a real student town, with Venice only 30 minutes away by train.
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Padua?
ApplyAZ helps you study in Padua by building the University of Padua into a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities. We are independent and take no commissions. We write your CV and SOPs, submit applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your regional scholarship and prepare your visa file, with a named person owning each stage. Organised students can use our roadmap alone. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
