Cheapest Public Universities in Italy 2026/27

The cheapest public universities in Italy for 2026/27 are the ones where your family reaches the lowest fee band most easily and the city costs least to live in. Tuition follows family income (ISEE), so study can be tuition-free for eligible students, and a few universities charge a family from India a low flat fee with no income documents at all. What you pay depends on family income and on each university's rule for income earned abroad.

This list of cheap universities in Italy covers all 61 public universities on MUR's list of state universities. For each, it gives the tuition route for a family from India, a link to its fee rules, the DSU body and the city's living cost. Routes come from each university's own rules, and living costs from our city guides.

In short

• Cheapest: it depends on family income and the rule for income abroad. Tuition follows family income (ISEE), and the lowest no-tax-area totals in our data are at Udine, and at Trieste and Genoa on 2025/26 rules. Without Italian income documents, a family from India has the lowest flat fees at Marche Polytechnic and Macerata, then Naples Federico II.
• How fees work: each university sets its yearly contribution by family income (ISEE). In the no-tax area only the regional tax and stamp duty are due, and above it the fee rises to a top band. Families abroad use an ISEE parificato or pay a flat or country fee, as each university decides.
• DSU scholarship: study can be tuition-free for eligible students who win a DSU scholarship, decided on family income. The national minimum grant for 2026/27 is €7,171.11 (₹7.9 lakh) a year for a student living away from home.
• A full year: our city guides put monthly living costs at about €450 to €650 (₹49,000 to ₹71,000) in Reggio Calabria and €1,000 to €1,200 (₹1.1 lakh to ₹1.3 lakh) in Rome. The city often matters more than the fee.
• ApplyAZ: ApplyAZ, with offices in Milan and India, works only with Italian public universities and takes care of the whole process for eligible students from countries like India: university checks, applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU scholarship and the visa file.

Which is the cheapest public university in Italy?

It depends on family income and on each university's rule for income abroad. In 2026/27 the lowest no-tax-area total in our data is at Udine, for a family with an ISEE or an ISEE parificato. For a family from India without Italian income documents, Marche Polytechnic and Macerata have the lowest flat fees, then Naples Federico II.

Counting a year of living costs, Mediterranea University in Reggio Calabria comes out lowest for a family from India: a low country fee, and the lowest monthly budget in our city guides, €450 to €650 (₹49,000 to ₹71,000) a month. The course and its entry test have to fit too, so we compare them together.

How tuition works at each public university in Italy in 2026/27

Tuition follows family income (ISEE). Families with income abroad can file an ISEE or request the flat fee for their country, and DSU scholarship winners are exempt from tuition at most universities. The table below gives all 61 with the fee route for a family from India, the DSU body and the city's living cost.

Names link to our university pages, fee rules to each university's own documents and cities to our city guides.

How to read it: the lowest band is the no-tax area. A family from India reaches it through an ISEE parificato at most universities that accept one, and with no documents at Marche Polytechnic, Macerata and, in year one, Sassari.

Sources: the MUR list, each university's fee rules (linked in the fee rules column, verified for our university pages on 28 and 29 September 2026) and our city guides, which name their own sources. Rupees use the FBIL rate of 21 September 2026, €1 = ₹109.90.

How do ISEE bands set the fee at an Italian public university?

Each public university sets its own yearly contribution from the family's ISEE, an Italian indicator of income and assets. Below a threshold, the no-tax area, the contribution is zero and only the regional tax and stamp duty are due. Above it the fee rises band by band to a top band, which also applies to students who file no ISEE.

Sources: each university's 2026/27 fee rules, linked in the master table. Tuition follows family income (ISEE), and DSU scholarship winners are exempt from tuition at most universities. Where a university accepts one, an ISEE parificato is worked out from the family's translated and legalised income and asset documents, and the family then pays by band.

Other universities skip the ISEE and charge a flat fee set by the student's country. Filing nothing costs most: at Bologna, anyone who files no ISEE, no foreign income documents and no flat-fee request pays the course maximum. We prepare the documents with the family, so the cheaper route is ready in time.

