Study in Italy 2027/28: Costs, Eligibility, Universities and Visa

Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead. Reviewed by Reeya Sharma, Student Success and Partnerships. Published 12 September 2026. Updated 9 October 2026.

In short

• You can study in Italy in English at a public university. Our catalogue lists 800+ English-taught programmes at 58 Italian public universities: 694 two-year master's, 107 bachelor's and 24 single-cycle degrees.
• Tuition follows family income, or a fixed fee for families abroad, so study can be tuition-free for eligible students. The full regional DSU grant for students living away from home is at least €7,171.11 a year (2026/27), less near each region's income limit.
• Entry needs 12 years of schooling (Class XII) for a bachelor's, a first degree at EQF level 6 for a master's, and English at B2.
• The type D study visa needs €10,179.85 a year (MUR circular for 2026/27 and 2027/28), about ₹11.12 lakh at the ECB rate of 25 September 2026 (1 EUR = 109.2605 INR). For 2027/28 degree courses, the visa application is due by 31 October 2027.
• ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, helps eligible students by handling the applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU scholarship application and the visa file.

Check your eligibility first. If you are eligible, you book a one-to-one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.

Key facts for the 2027/28 intake

Grants are 2026/27 figures; 2027/28 tables are pending, usually out the summer before.

Step 1: Which programme should you study in Italy?

Start with the degree level your past studies allow, then the subject, then the university. Our catalogue lists 800+ English-taught programmes at 58 public universities, and 694 of them are two-year master's, so graduates have the widest choice. These counts come from our programme data, checked on 9 October 2026.

• Bachelor's (laurea): 3 years, 180 credits (CFU). See our guide to a bachelor's degree in Italy, plus BBA and BTech.
• Master's (laurea magistrale): 2 years, 120 CFU. See our masters in Italy guide, the MS in Italy hub, the MBA in Italy hub and the Master in Management guide.
• Single-cycle degrees: 5 or 6 years (300 or 360 CFU), such as medicine in Italy, which uses the IMAT or a national admission test in English.

Lengths: the Foreign Ministry's Study in Italy portal. A one-year master universitario is not a laurea magistrale; see one-year masters in Italy.

English-taught programmes by subject in our catalogue

Counts: our programme data, 9 October 2026. See English-taught programmes in Italy by level and city, or the full programme catalogue.

Which Italian public universities rank highest?

Politecnico di Milano ranks highest among Italian public universities, at joint 87th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026. Thirteen public universities sit in the global top 500. The table lists the first ten with our programme count for each, since programme fit matters more than rank.

Source: QS World University Rankings 2027, published 18 June 2026 ("=" means tied). Turin shows 397 in the ranking table and 405 on its QS profile. Two private universities also make the top 500.

Federico II (401), Florence (=409) and Trento (=438) complete the thirteen. See our best universities in Italy for subject rankings, and our public universities in Italy for every state university.

Step 2: Are you eligible to study in Italy?

Most likely, if your qualification opens the same level at home and your English reaches B2. The ministry circular for 2026/27 and 2027/28 asks for 12 years of schooling for a bachelor's and an EQF level 6 degree for a master's. Each university then decides admission, programme by programme.

Source: MUR circular for 2026/27 and 2027/28, section 4. The university assesses every title; we match your transcript to each programme's credit rules first. In our catalogue, 470 of 694 master's list no entrance test, and a few mention the GRE or GMAT, usually as optional; most bachelor's use a test such as TOLC, SAT, CEnT-S or TOL.

Proof that your degree is comparable and genuine comes from a CIMEA statement (60 working days as standard) or a Declaration of Value (DOV); the circular treats them as alternatives.

Your family obtains the State Higher Education Department attestation and the MEA apostille. We tell you exactly which documents to get, in which order, and check every page before the visa appointment. See our DOV guide and DOV or CIMEA.

What proof of English do Italian universities accept?

English at B2 or above, and IELTS is only one way to show it. Each university sets its own English level, usually B2, and the ministry circular has the consulate check B2 in the course language at the visa stage. Many universities also accept an English-taught degree or a medium-of-instruction letter.

The visa can ask for more: the Kolkata consulate's 2026/27 and 2027/28 checklist asks for a B2 certificate from bodies such as Cambridge, ETS, Pearson or Trinity, so we plan both rules together.

Italian is not needed for almost all of them; a few ask for some Italian, such as Italian B2 by year three in medicine at Turin and Catania. Our page on studying in Italy without IELTS lists what each university accepts.

Step 3: What does it cost to study in Italy?

A lean year at a public university costs about what the MUR circular asks visa applicants to show: €10,179.85, or ₹11.12 lakh at the ECB rate of 25 September 2026. Tuition for families with income abroad follows each university's own fee rules, shown below, and study can be tuition-free for eligible students. Living costs depend mostly on the city.

