Cheapest Public Universities in Italy 2026/27

The cheapest public universities in Italy for 2026/27 charge €136 (₹15,000) a year in their no-tax area: Udine, and Trieste and Genoa on 2025/26 rules. A few charge a family from India €156 to €200 (₹17,000 to ₹22,000) 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 fee range, the route for a family from India, the DSU body, the city's living cost and a derived yearly total. Fees 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. The lowest yearly fee in our data is €136 (₹15,000), at Udine in its no-tax area. Without Italian income documents, a family from India pays least at Marche Polytechnic and Macerata, €156 (₹17,000), then Naples Federico II, €167 (₹18,000).
• How fees work: each university sets its yearly contribution by family income (ISEE). In the no-tax area only the regional tax and €16 (₹2,000) 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 yearly fee in our data is €136 (₹15,000), at Udine in its no-tax area. For a family from India without Italian income documents, Marche Polytechnic and Macerata charge €156 (₹17,000), and Naples Federico II €167 (₹18,000).

Counting a year of living costs, the lowest total for a family from India is at Mediterranea University in Reggio Calabria. Its €200 (₹22,000) country fee plus 12 months of living costs gives a derived €5,600 to €8,000 (₹6.2 lakh to ₹8.8 lakh). The course and its entry test have to fit too, so we compare them together.

How much does each public university in Italy cost in 2026/27?

In 2026/27 the yearly fee runs from €136 (₹15,000) in a no-tax area to €4,538 (₹5.0 lakh) at Pavia's top band for sciences, or €9,156 (₹10.1 lakh) on one English-taught degree at Tor Vergata. The table below gives all 61 with the fee route for a family from India, the DSU body, the city's living cost and a yearly total.

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

How to read it: the lowest fee is the no-tax-area total. 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. Where the India fee or the ISEE example differs from it, a second total shows it.

Sources: the MUR list, each university's fee rules (linked in the fee 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; derived examples are our sums from the published formula. 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. In 2026/27 it runs from €156 (₹17,000) at Marche Polytechnic, Macerata and, in the first year, Sassari, to €2,998 (₹3.3 lakh) or more at Padua and €4,656 (₹5.1 lakh) on one Tor Vergata degree. At 18 it is the only route.

Sources: each university's fee rules and country lists, linked in the master table; totals add 12 months of the city guide's budget. 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 an ISEE parificato up to €26,000 (₹28.6 lakh) costs €156 (₹17,000), against a €736 (₹81,000) flat fee for India, and at Chieti-Pescara the parificato stays cheaper 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?

Each region's lowest fee is its no-tax-area total, from €136 (₹15,000) at Udine, Trieste and Genoa to €162 (₹18,000) at Padua, for EU citizens with a household in Italy. For a family from India, the lowest flat fees are €156 (₹17,000) at Marche Polytechnic, Macerata and, in year one, Sassari, and €167 (₹18,000) at Naples Federico II.

Source: the master table above. On 2025/26 rules: Sapienza's €456 (₹50,000), Genoa's and Trieste's €136 (₹15,000), and the totals for Trento, Camerino and Tuscia. Modena's total uses 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 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) 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.

What is the cheapest total for a year of study in Italy?

The lowest yearly total for a family from India is at Mediterranea University in Reggio Calabria: a derived €5,600 to €8,000 (₹6.2 lakh to ₹8.8 lakh) on its country fee. Next, from €6,156 (₹6.8 lakh), come Sassari in the first year and Urbino and Tuscia with an ISEE parificato. Each is the fee plus 12 months of living costs.

Sources: the tables above; programme counts from our own listings of 29 September 2026. A low total can mean a narrow choice: Mediterranea and Urbino each list 1 English-taught programme, 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) charges a family from India €346 (₹38,000) a year and Naples Federico II (401) €167 (₹18,000). Messina (761 to 770) charges €256 (₹28,000) by country group, and Pisa (341) €156 (₹17,000) with an ISEE parificato in its no-tax area.

Politecnico di Milano (=87) charges €880.04 (₹97,000) in Fascia 1 with the example ISEE parificato, and Bologna (=123) €157.04 (₹17,000) with one. 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 figures are still on 2025/26 rules?

Thirteen of the 61 fee cells use 2025/26 amounts, because the 2026/27 rules were not out or could not be read when we checked. Five more universities show no amount at all. For each of them, we work out the 2026/27 fee 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 amount readable: Cassino, Parthenope, Salento, Basilicata and Calabria.
• Conditional or not verified: Palermo's €267 (₹29,000) holds if India is still on List B2B, and Turin's €656 (₹72,000) 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. In 2026/27 the lowest yearly fee in our data is €136 (₹15,000) at Udine, in its no-tax area, which needs an ISEE or an ISEE parificato. For non-EU families abroad, Naples Federico II charges €167 (₹18,000) whatever the family earns, and Sassari €156 (₹17,000) in the first year.

Which is the cheapest university in Italy for Indian students?

Without Italian income documents, a first-year student from India pays least at Marche Polytechnic, Macerata and Sassari, €156 (₹17,000) a year, though Sassari's rises to €456 (₹50,000) later. Next come Naples Federico II at €167 (₹18,000) and Mediterranea at €200 (₹22,000). With an ISEE parificato in the no-tax area, many universities, such as Pisa and Palermo, charge €156 (₹17,000).

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 €16 (₹2,000) 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. In 2026/27 a family from India pays from €156 (₹17,000) a year at some universities, 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?

For a family from India, the lowest yearly totals start at about €5,600 (₹6.2 lakh) at Mediterranea University in Reggio Calabria: the fee plus 12 months of living costs, by our own sum. 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.

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 charges a family from India €156 (₹17,000) in the first year and €456 (₹50,000) after, and Ca' Foscari €1,316 (₹1.4 lakh), then €1,300 (₹1.4 lakh).

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) 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. Roma Tre charges €156 to €2,246 (₹17,000 to ₹2.5 lakh) for a two-year master's, and Bologna's flat fee for non-OECD families on a master's is €1,200 (₹1.3 lakh) plus €157.04 (₹17,000). Some universities set a higher maximum for master's, such as Trento's €3,345 (₹3.7 lakh) for EU students on 2025/26 rules.

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 and last updated on 29 September 2026; facts verified on 28 and 29 September 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