Is Udine a good place to study for international students?
Udine is a good place to study if you want a calm, affordable mid-sized city with a well-run public university. The historic capital of Friuli has about 98,300 residents (2025) and one public university, the University of Udine, with 15,742 students in 2025/26. It sits between the Alps and the Adriatic, just over 20 km from Slovenia. It suits focused students of economics, management, AI and engineering who value low costs over big-city life.
Which universities are in Udine, and which are public?
Udine has one public university, the University of Udine (Uniud), founded in 1978 and, in its own words, the only Italian university born from popular will. It has eight departments and about 80 degree programmes, and Censis 2026/27 ranked it joint 3rd among Italy's medium-sized public universities. Udine also has a public music conservatory. The region's other public university is in Trieste, which also hosts SISSA, a graduate school for PhD research.
- University of Udine: public, founded 1978, 15,742 students (2025/26)
- Jacopo Tomadini Conservatory: public music conservatory (AFAM)
- Nearby: University of Trieste and SISSA, both public, in Trieste
What can you study in English in Udine?
In Udine, the University of Udine teaches one bachelor's and five master's degrees entirely in English, plus two more in mixed Italian and English. The bachelor's is Management and Business Analytics. The master's are Economics; International Marketing, Management and Organization; Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity; Management Engineering; and Industrial Engineering for Sustainable Manufacturing. Compare them on our English-taught programmes page.
How much does it cost to live in Udine as a student?
Udine is one of northern Italy's cheapest university cities for rent: single rooms averaged €311 a month in August 2026, according to Immobiliare.it Insights, less than half the Milan average of €704. ARDiS residences and canteens lower costs further for scholarship winners. Fees are low too: in 2026/27, students with an ISEE up to €28,339.88 pay €136 a year in total. Food, bills, phone and transport come on top of rent.
- Single room: €311 a month on average (Immobiliare.it Insights, August 2026)
- Single room in March 2026: €310 a month on average, a stable market
- University fees: €136 a year in total for an ISEE up to €28,339.88 (2026/27)
- University fees without any reduction: €2,076 a year (2026/27)
- ARDiS grant: national minimum of €7,171.11 a year for off-site winners (2026/27)
How do you find student housing in Udine?
Finding housing in Udine is less stressful than in big cities, but start early. ARDiS runs residences such as Nova Domus Utinensis by the Rizzi campus, Casa Burghart and Camplus Manin in the centre, and adds places at Le Grazie and De Rubeis from 2026/27, all through its single call. Uniud also points students to its official housing Facebook group, estate agents and the Welcome Office FVG. Never pay a deposit before a viewing and a written contract.
Which scholarship covers students in Udine, and how much is it worth?
ARDiS, the Friuli Venezia Giulia right-to-study agency, runs the scholarship for University of Udine students. Its 2026/27 call was open to families with an ISEE up to €28,339.88 and an ISPE up to €61,608.48, and closed on 17 September 2026. The national minimum grant for off-site students in 2026/27 is €7,171.11, with half paid by 31 December 2026. Tuition is set by family income (ISEE), and scholarship winners also get a tuition waiver.
How do you get to Udine and get around once you are there?
Udine is easiest to reach by train: its station is the busiest in Friuli Venezia Giulia, with lines to Venice and Trieste and international trains towards Vienna and Munich. The nearest airport is Trieste Airport, about 44 km south, and Venice's airports are a longer trip. The centre is compact, so many students walk or cycle, and urban buses cover the outer campuses. Ask the university or the bus operator about current student fares before you buy a pass.
What is student life like in Udine?
Student life in Udine is calm, friendly and built around the old centre. Students meet in Piazza della Libertà, beneath the Venetian-Gothic Loggia del Lionello, and in the wine bars around it, with the castle hill above. Friuli DOC brings food and wine to the streets each September, and the Far East Film Festival, Europe's biggest festival of popular East Asian cinema, fills April. The Alps, the Adriatic, Slovenia and Austria are all within easy reach.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Udine?
Your first weeks in Udine are about permits, health cover and your ARDiS file. Non-EU students must request a permesso di soggiorno within 8 days of arrival with the post office kit, then get a codice fiscale. Health cover is mandatory for your whole stay: private insurance or voluntary SSN registration, which in Udine goes through the local health authority. Off-site ARDiS applicants also need a rental contract of at least 10 months.
- 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.
- Sign a rental contract of at least 10 months if you are an off-site ARDiS applicant.
- Request fee reductions through ARDiS by the deadline (5 October in 2026).
Can you work part-time while studying in Udine?
Yes, you can work part-time while studying in Udine: a non-EU study permit allows up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Like other Italian universities, the University of Udine can offer paid student collaborations of up to 150 hours a year. Udine's job market is small, and most shop, hospitality and office jobs expect you to speak Italian. Plan your budget without relying on work, and build your Italian early.
How does Udine compare with other Italian student cities?
Udine is among Italy's cheapest northern student cities: its average single room was €311 in August 2026, against €369 in Trieste, €585 in Bologna, €615 in Rome and €704 in Milan (Immobiliare.it Insights). It is much smaller and quieter than those cities, with a narrow English-taught menu of six degrees. Students pick Udine for low rent, fees from €136 a year for lower incomes, a well-run university and quick access to the Alps and the sea.
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Udine?
ApplyAZ helps you study in Udine by building the University of Udine 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 ARDiS 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.