How do Italian public universities set tuition?

By family income, or by a fixed fee when the family's income is abroad. National rules exempt students with a family income indicator (ISEE) up to €22,000 from the university contribution, under MUR decree 1014 of 2021. How that reaches families in India depends on each university's 2026/27 fee rules, shown below.

Sources: each university's 2026/27 fee rules.

The pattern matters more than any one figure. At Bologna, the no-tax area covers an ISEE up to €27,000, so a student with full family documents pays no university contribution. At Politecnico di Milano and Padua, income abroad sets a band or a regional fee, but no exemption.

So study can be tuition-free for eligible students, mainly through the no-tax area where it applies and the DSU grant. We work out your fee band at each shortlisted university first.

Public or private university?

We recommend public universities: fees there follow family income.

What does living in Italy cost by city?

Living costs depend more on the city than the university. Politecnico di Milano's own figures add up to €680 to €1,160 a month in Milan, while Sapienza's 2024 guide says Rome needs at least €800 to €900. Both are the universities' own published figures, not averages.

Our guide to the cost of studying in Italy builds a full yearly budget, city by city.

How does the DSU scholarship work for students from countries like India?

It is a regional grant set by family income, open to students from countries like India. For 2026/27 the national minimum for students living away from home is €7,171.11 a year, under MUR decree 175. Income limits run from €23,000 (about ₹25.13 lakh) in Palermo to €28,339.88 in Lazio, Umbria and Cagliari.

Sources: each body's 2026/27 call, MUR decree 176 of 2026 (ceiling) and decree 175 of 2026 (minimum grant).

India is not on the calls' lists of particularly poor countries, so families send full income documents or an ISEE parificato. The University of Milan is the exception: India is not on its Annex 1, so applicants go straight into the first income band.

The 2026/27 windows close between 22 July (Lazio, Palermo) and 30 September 2026 (Padua and the University of Milan, still open on 28 September); 2027/28 calls are expected in summer 2027. See our DSU scholarship guide and DSU deadlines.

The grant is common: Ustat counted 268,307 regional scholarship holders at state universities in 2024/25. Merit awards such as the MAECI scholarship and Invest Your Talent in Italy add to it; see our guide to scholarships in Italy.

Not sure which fee band or DSU region fits your family? Check your eligibility first. If you are eligible, one of our Italy experts plans it with you in a one-to-one consultation, and from there we take care of everything.

Step 4: How does applying to an Italian university work?

Applying has three parts: an application to each university, a pre-enrolment on Universitaly, the ministry's only official portal, and the university's validation of that pre-enrolment before any visa appointment. Under the MUR circular, each university validates only its reserved places plus 20%, so early files matter. For eligible students, ApplyAZ handles every step.

How we handle it:

1. We check your eligibility and shortlist 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at public universities, each with a DSU route. You approve every one.
2. We prepare your CV in a European format and a statement of purpose for each programme, and submit the applications.
3. We tell your family exactly which documents to get, in which order, and check every page.
4. After admission, we complete your Universitaly pre-enrolment and follow it until the university validates it.
5. We prepare the DSU application, tell your family exactly which income documents your region asks for, in which order, and check every page.
6. We prepare the visa file, book the appointment and prepare you for the interview.
7. We guide you on housing, the residence permit and arrival.

A named person handles each stage, and you pay step by step as results arrive. Our fee varies by country and is never shown as one figure: see How ApplyAZ Gets Paid, our Code of Practice and How it works page.

Applying alone is possible and costs no adviser fee if your case is simple; see how to choose a study in Italy consultant and the best consultancy for study in Italy.

When do courses start in Italy?

Once a year for most English-taught degrees, in September or October. The University of Padua, for example, starts courses at the end of September or early October and offers no direct entry in the second semester. For 2027/28, the first university calls are already open, so the clock starts now.

Sources: University of Padua, Universitaly and the MUR circular. Second-semester entry is usually closed to applicants abroad (Politecnico di Torino limits it to applicants living in Italy), and no programme in our catalogue lists a February start. Our page on intakes in Italy compares the windows.

Step 5: How does the Italian student visa work?

The type D national study visa application goes to the Italian office for your state once the university validates your Universitaly pre-enrolment. For 2027/28 degree courses it must reach the consulate by 31 October 2027, and processing takes up to 90 days, says the Kolkata consulate checklist. We prepare the file and book the appointment; the consulate alone decides.

