Study Data Science in Italy 2027/28: English-Taught Programmes, Universities and Fees
24 English-taught data science programmes at 20 public universities: maths and credit rules, tests, QS 2026 ranks, fees and careers.
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Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead. Reviewed by Reeya Sharma, Student Success and Partnerships. Published 28 September 2026. Updated 28 September 2026.
In short
- Yes, data science is taught in English at Italian public universities. Our catalogue lists 24 programmes in the field at 20 of them for 2027/28: 21 two-year master's and 3 bachelor's. Ten sit in the dedicated data science degree class, LM-Data.
- Politecnico di Milano ranks 32nd in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Of the Italian universities in that table, Sapienza (51 to 100), Milan, Pisa and Padua (101 to 200) teach data science in English in our catalogue.
- Fees follow family income and can be tuition-free for eligible students. For 2026/27, Padua, which runs 2 of these programmes, charged €3,198 a year to a family with income only in India, about ₹3.49 lakh at the ECB rate of 25 September 2026; Pisa's first year was €736.
- Nobody asks for the GRE here. Maths weighs heavily instead: Sapienza, for instance, looks for credits in analysis or geometry, in probability and in computing.
- ApplyAZ, an independent study-in-Italy consultancy with offices in Milan and India, works only with Italian public universities and takes no commission from them. For eligible students, we handle the applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU scholarship application and the visa file.
Your first step is a two-minute eligibility check. 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.
Data science in Italy 2027/28 at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many programmes | 24 taught only in English (21 master's, 3 bachelor's) at 20 public universities, in our catalogue on 28 September 2026. |
| Degree classes | 10 in LM-Data (data science); 3 in economics (LM-56); the other 8 master's in maths, physics, finance and statistics, computing, computer engineering or information-society classes (Federico II's not recorded yet); the 3 bachelor's in economics or management classes. |
| How long | Master's: 2 years and 120 ECTS. Bachelor's: 3 years and 180 ECTS. |
| QS 2026, Data Science and AI | Politecnico di Milano 32; Bologna and Sapienza 51 to 100; Politecnico di Torino, Milan, Pisa and Padua 101 to 200. |
| Typical background | Maths, statistics, computing, engineering, physics or economics, with maths and programming credits. |
| Tests | No GRE; 6 master's set their own admission test; 2 bachelor's use the SAT or CEnT-S. |
| English | B2 in nearly every programme, by certificate or another accepted proof. |
| Yearly fees, income only in India | Pisa €736 in year one and Padua €3,198 (both 2026/27); Sapienza €456 (2025/26 table, 2026/27 due after 30 September 2026); 2027/28 fees pending; can be tuition-free for eligible students. |
| Dates to watch | Padua's first 2027/28 round closes 15 November 2026; the 2027/28 visa application must be in by 31 October 2027. |
| Graduate outcomes | AlmaLaurea 2026 (survey year 2025), IT and ICT master's: 93.3% employed after one year, €1,771 net a month. |
Which English-taught data science programmes can you study in Italy?
There are 24 in our catalogue for 2027/28, spread across 20 public universities from Trento to Catania. The condition is a quantitative first degree for the 21 master's; the 3 bachelor's take students after Class 12. We counted them on 28 September 2026 from programmes listed as taught only in English.
How we decide what counts: the programme's name must name data science, data analytics, data analysis, business analytics, big data or data engineering. Padua's Physics of Data also qualifies, because data is its subject. Names where data is only one topic among many, such as behaviour, data and policy, stay out.
Two programmes are shared with other guides because their names cover two fields. Pisa's Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering also appears in our AI guide, and Parthenope's Applied Computer Science (Machine Learning and Big Data) appears in all three. Pisa's Data Science and Business Informatics also sits in the computer science guide.
