Is Vercelli a good place to study for international students?
Vercelli suits international students who want a small, calm city midway between Milan and Turin, with a public university based in its historic centre. It has about 46,000 residents and is surrounded by rice paddies that flood in summer, home to rice varieties such as Arborio. The University of Eastern Piedmont has its rector's office here. It suits focused students who want small classes and short walks, less so those who want big-city nightlife.
Which universities are in Vercelli, and which are public?
Vercelli is home to the rector's office of the University of Eastern Piedmont (UPO), a public university founded in 1998 and named after the scientist Amedeo Avogadro. UPO also has campuses in Novara and Alessandria, with about 15,500 students across the three. In Vercelli it teaches humanities, languages, sciences, IT, nursing and sustainable development. Tuition follows family income, and ApplyAZ works only with public universities like UPO.
What can you study in English in Vercelli?
In Vercelli, the University of Eastern Piedmont teaches three degrees in English: the bachelor's in Management for Sustainability and the master's in Disaster and Health Crisis Management and in Food, Health and Environment. Its other Vercelli degrees, from philosophy and literature to green chemistry and applied physics, are taught in Italian. UPO's English-taught Medical Biotechnologies is in Novara. Compare options in our English-taught programmes.
How much does it cost to live in Vercelli as a student?
Neither UPO nor the national rent reports we checked publish a cost-of-living or rent figure for Vercelli, so treat any single number with care. The nearest reference is Novara, UPO's other campus city, where single rooms averaged €397 a month in August 2026, against €479 in Turin and €704 in Milan (Immobiliare.it Insights). Local buses can be free for UPO students under 26, and partner restaurants accept the UPO student card for meals.
- Single room reference: €397 a month in Novara (Immobiliare.it Insights, August 2026)
- EDISU residences: Dal Pozzo (51 beds) and Quintino Sella, both central
- Urban bus: free for UPO students under 26 with an ISEE up to €85,000
- First fee instalment: €156, the regional tax plus stamp duty (2026/27)
- EDISU grant: national off-site minimum of €7,171.11 a year (2026/27)
How do you find student housing in Vercelli?
In Vercelli, EDISU Piemonte runs two halls in the city centre: Dal Pozzo, with 51 beds in part of the historic building that houses UPO's rector's office, and Quintino Sella, near the campus. Places go to scholarship students first. For private rooms, UPO points to the Vercelli Student House and to a housing desk with discounted rates run by Ascom Vercelli, and the city has an agreement to offer students reasonably priced rentals. Start looking once you are admitted.
Which scholarship covers students in Vercelli, and how much is it worth?
EDISU Piemonte, the Piedmont right-to-study agency, runs the scholarship for UPO students in Vercelli. The amount depends on family income, where you live and your travel time to campus, and Italy's national minimum grant for off-site students in 2026/27 is €7,171.11. For 2026/27, applications ran from 22 July to noon on 4 September 2026. Tuition is set by family income, and a DSU winner also gets a tuition waiver. Non-EU students need legalised income documents.
How do you get to Vercelli and get around once you are there?
Vercelli sits on the Turin to Milan railway, 77 km by rail from Torino Porta Nuova, with regional express trains to Turin, Novara and Milan and some Frecciabianca services. The nearest international airports are Milan Malpensa and Turin Caselle. In town, UPO students under 26 with an ISEE up to €85,000 can get a free urban bus pass through Piedmont's Piemove scheme, applied for on the BIP Piemonte portal. The flat, compact centre is easy to walk.
What is student life like in Vercelli?
Student life in Vercelli is small-scale and central: UPO's buildings, including the former Jesuit college that houses the rector's office, sit in the historic centre, and students meet in its squares, such as Piazza Cavour. The city has a packed cultural calendar and lively weekend nightlife, the Romanesque Basilica of Sant'Andrea from 1219 and the Viotti international music competition. There is no university canteen, but partner restaurants accept the student card.
What should you sort out in your first weeks in Vercelli?
Your first weeks in Vercelli are mostly paperwork, and the small city makes it quick. 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. Confirm your EDISU Piemonte scholarship or residence place, and apply for the free Piemove bus pass on the BIP Piemonte portal, which has a procedure for international students without SPID.
- 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
- Confirm your EDISU Piemonte scholarship and residence place
- Apply for the free Piemove urban bus pass on the BIP Piemonte portal
Can you work part-time while studying in Vercelli?
Yes, non-EU students in Vercelli can work part-time on a study permit, up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Vercelli is a small city, so jobs are limited and mostly in retail, hospitality and local services, where Italian is usually expected. Public universities also offer paid part-time student collaborations, often called 150-hour jobs, through internal calls. Some students look for work in Novara, Turin or Milan, but budget without counting on a job.
How does Vercelli compare with other Italian student cities?
Vercelli is a small, quiet alternative to Turin and Milan, which sit either side of it on the same railway. Single rooms averaged €479 in Turin and €704 in Milan in August 2026, and €397 in nearby Novara (Immobiliare.it Insights). Vercelli trades big-city choice for calm, small classes and short walks, and UPO's English-taught offer here is focused on sustainability, disaster management and food and health. For more choice, look at Turin.
How can ApplyAZ help you study in Vercelli?
ApplyAZ can build the University of Eastern Piedmont into a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at public universities, if it fits your profile. We are independent and take no university commissions. We write your CV and tailored SOPs, submit applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your EDISU scholarship and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. UPO decides admission. Next step: see how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