Your office depends on your state; our Italy student visa guide covers each one:

• Embassy in New Delhi: Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh.
• Consulate General in Mumbai: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Study visas go through VFS Mumbai or Cochin, with a mandatory video interview.
• Consulate General in Bengaluru: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.
• Consulate General in Kolkata: West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and the other north-eastern states, plus the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

What must the visa file show?

At least €10,179.85 for each year, about ₹11.12 lakh, set by the ministry circular for 2026/27 and 2027/28. A DSU application does not count towards it; only an awarded grant with a written attestation does. The same circular asks for suitable accommodation and health cover.

• Funds: a 6-month bank statement signed by the branch manager, plus income tax returns: 3 years in the Kolkata checklist, 2 years in Bengaluru's.
• Accommodation: Kolkata asks for at least 30 days booked. An application for a university residence place is not valid proof.
• Health cover: Kolkata asks for at least €30,000 for the first 6 months, with repatriation; Bengaluru asks for at least a year, or the whole course if shorter.
• Documents: degree documents attested by the State Higher Education Department and apostilled. An SDM attestation is not accepted.

Some pages still show €6,947.33, the 2025/26 figure, which the 2026/27 circular replaced. We plan the funds with your family before the appointment.

What are your work rights while studying in Italy?

You can work up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year on a study permit, under DPR 394/1999 as explained on the Ministry of Labour's integration portal. Work must fit around study, and many jobs ask for some Italian. Plan your budget without counting on quick earnings.

Two rules come with the permit. You request it within 8 working days of arrival, and you renew it only if you pass at least one exam in the first year and two in each later year (MUR circular). Our guide to working part-time in Italy covers where jobs are.

What happens after you graduate in Italy?

You can stay to look for work. An Italian degree lets you ask for a job-search permit of 9 to 12 months when your study permit expires, for work in line with your studies. AlmaLaurea's 2026 report found 80.8% of second-cycle graduates in work one year after graduating.

The same report (about 700,000 graduates, 81 universities) found 94.4% in work after five years, with average net pay of €1,495 a month after one year and €1,903 after five, across all graduates in Italy.

How does Italy compare with Germany, France and Spain?

Italy is the only one of the four where public tuition follows family income, paired with regional DSU grants. Germany charges little or nothing at most state universities, France sets its own fees for non-EU students (Campus France, 2026/27), and Spain's fees are set region by region.

Sources: DAAD and Make it in Germany; Campus France and service-public.fr; UC3M, Real Decreto 1155/2024 (art. 57.2) and AECID.

Reality check

The university decides admission, the region decides the DSU scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. ApplyAZ handles the work in between: the shortlist, the applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU application and the visa file.

The usual pitfalls, and what each costs:

• Missing a DSU window. The 2026/27 windows close between 22 July and 30 September 2026, and most have already closed. A missed window costs a year's grant: the full grant is at least €7,171.11 (₹7.84 lakh) away from home.
• Ignoring the fee rule for foreign income. A non-EU master's student at Politecnico di Milano without its scholarship pays the full fee, with no income-based exemption.
• Counting a DSU application as visa funds. Only an awarded grant counts, so the file falls short of €10,179.85 and the consulate can refuse it.
• Applying late. Validations stop at reserved places plus 20%, so a late, complete file can still miss out.
• Missing enrolment by 31 January. The consulate revokes the visa.
• Failing first-year exams. No exam passed means no permit renewal, and DSU credits decide whether you keep or repay the grant.

Ready to see where you stand? Check your eligibility first. If you are eligible, you book a one-to-one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.

Frequently asked questions

Can students from countries like India study in Italy for “free”?

Not by default, but study at a public university can be tuition-free for eligible students. It depends on family income, the university's fee rules and usually a regional DSU grant: the full grant for students living away from home is at least €7,171.11 a year in 2026/27. Every student still needs €10,179.85 a year for the visa.

How much does it cost to study in Italy for a year?

Plan for at least the €10,179.85 a year the visa asks for, about ₹11.12 lakh. Tuition for families with income abroad follows each university's fee rules, and study can be tuition-free for eligible students. Living costs depend on the city: Milan €680 to €1,160 a month (Politecnico di Milano), Rome at least €800 to €900 (Sapienza).

What are the requirements to study in Italy?

For a bachelor's you need 12 years of schooling, such as Class XII. For a master's you need a bachelor's at EQF level 6 that the university accepts, with the credits the programme asks for. You also need English at B2, a validated Universitaly pre-enrolment and a type D study visa.

Can I study in Italy in English?

Yes: our catalogue lists 800+ English-taught programmes at 58 public universities, including 694 master's, 107 bachelor's and 24 single-cycle degrees, mostly in medicine. You need English at B2. Only a few ask for some Italian, but Italian helps with housing, offices and part-time jobs.

When is the intake in Italy?