Which public universities charge a flat fee for families abroad?

At 33 of the 61 universities, a family from India can pay a flat, country or capped fee instead of filing an ISEE. At 18 it is the only route: Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Insubria, Milan, Milano-Bicocca, Ca' Foscari, Florence, Siena, Camerino, Macerata, Sapienza, Teramo, Naples Federico II, Vanvitelli, Magna Graecia, Mediterranea, Catania and Messina.

At the other 15, an ISEE parificato is a second route: Marche Polytechnic, Sassari, Palermo, Pavia, Perugia, Sannio, Iuav, Pisa, Chieti-Pescara, Foggia, Brescia (a cap), Tor Vergata, Bologna, Tuscia and Padua. In our data the lowest flat fees for India are at Marche Polytechnic, Macerata and, in the first year, Sassari, and the highest at Padua and on some Tor Vergata degrees.

Sources: each university's fee rules and country lists, linked in the master table. Bari is left out, because its India figure sits in an annex we could not read, and so is Trento, which charges non-EU students living abroad by admission score.

Where both routes exist, the family's ISEE decides which is cheaper. At Pisa a family ISEE parificato up to €26,000 (₹28.6 lakh) falls in the no-tax area, below the flat fee for India, and at Chieti-Pescara the parificato stays cheaper for a family ISEE below about €33,300 (₹36.6 lakh), by our sums.

When can study in Italy be tuition-free for eligible students?

Study can be tuition-free for eligible students who win a DSU scholarship, the regional right-to-study grant. It is decided on family income and assets, and after the first year on credits. The 2026/27 national limits are a family ISEE of €28,339.88 (₹31.1 lakh) and a minimum grant of €7,171.11 (₹7.9 lakh) a year away from home.

That is why a university with a high top band can still be cheap for the right family. Winners at most universities in our data pay no yearly contribution, but at Politecnico di Torino and Tor Vergata a family abroad on the flat fee still pays it with a scholarship.

The scholarship is never automatic: Padua ranks non-EU first-years separately, from at most 7% of the funds. Opera Universitaria di Trento does not accept non-EU students who were not resident in Italy when admitted. Sources: MUR Directorial Decree 176 and 175 of 10 February 2026; our DSU scholarship guide, scholarships for Indian students page and MAECI scholarship guide cover the other awards.

Which DSU body runs the scholarship at each university?

Italy's DSU scholarship is run region by region, and in Lombardy and a few other places by the universities themselves. The 61 public universities use 35 bodies. Family ISEE limits for 2026/27 run from €22,500 (₹24.7 lakh) at ERSU Messina to €28,339.88 (₹31.1 lakh), the national cap, at ADiSU Umbria, DiSCo Lazio, Mediterranea University and ERSU Cagliari.

Sources: each body's 2026/27 call, as verified for our DSU and university pages. Where the student must submit or confirm from their own account, we prepare the application and the family's documents with the student, who submits it.

Which are the cheapest public universities in each region?

Inside the no-tax area, fees are close in every region, so the city's living cost decides most of the difference. For a family from India without income documents, the lowest flat fees in our data are at Marche Polytechnic, Macerata and, in year one, Sassari, then Naples Federico II.

Source: the master table above and our city guides. Sapienza's country band is on 2025/26 rules. Modena's figure is its guide's yearly Unimore estimate, and the guide says costs are higher at 2026 rents.

What does it cost to live in an Italian university city?

Living costs differ more between cities than fees differ between universities. Our city guides put a monthly budget at about €450 to €650 (₹49,000 to ₹71,000) in Reggio Calabria and €1,000 to €1,200 (₹1.1 lakh to ₹1.3 lakh) in Rome. For the study visa, the consulate asks for proof of funds of at least €10,179.85 (₹11.2 lakh) a year.