| Programme | University | Level | Entry test | Intake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics with Data Science | University of Cassino and Southern Lazio | Bachelor's (3 years) | None, selection on CV and grades. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Economics and Finance with Data Science | University of Turin | Bachelor's (3 years) | SAT (College Board), ranked for a limited number of places. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Management & Business Analytics | University of Udine | Bachelor's (3 years) | CEnT-S test to check your starting level (not used to rank applicants). | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Analytics for Business and Society | Ca’ Foscari University of Venice | Master's (2 years) | Admission test set by the university. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Applied Computer Science (Machine Learning and Big Data) | Parthenope University of Naples | Master's (2 years) | None, open access with an admission interview. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Science | Sapienza University of Rome | Master's (2 years) | Admission test set by the university (online test and interview). | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Science | The University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” | Master's (2 years) | None, selection on CV and grades. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Science | University of Catania | Master's (2 years) | None, selection on CV and grades. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Economics & Data Science | University of Genoa | Master's (2 years) | Admission test set by the university. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Science | University of Messina | Master's (2 years) | None, selection on degree and credits. | Autumn 2027 |
| Data Science for Economics and Health | University of Milan | Master's (2 years) | Admission test set by the university (online background test). | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Science | University of Milan-Bicocca | Master's (2 years) | None, entry requirements checked by the university. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Science | University of Naples Federico II | Master's (2 years) | Not recorded yet. | Not recorded yet |
| Data Science | University of Padua | Master's (2 years) | None, selection on CV and grades. | October 2027 |
| Physics of Data | University of Padua | Master's (2 years) | None, selection on CV and grades. | October 2027 |
| Data Science for Management | University of Parma | Master's (2 years) | Admission test set by the university. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Economics and Data Analysis for Industry and Policy | University of Pavia | Master's (2 years) | None if merit criteria are met, otherwise a test in economics and econometrics. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Quantitative Finance and Data Science for Economics | University of Perugia | Master's (2 years) | None, selection on CV and grades. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering | University of Pisa | Master's (2 years) | None, selection on CV and grades, plus an online interview. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Science and Business Informatics | University of Pisa | Master's (2 years) | None, selection on CV and grades. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Science | University of Trento | Master's (2 years) | None, selection on CV and grades. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Stochastics and Data Science | University of Turin | Master's (2 years) | Interview or online test to check preparation; some graduates exempt. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Data Science | University of Verona | Master's (2 years) | None if your grade meets the threshold, otherwise an interview. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
| Economics and Data Analysis | University of Verona | Master's (2 years) | None if your grade meets the threshold, otherwise an interview. | Autumn 2027, calendar pending |
Source: ApplyAZ catalogue of English-only programmes, filtered by the rule above with python on 28 September 2026. Where a cell says "Not recorded yet", the 2027/28 detail is not published; we add it when the university does.
Which Italian universities rank best for data science?
Politecnico di Milano ranks highest, 32nd in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Only seven Italian universities appear in that table. Our catalogue has no English-only data science programme at Politecnico di Milano, so Sapienza, joint 51 to 100, is the top-ranked place to study the subject in English.
| University | QS Data Science and AI 2026 | QS Computer Science 2026 | Data science programmes in our catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Politecnico di Milano | 32 | =58 | 0 |
| Sapienza University of Rome | 51 to 100 | 72 | 1 |
| University of Bologna | 51 to 100 | =95 | 0 |
| Politecnico di Torino | 101 to 200 | =124 | 0 |
| University of Pisa | 101 to 200 | =144 | 2 |
| University of Padua | 101 to 200 | 201 to 250 | 2 |
| University of Milan | 101 to 200 | 251 to 300 | 1 |
| University of Trento | Not ranked (2026) | 201 to 250 | 1 |
| University of Genoa | Not ranked (2026) | 301 to 350 | 1 |
| University of Turin | Not ranked (2026) | 351 to 400 | 2 |
| University of Naples Federico II | Not ranked (2026) | 401 to 450 | 1 |
| University of Milan-Bicocca | Not ranked (2026) | 451 to 500 | 1 |
| Ca’ Foscari University of Venice | Not ranked (2026) | 551 to 600 | 1 |
| University of Catania | Not ranked (2026) | 601 to 650 | 1 |
| University of Pavia | Not ranked (2026) | 701 to 750 | 1 |
| Parthenope University of Naples | Not ranked (2026) | Not ranked (2026) | 1 |
| The University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” | Not ranked (2026) | Not ranked (2026) | 1 |
| University of Cassino and Southern Lazio | Not ranked (2026) | Not ranked (2026) | 1 |
| University of Messina | Not ranked (2026) | Not ranked (2026) | 1 |
| University of Parma | Not ranked (2026) | Not ranked (2026) | 1 |
| University of Perugia | Not ranked (2026) | Not ranked (2026) | 1 |
| University of Udine | Not ranked (2026) | Not ranked (2026) | 1 |
| University of Verona | Not ranked (2026) | Not ranked (2026) | 2 |
Source: QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, published 25 March 2026, Italy tables for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (7 results) and Computer Science and Information Systems; counts from our catalogue on 28 September 2026.
