Is Reggio Calabria a good place to study for international students?
Reggio Calabria suits international students who want a low-cost southern city by the sea and can study in Italian, or civil engineering in English. It has about 169,000 residents (2025) and sits on the Strait of Messina, 25 minutes by ferry from Sicily. Its public university, Mediterranea University, is small, with about 5,100 students, and focuses on architecture, engineering, agriculture, law and economics. It suits students who want very low fees and a slower pace.
Which universities are in Reggio Calabria, and which are public?
Reggio Calabria has one public university, Mediterranea University, which began as a free institute of architecture in 1967, gained legal recognition in 1968 and became a state university in 1982. It had 5,079 students in 2024/25. The city also has the University for Foreigners Dante Alighieri, a non-state university with its own fees. Calabria's other public universities are the University of Calabria near Cosenza and Magna Graecia University in Catanzaro.
What can you study in English in Reggio Calabria?
In Reggio Calabria, the English-taught choice is a single option: the Civil Engineering curriculum of Mediterranea University's bachelor's in Civil and Environmental Engineering for Sustainable Development. Its international pages list no English-taught master's. Everything else is taught in Italian, and non-EU visa students on Italian-taught degrees take the ITA-L2 Italian test. For a wider choice, compare public universities in our English-taught programmes.
How much does it cost to live in Reggio Calabria as a student?
Reggio Calabria is a low-cost city for students. In September 2026, most single rooms listed on Immobiliare.it cost €150 to €350 a month, and average city rents were €6.47 per square metre in August 2026, though up 18.5% in a year. Enrolled Mediterranea students ride free on designated ATAM city bus lines. Non-EU visa students also pay very low fees, from €0 to €300 a year in 2026/27 depending on country group, plus regional tax and stamp duty.
- Single room: mostly €150 to €350 a month (Immobiliare.it listings, Sept 2026)
- Average rent: €6.47 per square metre a month, up 18.5% in a year (Immobiliare.it, Aug 2026)
- Housing contribution: €80 to €120 a month for eligible off-site students (Mediterranea, 2026/27)
- City buses: free on 7 designated ATAM lines for enrolled Mediterranea students
- Fees for non-EU visa students: €0 to €300 a year plus taxes (2026/27)
- Monthly total: about €450 to €650 (ApplyAZ estimate, 2026)
How do you find student housing in Reggio Calabria?
In Reggio Calabria, Mediterranea University has about 150 residence beds in two buildings, in Via Manfroce and Via Roma, assigned each year to eligible off-site students through its right-to-study calls. Off-site students who qualify but get neither a bed nor a grant can claim a housing contribution of €80 to €120 a month for up to ten months in 2026/27. Most students rent privately; the market is small, so compare listings and see the room before paying a deposit.
Which scholarship covers students in Reggio Calabria, and how much is it worth?
Mediterranea University runs its own right-to-study (DSU) scholarship in Reggio Calabria, with about 1,400 grants a year. For 2026/27 the base grant is €7,171.11 for off-site students, €4,190.71 for commuters and €2,890.16 for students living at home, within limits of €28,339.88 ISEE and €61,608.48 ISPE. Winners can use residences and subsidised meals. Tuition is set by family income (ISEE), and a DSU winner also gets a tuition waiver.
How do you get to Reggio Calabria and get around once you are there?
Reggio Calabria has its own airport, Tito Minniti, about 5 km south of the centre, with ITA Airways flights to Rome and Milan and Ryanair routes; regional trains reach the airport stop in 7 minutes from Reggio Calabria Centrale. Ferries cross the Strait to Messina in about 25 minutes. In the city, enrolled Mediterranea students ride free on seven designated ATAM bus lines under a university agreement, and the seafront is easy to walk.
What is student life like in Reggio Calabria?
Student life in Reggio Calabria is Mediterranean and outdoors. The Lungomare Falcomatà seafront, often called the most beautiful kilometre of Italy, is the place for evening walks, summer swims and nightlife, with Sicily across the Strait. The National Archaeological Museum of Magna Graecia houses the Riace Bronzes, rare ancient Greek statues. Winters are mild and summers long and hot, and Messina is a short ferry ride away for a change of scene.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Reggio Calabria?
Your first weeks in Reggio Calabria are about permits, enrolment and Italian. Non-EU students must request a permesso di soggiorno within 8 days of arrival, using the post office kit. Complete your Mediterranea enrolment on Esse3 and pay the first instalment, which gives you a student number, exam booking and a university email. Get your codice fiscale and health cover, apply for DSU housing if eligible, and check which ATAM lines you can use free.
- Request your permesso di soggiorno at a post office within 8 days (non-EU students).
- Enrol on Esse3 and pay the first instalment to get your student number.
- Get your codice fiscale and arrange health cover (private insurance or SSN).
- Apply for DSU housing or the housing contribution if you are eligible.
- Check the seven ATAM lines that enrolled students can ride free.
Can you work part-time while studying in Reggio Calabria?
Yes, you can work part-time while studying in Reggio Calabria: a non-EU study permit allows up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Mediterranea offers paid part-time collaborations of up to 200 hours a year in departments, libraries and service centres, with 31 positions in 2025/26. The local job market is small and almost entirely Italian-speaking, so Italian matters more here than in northern cities. Do not count on work to cover your costs.
How does Reggio Calabria compare with other Italian student cities?
Reggio Calabria is far cheaper than Italy's northern student hubs: most single rooms were listed at €150 to €350 in September 2026, while single rooms averaged €704 in Milan, €615 in Rome and €585 in Bologna in August 2026 (Immobiliare.it Insights). It is a mid-sized, slower-paced city with a small university. Students pick it for very low fees, Mediterranean life and architecture or engineering, and should be ready to study in Italian.
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Reggio Calabria?
ApplyAZ can include Mediterranea University's English-taught civil engineering bachelor's in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities, if it fits you. We take no commissions. We write your CV and SOPs, submit applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. Organised students can apply alone. Next step: see how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