After Reggio Calabria, the guides start at €500 (₹55,000) a month in Urbino, Viterbo, Camerino, Rende, Sassari, Catanzaro and Messina, and at €550 (₹60,000) a month in Cagliari, Chieti, Foggia, L'Aquila, Catania and Palermo. The visa figure is a floor, not a budget. Bologna's guide gives €950 to €1,200 (₹1.0 lakh to ₹1.3 lakh) and Milan's €780 to €1,150 (₹86,000 to ₹1.3 lakh) or more.

Which public universities have the lowest yearly living costs?

The lowest yearly living costs in our city guides are in Reggio Calabria, home of Mediterranea University, at €450 to €650 (₹49,000 to ₹71,000) a month, or €5,400 to €7,800 (₹5.9 lakh to ₹8.6 lakh) for 12 months. Next, from €6,000 (₹6.6 lakh) a year, come Urbino, Viterbo, Rende, Camerino, Sassari, Catanzaro and Messina. Tuition comes on top and follows family income, so study can be tuition-free for eligible students.

Sources: our city guides, which name their own sources; programme counts from our own listings of 9 October 2026. A low living cost can mean a narrow choice: Mediterranea lists 1 English-taught programme and Urbino 2, against 19 at Messina, and our list of all 61 public universities shows the count at each one.

Are the cheapest public universities in Italy lower ranked?

Not always. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, Milan (=270), Naples Federico II (401) and Messina (761 to 770) all set a flat or country fee for a family from India, and Federico II's is among the lowest in our data. Pisa (341) and Bologna (=123) reach their no-tax areas with an ISEE parificato.

Politecnico di Milano (=87) still charges a contribution in Fascia 1 with the example ISEE parificato. Rankings measure whole universities, so the course and the fee rule usually matter more. Sources: QS 2027; our best universities in Italy and medical universities in Italy pages.

Which fee rules are still from 2025/26?

Thirteen of the 61 universities had only their 2025/26 fee rules out, or readable, when we checked. Five more had no readable rules at all. For each of them, we work out the 2026/27 fee route for the students we shortlist.

• On 2025/26 rules: Trento, Verona, Trieste, Genoa, Florence, the University for Foreigners of Siena, Camerino, Sapienza, Tuscia, Vanvitelli, L'Orientale, the Polytechnic University of Bari and Magna Graecia.
• No rules readable: Cassino, Parthenope, Salento, Basilicata and Calabria.
• Conditional or not verified: Palermo's flat fee for India holds if India is still on List B2B, and Turin's country band if India is in Annex A's lowest band. Salerno's band for India, Bari's country amount and the limits of 9 DSU bodies are not verified.

How does ApplyAZ keep the cost down for a family from India?

For eligible students, we work out the cheapest lawful fee route at every university on the shortlist before anything is filed. It can be the ISEE parificato, the flat fee or the country band. We then prepare the family's documents, file the applications and prepare the DSU scholarship application with the student.

We work only with Italian public universities, and we do not promise outcomes. Related lists: public universities in Italy, best universities in Italy, the A to Z directory, medical universities, MBBS in Italy and the IMAT exam 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the cheapest university in Italy for international students?

It depends on the family's income and nationality. Tuition follows family income (ISEE), and in 2026/27 the lowest no-tax-area total in our data is at Udine, which needs an ISEE or an ISEE parificato. For non-EU families abroad, Naples Federico II charges one low flat fee whatever the family earns, and Sassari a low flat fee in the first year.

Which is the cheapest university in Italy for Indian students?

Without Italian income documents, a first-year student from India has the lowest flat fees at Marche Polytechnic, Macerata and Sassari, though Sassari's rises later. Next come Naples Federico II and Mediterranea. With an ISEE parificato in the no-tax area, many universities, such as Pisa and Palermo, charge only the regional tax and stamp duty.

Can I study in Italy without paying tuition?

Study can be tuition-free for eligible students who win a DSU scholarship, which is decided on family income and, after the first year, credits. Winners at most universities in our data pay no yearly contribution, though the stamp duty usually remains. The 2026/27 minimum grant is €7,171.11 (₹7.9 lakh) a year away from home.

Is Italy a cheap place to study for Indian students?