The data science table is short, so we add the computer science ranking as a second signal: Trento, Genoa, Turin and Bicocca sit in that wider table while teaching data science in English.
Messina, Vanvitelli, Parma, Perugia, Verona, Udine, Parthenope and Cassino appear in neither. QS ranks universities, not single programmes, so a missing rank tells you little about one master's.
Can you study data science in Italy with a commerce or economics degree?
Often yes, if your transcript shows enough maths and statistics. Pisa lists economics and business classes among the degrees that qualify for Data Science and Business Informatics, and our catalogue has 3 economics master's built around data. Milan's Data Science for Economics and Health accepts 30 ECTS in economics or statistics.
| Programme | Degrees or credits that qualify | Maths and computing they look for | English | Selection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Science, Sapienza | At least 90 credits across listed areas, including maths, computing, physics, economics, statistics and engineering | 12 credits in analysis or geometry, 6 in probability and 6 in computing meet the preparation check automatically | B2 (self-declaration) | A committee reviews your record, weighing maths, probability and computing marks. |
| Data Science for Economics and Health, Milan | 30 ECTS in computing or maths, or in economics or statistics, or in medical statistics (MED/01) | Covered by the online admission test in English | B2, certificate issued within 3 years, or the language centre test | Online test, then your credentials, then an optional technical interview. |
| Data Science and Business Informatics, Pisa | Italian classes in computing, information engineering, statistics, business, economics, physics or maths | 40 credits across computing, maths, physics, economics and statistics sectors for other degrees | B2 | Curriculum review and a possible interview. |
Sources: Sapienza Data Science admission page and call for 2026/27; University of Milan programme page, 2026/27; University of Pisa programme page. Calls for 2027/28 are pending.
For economics graduates, the data-led economics master's may fit better. Genoa's Economics and Data Science, Verona's Economics and Data Analysis and Pavia's Economics and Data Analysis for Industry and Policy sit in the economics class. Our economics guide covers the wider field.
How much maths do data science master's in Italy expect?
More than most applicants expect. Sapienza treats the maths check as met with 12 credits in analysis or geometry, 6 in probability and 6 in computing, according to its 2026/27 admission page. A degree without those courses is not ruled out, but the committee then weighs your marks in those areas closely.
The same pattern runs through the other calls. Milan tests background knowledge online before it looks at your grades, and Pisa counts 40 credits across computing, maths, physics, economics and statistics. In practice, that means courses such as calculus, linear algebra, probability, statistics and programming.
We list the courses on your transcript against each call before we shortlist. If one course is missing, we tell you which programmes stay realistic and which do not, so no application is wasted.
Is there an entrance test for data science in Italy?
Usually not, but it is more common here than in computing. Our catalogue shows 6 of the 24 programmes setting their own admission test, while 10 select on degree, CV and grades alone. None asks for the GRE, and the two tested bachelor's use the SAT (Turin) or CEnT-S (Udine).
- Own admission test (6): Data Analytics for Business and Society at Ca’ Foscari Venice, Data Science at Sapienza Rome, Economics & Data Science at Genoa, Data Science for Economics and Health at Milan, Data Science for Management at Parma, Stochastics and Data Science at Turin.
- No test above a grade or merit threshold, otherwise an interview or test (3).
- CV and grades plus an interview (2).
- Degree, CV and grades only (10).
- SAT or CEnT-S at bachelor's level (2); Udine uses CEnT-S only to check your starting level.
- Not recorded yet (1): Data Science at Federico II.
Sapienza's 2026/27 call describes only a committee review of your record, while our catalogue records an online test and interview; we confirm the 2027/28 format when the call is published.
Language proof is separate from these tests. Nearly all programmes set B2 English, and the consulate asks for B2 English again when you apply for the visa, as the MUR circular for 2026/27 and 2027/28 sets out.
How much does a data science degree in Italy cost?
