Is Piacenza a good place to study for international students?
Piacenza is a good place to study if you want a calm, affordable campus town with a public university name on your degree. The city sits in western Emilia-Romagna on the river Po, on the main rail line between Milan and Bologna. It hosts a regional campus of the Politecnico di Milano, open since 1997, and the University of Parma's English-taught Medicine and Surgery degree. It suits engineering, architecture and medical students who prefer a compact city, shorter queues and lower rents than Milan.
Which public universities teach in Piacenza?
Two public universities teach in Piacenza: the Politecnico di Milano, a technical university based in Milan, and the University of Parma, based in Parma. The Politecnico's Piacenza campus on Via Scalabrini teaches engineering, architecture and landscape degrees. Parma's Medical School runs a Medicine and Surgery course held entirely in English in Piacenza, using a local hospital system dedicated to this degree. A private university also has a campus in the city, but this guide covers public universities only.
- Politecnico di Milano: public, founded 1863, Piacenza campus since 1997 for engineering and architecture
- University of Parma: public, English-taught Medicine and Surgery taught in Piacenza, admission by test
What can you study in English in Piacenza?
In Piacenza you can take at least five degrees taught entirely in English, according to the two universities' own course pages for 2026/27. The Politecnico lists a new bachelor's in Industrial Engineering, starting in September 2026, and master's degrees in Energy Engineering, Landscape Architecture and Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Design. The University of Parma adds six-year Medicine and Surgery, with its own admission test. Other Politecnico degrees here, such as Mechanical Engineering, may be taught in Italian, so check each course page.
How does studying in Piacenza compare with Milan or Parma?
Studying in Piacenza gives you a Politecnico di Milano or University of Parma degree without big-city costs. Your diploma carries the same university name as in Milan or Parma, but the Piacenza campus offers a narrower choice of degrees and a smaller student community. Rooms advertised near the Politecnico in September 2026 mostly asked €300 to €450 a month, against the €600 to €900 typical in Milan. Parma is about as affordable, with single rooms averaging €370 in August 2026, according to our Parma city guide.
How much does it cost to live in Piacenza as a student?
Plan on about €650 to €850 a month in Piacenza, well below Milan. Immobiliare.it Insights put average rents at €10.38 per square metre in August 2026, up 7.68% in a year, and single rooms advertised on Immobiliare.it near the Politecnico in September 2026 mostly asked €300 to €450. University of Parma students in Piacenza can buy a €120 annual city bus pass, and Medicine students can use the self-service canteen at Collegio Morigi. Cook at home and your food bill stays close to national averages.
- Single room in a shared flat: €300 to €450 a month (Immobiliare.it listings near the Politecnico, September 2026)
- Food: about €300 a month, close to HousingAnywhere's €297 groceries figure for Rome (September 2026)
- Data and internet: about €38 a month in HousingAnywhere's Rome figures, less when shared
- City bus: €120 a year for University of Parma students (SETA, 2026/27)
- Monthly total: about €650 to €850, our estimate from the lines above, with a margin for bills
How do you find student housing in Piacenza?
In Piacenza, student housing means a college bed or a room in a shared flat. The Politecnico's Piacenza campus offers beds at Collegio Morigi, in the city centre, and at Collegio San Vincenzo, a renovated historic building near the campus with single and double rooms and private bathrooms. San Vincenzo has full-rate beds and reduced-rate beds allocated by an annual competition. For private rooms, look in the centre and around Via Scalabrini. Deposits are capped by law at three months' rent, so start searching by early summer.
Which scholarship covers students in Piacenza, and how much is it worth?
In Piacenza, your scholarship body depends on your university. The Politecnico runs the Lombardy regional right-to-study (DSU) scholarship for its own students, publishing its call every June; it pays cash plus canteen services, and off-site students can also request a discounted residence place. University of Parma students apply to ER.GO, Emilia-Romagna's agency. For 2026/27 ER.GO pays off-site students up to €7,171.11 for a family ISEE up to €16,666.67, falling to €3,585.56 between €20,818.47 and €25,000.
How much is tuition at the Piacenza campuses?
Tuition at both Piacenza campuses is set by family income (ISEE), but the rules differ. At the University of Parma, students with an ISEE up to €27,000 pay only the fixed €156 for 2026/27, and ER.GO scholarship winners also get a tuition waiver, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students. At the Politecnico, students with family income abroad submit an ISEEU parificato, which under the 2026/27 rules cannot be used for the national fee exemption, while holders of a Politecnico scholarship pay no all-inclusive contribution.
How do you get to Piacenza and get around once you are there?
Piacenza is easy to reach by train, with direct services on the line between Milan and Bologna. Most students fly into Milan Linate or Malpensa and continue by train through Milan. Inside the city, SETA runs the urban buses, and University of Parma students enrolled in Piacenza pay €120 for a 12-month urban pass in 2026/27, on sale from 31 August 2026 to 31 March 2027. Politecnico students pay standard SETA fares. The centre is flat and compact, so many students walk or cycle.
What is student life like in Piacenza?
Student life in Piacenza is quieter than in Milan or Bologna, built around the historic centre, the colleges and the river Po. Piazza Cavalli, with its Gothic town hall, the Palazzo Gotico, is the main meeting point, and the Farnese palace houses the city's museums. The Politecnico campus and the Medicine course each form a close international community, and ER.GO lists student events in the city, such as European Researchers' Night. Milan and Bologna are a train ride away when you want a bigger city.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Piacenza?
Your first weeks in Piacenza go smoothly if you handle the paperwork in a set 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 college bed or lease, and complete enrolment. University of Parma students can register voluntarily with the national health service for €700 a year (2025/26 notice) through the local health authority's office in Piacenza.
- 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 (€700 a year for a single student in Emilia-Romagna) or keep private insurance valid in Italy
- Confirm your college bed, or check that your landlord registers your lease
- Complete enrolment and file your ISEE or ISEEU parificato by your university's deadline
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Piacenza?
ApplyAZ helps you study in Piacenza by building its Politecnico and Parma degrees into a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities, if they fit you. We take no commissions from any university. We write your CV and tailored SOPs, submit applications and Universitaly, file your DSU or ER.GO scholarship and prepare your visa file, and a named person owns each stage. The medicine admission test is yours to prepare, and organised students can use our roadmap alone: see how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
