Is Salerno a good place to study for international students?
Salerno suits international students who want a southern Italian city by the sea with a large public university and a real campus. The city has about 126,000 residents (2025), a palm-lined seafront promenade and a Mediterranean climate. The University of Salerno's main campus is at Fisciano, about 12 km from Salerno station, so most students split their time between campus and city. It suits students who like campus life with the coast close by.
Which universities are in Salerno, and which are public?
The Salerno area has one public university, the University of Salerno (UNISA), a state university since 1968 with roots in a 1944 teacher-training college. Since 1988 it has been based on a 1.2 million square metre campus at Fisciano, with medicine at Baronissi. Censis ranks it joint 6th among Italy's large public universities for 2026/27. Tuition follows family income, and ApplyAZ works only with public universities like UNISA.
What can you study in English in Salerno?
At the University of Salerno you can study 8 degree programmes in English for 2026/27: one bachelor's, Science, Management and Politics in Global Health, and seven master's. The master's are Economics, Nanotechnology and Physics for Sustainability, Digital Marketing, Information Engineering for Digital Medicine, Electrical Engineering for Digital Energy, Food Engineering and Smart Industry Engineering. Browse our English-taught programmes.
How much does it cost to live in Salerno as a student?
Salerno's university publishes no official monthly cost estimate, and the national rent reports we checked do not cover Salerno, so build your budget from verified pieces. The ADISURC grant pays off-site students up to €7,171.11 a year for 2026/27, reduced by the housing and meals you use. ADISURC runs about 780 beds, most on the Fisciano campus, and prices canteen meals by income band. For private rooms, compare listings in Salerno and near campus.
- ADISURC grant for off-site students: up to €7,171.11 a year (2026/27)
- Campus housing: about 780 ADISURC beds, most at Fisciano, priority for winners
- Tuition: no university contribution up to an ISEE of €30,000 (2026/27, credit rules apply)
- Regional tax €130 to €173 a year, plus €16 stamp duty (2026/27)
- Reference point: single rooms in Naples averaged €447 a month (August 2026)
How do you find student housing in Salerno?
Most University of Salerno students either live on or near the Fisciano campus or rent in Salerno and commute. ADISURC runs about 780 beds, most of them on campus, in studios, two-room units and mini-flats with kitchenettes and air conditioning, and scholarship winners get priority. Others rent privately in Salerno, Fisciano or nearby towns. If you rent in Salerno, check the bus links to campus before you sign, and start looking as soon as you are admitted.
Which scholarship covers students in Salerno, and how much is it worth?
ADISURC, Campania's right-to-study agency, runs the scholarship for University of Salerno students. For 2026/27 it pays €7,171.11 a year to off-site students, €4,190.71 to commuters and €2,890.16 to students living at home, for a family ISEE up to €25,500 and ISPE up to €54,000. The amount is reduced by the housing and meals you use. Tuition is set by family income, and a DSU winner also gets a tuition waiver. The 2026/27 deadline was 10 September 2026.
How do you get to Salerno and get around once you are there?
The University of Salerno's Fisciano campus is about 12 km from Salerno station, served by Busitalia Campania lines 7, 17 and 27 from Salerno, with tickets on the UnicoCampania system. Salerno station has high-speed Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains to Naples and Rome. From Naples Capodichino airport, SITA buses run to Fisciano three times a day, and Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport is in nearby Pontecagnano Faiano. The city centre and seafront are walkable.
What is student life like in Salerno?
Student life in Salerno is campus life by day and city life by evening. The Fisciano campus has ADISURC residences, a gym and a canteen seating about 1,300, while Salerno offers the Lungomare Trieste seafront promenade, a medieval centre and easy trips along the Amalfi Coast. Summers are hot and fairly dry, with July and August highs around 31°C, and winters are mild and rainy, with January highs around 13°C. Plan your bus routine early.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Salerno?
Your first weeks in Salerno are mostly paperwork, and a few steps affect your fees. Non-EU students must request a permesso di soggiorno within 8 working days of arrival, using the post office kit. You also need a codice fiscale and health cover. If your family lives abroad, file the university's equivalent ISEE by the deadline, 31 March 2027 for 2026/27, so your fees follow income. Then confirm ADISURC housing and sort your bus tickets.
- Request your permesso di soggiorno within 8 working days, using the post office kit
- Get your codice fiscale (Italian tax code) if you do not already have one
- Arrange health cover: SSN registration or private health insurance
- File the university's equivalent ISEE if your family lives abroad (by 31 March 2027)
- Confirm your ADISURC place and learn the Busitalia bus lines 7, 17 and 27
Can you work part-time while studying in Salerno?
Yes, non-EU students in Salerno can work part-time on a study permit, up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Tourism along the Amalfi Coast and hospitality in Salerno create seasonal jobs, but most expect good Italian, and the campus sits outside the city. Public universities also offer paid part-time student collaborations, often called 150-hour jobs, through internal calls. Do not count on a job to cover rent.
How does Salerno compare with other Italian student cities?
Salerno is a campus-based alternative to Italy's big cities. Its university ranks joint 6th among Italy's large public universities in Censis 2026/27, and its no-tax area reaches an ISEE of €30,000. Naples is larger, with single rooms averaging €447 in August 2026, against €615 in Rome and €704 in Milan (Immobiliare.it Insights). Students pick Salerno for a real campus with residences, the sea and a slower pace than Naples or Rome.
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Salerno?
ApplyAZ can add the University of Salerno to a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at public universities, if it fits your goals. We are independent and take no university commissions. We write your CV and tailored SOPs, submit applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your ADISURC scholarship and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. UNISA decides admission. Organised students can use our roadmap alone. Next step: see how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