It depends on family income, and it can be tuition-free for eligible students. For a family whose income is only in India, the latest tables put a year at €456 at Sapienza (2025/26), €736 in year one at Pisa and €3,198 at Padua (both 2026/27), according to each university.
| University | Rule for students with income abroad | Year total |
|---|---|---|
| Sapienza University of Rome | Band A fixed contribution €300 (India is in Band A), plus €140 regional tax and €16 stamp duty; 2025/26 table, 2026/27 due after 30 September 2026. | €456 (about ₹49,800) |
| University of Pisa | €2,900 flat rate times India's 0.2 coefficient, so €580, plus €140 regional tax and €16 stamp duty on first enrolment; 2026/27. | €736 (about ₹80,400) |
| University of Padua | Group B fixed fee €2,990 for the School of Sciences, plus €192 regional fee and €16 stamp duty; 2026/27. | €3,198 (about ₹3.49 lakh) |
Sources: Sapienza standard fee amounts page and fees landing page; University of Pisa fees page and 2026/27 country table; University of Padua fee call 2026/27. None of these universities has published 2027/28 fees yet.
At Sapienza an ISEE parificato is not possible for income not reported in Italy, so the Band A amount is the working figure. The regional DSU grant is separate from these fees: see DSU in Lazio, DSU in Tuscany and our DSU scholarship guide. Living costs are on our cost of studying page.
Want to know where you stand before you compare fees? Take the eligibility check. 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.
Where do data science graduates work in Italy?
Mostly in IT firms, research and consulting, with a larger share in banking and insurance among those five years out. AlmaLaurea's 2026 report, survey year 2025, shows 46.6% of IT and ICT master's graduates working in the IT sector one year after graduating. We use that group because AlmaLaurea publishes it and it is the closest to data science.
| Sector (AlmaLaurea, IT and ICT master's) | Share, 1 year after | Share, 5 years after |
|---|---|---|
| IT and software | 46.6% | 50.2% |
| Education and research | 17.1% | 14.4% |
| Consulting | 11.6% | 7.8% |
| Industry, all branches | 9.8% | 9.2% |
| Banking and insurance | 3.9% | 6.4% |
| Public administration and armed forces | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Private sector overall | 78.0% | 80.6% |
Source: AlmaLaurea, Esiti occupazionali della laurea, Rapporto 2026 (survey year 2025), group "Informatica e tecnologie ICT", graduates of 2024 (1 year) and 2020 (5 years). The 5-year sample had a response rate under 50%, which AlmaLaurea marks for caution.
Pay is higher further into a career: €1,771 net a month for the one-year group and €2,226 for the five-year group, about ₹1.94 lakh and ₹2.43 lakh. Milan's programme page names data scientist, data analyst, data-driven economist and health analyst as target roles, in manufacturing, telecoms and media, services, banking and insurance, utilities and healthcare.
Pisa lists business analyst and IT consultant roles in companies of every sector, public agencies and research. Padua points its graduates towards industry, consulting firms and public institutions that analyse big data.
Data science, statistics or computer science: which master's fits you?
Choose data science if you want both the maths and the software, with applied projects. In our catalogue, 10 programmes sit in LM-Data, the class set up for data science. Computer science suits you if you want systems and software depth, and statistics if you want theory with fewer programming demands.
Statistics programmes fall outside this guide because their names do not name data science. Bologna's Statistical Sciences and Sapienza's Statistical Methods and Applications are two examples. For systems and software, read our computer science guide; for machine learning and robotics, our artificial intelligence guide.
Can you study data science in Italy at bachelor's level?
Yes, through 3 English-taught bachelor's that combine it with economics or management. Our catalogue lists Turin's Economics and Finance with Data Science, which records the SAT, Udine's Management and Business Analytics and Cassino's Economics with Data Science. Each takes 3 years and 180 ECTS, according to our catalogue.
Turin's own page describes locally limited places and an English test on logic, reading and maths. Udine's CEnT-S does not rank applicants, and Cassino selects on CV and grades. See Turin, Udine and Cassino, or our guide to studying in Italy after 12th.
Reality check
The university decides who gets in, and a data science committee reads your maths marks closely. The region decides the DSU grant. The consulate decides the visa, and it checks your English again.
Our part, for eligible students, is the work: matching your transcript to each call, the applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU application and the visa file. For the papers only your family can obtain, we tell you exactly which documents to get, in which order, and check every page before the visa appointment.
- Missing an earlier deadline for visa applicants. For 2026/27, Milan closed visa applicants on 30 April 2026, while its general window ran to 20 July. Cost: the whole year.
- An English certificate that is too old. Milan accepts certificates issued within 3 years. Cost: a new test, and possibly a missed round.
- A commerce transcript with no probability or programming. Cost: a likely refusal at Sapienza, where those marks are weighed.