Most programmes start once a year, in September or October. Second-semester entry exists at a few universities but is usually limited to students already living in Italy, as at Politecnico di Torino. For the 2027/28 intake, some calls are already open, such as the University of Padua's first call until 15 November 2026.

How do I apply to Italian universities?

Applying means an application to each university, then a pre-enrolment on Universitaly, which the university validates before your visa appointment. For eligible students, ApplyAZ handles all of it: the applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU application and the visa file. You approve every programme, and a named person handles each stage of your file.

Can I work while studying in Italy?

Yes: a study permit lets you work up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Work must fit around your studies, and the permit is renewed only if you pass at least one exam in the first year and two in each later year. Many part-time jobs ask for some Italian.

Is Italy good for international students?

For many students, yes: public universities teach full degrees in English, set tuition by family income and give access to regional grants. Ustat counted 96,341 international students at Italian state universities in 2024/25. Italy suits students who plan ahead; it is harder for anyone who needs full-time earnings while studying.

How much money do I need for an Italian student visa?

You must show at least €10,179.85 for each year, about ₹11.12 lakh at the ECB rate of 25 September 2026, under the ministry circular for 2026/27 and 2027/28. A DSU application does not count, but a grant already awarded, with a written attestation, does. Pages showing €6,947.33 are out of date.

Do I need IELTS to study in Italy?

Not always: universities must see English at B2, and many accept TOEFL, Cambridge or their own test. Many universities also accept an English-taught degree or a medium-of-instruction letter. The Kolkata consulate still asks for a B2 certificate for the visa, so we plan both.

Sources

• MUR circular on international students, 2026/27 and 2027/28, verified 28 September 2026.
• Universitaly, international students, 2026/27 and 2027/28, verified 28 September 2026.
• Consulate Kolkata, study visa checklist 2026/27 and 2027/28, verified 28 September 2026.
• Embassy New Delhi, visas and jurisdictions, verified 28 September 2026.
• Consulate Mumbai, study in Italy, verified 28 September 2026.
• Consulate Bengaluru, visas, verified 28 September 2026.
• Consulate Bengaluru, study visa checklist 2026/27 and 2027/28, verified 28 September 2026.
• Consulate Kolkata, visas, verified 28 September 2026.
• Study in Italy portal (MAECI), degree system, verified 28 September 2026.
• MUR decree 175/2026, DSU minimum grants 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• MUR decree 176/2026, ISEE ceilings 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• MUR, decree 1014/2021 on fee exemptions, verified 28 September 2026.
• EDISU Piemonte call 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Milan DSU call 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• ER.GO thresholds 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• DSU Toscana call 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Padua DSU call 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• DiSCo Lazio call 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• ADISURC call 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Ustat, state universities, 2024/25, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Milan fee rules 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Bologna fees 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Bologna flat fee 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Padua fees 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Milano fee rules 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Milano, cost of living, verified 28 September 2026.
• Sapienza student guide, 2024, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Bologna, living costs, verified 28 September 2026.
• Integration portal, work on a study permit, 2023, verified 28 September 2026.
• Integration portal, job-search permit, 2023, verified 28 September 2026.
• QS World University Rankings 2027, verified 28 September 2026.
• AlmaLaurea Rapporto 2026, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Padua admissions, 2027/28, verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Torino deadlines, 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• CIMEA comparability service, verified 28 September 2026.
• DAAD, costs in Germany, verified 28 September 2026.
• Make it in Germany, work, 2026, verified 28 September 2026.
• DAAD international programmes database, verified 28 September 2026.
• Campus France fees, 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Campus France, study in English, 2025, verified 28 September 2026.
• Campus France, Eiffel programme, 2026, verified 28 September 2026.
• Service-public.fr, student work, 2025, verified 28 September 2026.
• UC3M non-EU prices 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• UC3M, study in English, verified 28 September 2026.
• BOE, Real Decreto 1155/2024, art. 57.2, verified 28 September 2026.
• AECID master's grants 2025/26, verified 28 September 2026.
• ECB euro reference rate, 25 September 2026, verified 28 September 2026.
• ApplyAZ programme data (English-taught programmes, 800+ at 58 public universities), counted 9 October 2026.

Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 109.2605 INR, ECB euro reference rate of 25 September 2026.

Every Italy file starts in the same place: Check your eligibility. If you are eligible, you book a one-to-one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.

Further reading

• Masters in Italy: English-taught programmes, fees and deadlines
• Cost of studying in Italy: tuition, living costs and a yearly budget
• Intakes in Italy: when each university takes students
• DSU scholarship in Italy, region by region
• Italy student visa: the file, the funds and the consulates
• English-taught programmes in Italy by level and subject