It can be, at a public university. Tuition follows family income (ISEE), and study can be tuition-free for eligible students with a DSU scholarship. Living costs are the larger part of the bill: our city guides start at about €450 (₹49,000) a month.

How much bank balance do I need for an Italian student visa?

For 2026/27, the Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata asks for proof of means of support of at least €10,179.85 (₹11.2 lakh) a year. That is item 6 of its study visa checklist. It is a floor, not a full budget, and the consulate decides the visa.

How much money do I need to study in Italy in Indian rupees?

Living costs are the main part. Our city guides start at €450 to €650 (₹49,000 to ₹71,000) a month in Reggio Calabria, or €5,400 to €7,800 (₹5.9 lakh to ₹8.6 lakh) for 12 months. In Rome, living costs alone are €1,000 to €1,200 (₹1.1 lakh to ₹1.3 lakh) a month, or €12,000 to €14,400 (₹13.2 lakh to ₹15.8 lakh) a year. Tuition follows family income (ISEE), so study can be tuition-free for eligible students.

What is an ISEE parificato?

It is the Italian income indicator worked out from the translated and legalised documents of a family whose income and assets are abroad. Most universities that accept it band the fee as for an Italian family, so inside the no-tax area only the regional tax and stamp duty are due. Bergamo and Politecnico di Milano still charge a contribution.

Do I pay the same fee every year?

Not always. From the second year, most no-tax areas also need credits, usually 10 for the second year and 25 later. Some flat fees change too: Sassari's flat fee for a family from India rises after the first year, and Ca' Foscari's is slightly lower after the first year.

Is it cheaper to study in the south of Italy?

Living costs are usually lower in the south. Our city guides start at about €450 (₹49,000) a month in Reggio Calabria and €500 (₹55,000) in Messina, Catanzaro and Sassari, against €780 (₹86,000) a month in Milan. No-tax-area fees are similar everywhere, and flat fees depend on each university, not the region.

Which are the cheapest universities in Italy for a master's?

The same fee rules usually apply to master's degrees: tuition follows family income (ISEE), and study can be tuition-free for eligible students. Some universities set a higher top band or flat fee for a master's, such as Trento for EU students on 2025/26 rules and Bologna for non-OECD families. The city's living cost still decides most of the difference.

How much is the DSU scholarship in 2026/27?

The national minimum is €7,171.11 (₹7.9 lakh) a year for a student living away from home. Top grants in our data reach €8,248 (₹9.1 lakh) at the Lombardy university bodies and €8,246.78 (₹9.1 lakh) at ERDIS Marche, ADISURC and ERSU Palermo. DSU Toscana pays €3,338 (₹3.7 lakh) in cash, plus a bed and two meals a day.

How does ApplyAZ help students find a low-fee public university in Italy?

ApplyAZ, with offices in Milan and India, works only with Italian public universities. For eligible students from countries like India, we compare the fee route at each university on the shortlist, prepare the income documents, file the applications and the DSU scholarship application, and handle the visa file. The university decides admission.

Sources

• MUR, Università statali, the list of the 61 state universities
• Each university's fee rules for 2026/27 (or 2025/26 where marked), linked in the master table, as verified for our university pages on 28 and 29 September 2026
• MUR Directorial Decree 175 and 176 of 10 February 2026, DSU scholarship limits, and each DSU body's 2026/27 call
• Our city guides, for monthly budgets, each with its own named source
• Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata, study visa checklist 2026-2028, item 6, and Universitaly, international students
• QS World University Rankings 2027; MUR Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026 for the IMAT dates
• The FBIL reference rate of 21 September 2026, €1 = ₹109.90
• Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead at ApplyAZ. Published on 29 September 2026 and last updated on 9 October 2026; facts verified on 28 and 29 September 2026, programme counts on 9 October 2026.

Further reading

• Public universities in Italy: full list, fees and rankings
• Best universities in Italy: QS 2027 rankings
• Universities in Italy: A to Z directory
• Medical universities in Italy teaching in English
• DSU scholarship in Italy, 2026/27
• Scholarships in Italy for Indian students