- Budgeting with the wrong year. Sapienza's 2026/27 fees appear only after 30 September 2026, so we plan with the 2025/26 table until then.
- Late visa paperwork. For 2027/28 the consulate stops taking study visa applications after 31 October 2027. Cost: your place for that year.
Comparing with other science master's? Our MS in Italy hub covers every science and engineering subject, and our masters in Italy guide covers all two-year degrees.
Let the eligibility check answer the first question for you. 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
Is data science taught in English in Italy?
Yes. Our catalogue lists 24 data science programmes taught only in English at 20 public universities for 2027/28, most of them two-year master's, and ten belong to LM-Data, the Italian degree class for data science. The rest mix data with economics, maths, physics or computing.
Can I do a data science master's in Italy after a BCom?
Sometimes. Pisa lists economics and business degrees among those that qualify for Data Science and Business Informatics, and Milan accepts 30 ECTS in economics or statistics. You still need maths and some programming, so we compare your BCom transcript with each call before applying.
Do I need to know programming for a data science master's in Italy?
Some programming helps a lot. Sapienza treats 6 credits in computing, with maths and probability credits, as meeting its preparation check (2026/27), and Milan tests your background online before assessing grades. These checks count courses on your transcript, so that is where we look first.
Which is the best university in Italy for data science?
By the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, Politecnico di Milano leads Italy at 32nd, but our catalogue has no English-only data science programme there. Sapienza, joint 51 to 100, is the highest-ranked university that teaches the subject in English in our catalogue.
What is the salary after a data science master's in Italy?
The closest published figures are for IT and ICT master's graduates. AlmaLaurea found average net pay of €1,771 a month one year after graduating and €2,226 after five (survey year 2025). Those are average net monthly figures for the whole group, as AlmaLaurea publishes them.
Does ApplyAZ handle data science applications?
We do, once you are found eligible. We check your maths and computing credits against each call, apply to the programmes you approve, and handle Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU application and the visa file. Admission stays with the university and the visa with the consulate.
Sources
- QS rankings by subject 2026: Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Italian entries, verified 28 September 2026.
- QS rankings by subject 2026: Computer Science and Information Systems, Italian entries, verified 28 September 2026.
- AlmaLaurea 2026 report, survey 2025: IT and ICT master's graduates at one year, sectors and pay, verified 28 September 2026.
- AlmaLaurea 2026 report, survey 2025: IT and ICT master's graduates at five years, sectors and pay, verified 28 September 2026.
- Sapienza, Data Science admission requirements, 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
- Sapienza, Data Science call for applications (English), 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
- University of Milan, Data Science for Economics and Health, admission and careers, 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
- University of Pisa, Data Science and Business Informatics, admission and careers, verified 28 September 2026.
- University of Padua, Data Science master's page, verified 28 September 2026.
- University of Padua, international admissions for 2027/28, verified 28 September 2026.
- University of Turin, Economics and Finance with Data Science (bachelor's), verified 28 September 2026.
- Sapienza, standard fee amounts and income-abroad bands, 2025/26, verified 28 September 2026.
- Sapienza, fees landing page (2026/27 information after 30 September), verified 28 September 2026.
- University of Pisa fees for degree courses, 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
- University of Pisa income-abroad coefficients by country, 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
- University of Padua fee call 2026/27, Tables 1 and 4, verified 28 September 2026.
- Universitaly page for international students, visa dates for 2026/27 and 2027/28, verified 28 September 2026.
- Ministry of University and Research circular for international students, 2026/27 and 2027/28, verified 28 September 2026.
- ECB euro foreign exchange reference rate, INR, 25 September 2026, verified 28 September 2026.
- Our programme finder: English-only programmes sorted into this guide by programme name, counted 28 September 2026.
Currency note: each rupee amount uses 1 EUR = 109.2605 INR, the ECB reference rate for 25 September 2026, rounded.
Your next move: 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.
Where they're studying now
Students who started exactly where you are
English-taught programmes that can be tuition-free for eligible students, and the DSU grant landing in their account every year. The funding mechanics are identical at every Italian public university: the same ISEE Parificato, the same regional bando, the same ranking. Only the authority and the dates change.
They began right where you are
Now they're studying at Italian public universities, where a degree can be tuition-free for eligible students, with DSU scholarships of up to about €8,250 a year for students living away from home, depending on the region.
