What is IUSS Pavia, and is it a public university?
IUSS Pavia, the University School for Advanced Studies, is a public Scuola Superiore in Pavia, Lombardy, not a regular university. It began in 1997 with a programme agreement with the Ministry, and a 2005 decree made it a higher school with a special system. It runs free honours courses for top students enrolled at the University of Pavia or the University of Milan, joint master's degrees and funded PhDs, and has been federated with Pisa's Scuola Normale and Sant'Anna since 2018.
Can international students study at IUSS Pavia in English?
Yes, IUSS Pavia teaches much of its graduate work in English, but you cannot take a standalone bachelor's degree there. Its PhD programmes, including Cognitive Brain Sciences, Understanding and Managing Extremes, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, and Theoretical and Experimental Linguistics, are taught in English. It also runs joint master's degrees with the University of Pavia, such as Civil Engineering for Mitigation of Risk from Natural Hazards (CivRisk), taught in English.
How competitive is admission to IUSS Pavia's honours courses?
Admission to IUSS Pavia's honours courses is by national public competition, open to all nationalities and based only on merit. For 2026/27, undergraduate candidates needed a school-leaving grade of at least 80/100, had to be under 23 in 2026 and not already enrolled on a degree, and sat two written and two oral exams. Master's-level candidates needed a recent bachelor's with a 27/30 average, had to be under 26, and faced an oral exam. With few places, competition is strong.
How do you apply to IUSS Pavia, step by step?
Applying to IUSS Pavia's honours courses means entering one competition and, for Pavia students, also winning a place in a merit college or EDiSU residence. For 2026/27, applications closed on 28 August 2026, written exams were on 3 September and oral exams began on 11 September. There were 30 undergraduate places and 8 master's-level places for University of Pavia students, plus 36 for University of Milan students. Expect a similar calendar for 2027/28.
- Read the IUSS call for your class and level.
- Apply by the deadline (28 August 2026 for 2026/27).
- Sit the written and oral exams, or the oral exam at master's level.
- Enrol at the University of Pavia or the University of Milan and secure your college place.
- Meet all IUSS obligations each year to keep your place and grant.
How much does IUSS Pavia cost for international students?
IUSS Pavia's courses, seminars and training activities are free of charge, but they sit on top of a normal degree. Students still enrol at the University of Pavia or the University of Milan, where tuition is set by family income (ISEE). For 2026/27, IUSS gave each University of Pavia honours student a study grant of €5,000 a year towards college accommodation, and University of Milan students a full fee exemption plus €1,500 a year, for the whole degree if obligations are met.
Can you study at IUSS Pavia with little or no tuition?
You can study through IUSS Pavia at low cost if you win the competition and meet its obligations, because IUSS courses are free and its grants cover much of your housing. Your degree fees at the University of Pavia still follow family income (ISEE): students from lower-income families can pay little or nothing beyond the regional tax, and a DSU scholarship winner also gets a tuition waiver. In your control: exam preparation and grades. Not in your control: how many strong candidates apply.
Are IUSS Pavia PhDs funded, and what do they include?
Yes, every PhD position IUSS Pavia announces comes with a scholarship for the full length of the programme. From the second year, each doctoral student also receives a research budget worth 10% of the scholarship for research expenses. Calls are published in spring: for the 41st cycle (2025/26), deadlines fell on 9 and 16 June 2025. Each programme sets its own number of positions, so read the current call for places and scholarship amounts before you apply.
How does IUSS Pavia do in the rankings, and should they matter?
IUSS Pavia does not appear in the main global rankings we checked, and that reflects its size and model rather than its quality. QS, THE and ARWU rank whole universities with large student bodies, and Censis ranks regular universities, not Scuole Superiori. IUSS is small and specialised, and federated with the Scuola Normale, Sant'Anna, IMT Lucca, SISSA and GSSI. Judge it by its research groups, its supervisors and the degree you pair it with.
- QS World University Rankings 2027: no entry found
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026: no entry found
- ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026: no entry found
- Censis 2026/27: not covered, as Scuole Superiori sit outside its university tables
What is student life like at IUSS Pavia, and what does it cost?
Student life at IUSS Pavia is built around Pavia's historic colleges: University of Pavia honours students must live in a merit college, Borromeo, Ghislieri, Nuovo or Santa Caterina, or in an EDiSU residence. IUSS itself sits in the Palazzo del Broletto in the town centre. Pavia is a compact university town about 35 km from Milan, so daily life is calmer and cheaper than in the city, and the €5,000 IUSS grant goes towards college costs.
How does IUSS Pavia compare with Italy's other Scuole Superiori?
IUSS Pavia is one of Italy's Scuole Superiori, alongside the Scuola Normale and Sant'Anna in Pisa, IMT Lucca, SISSA in Trieste and GSSI in L'Aquila, all federated with it since 2022. Like the Pisa schools, it pairs honours courses with a degree at a partner university, here Pavia or Milan. Its research focus runs through earthquake engineering and risk, cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, biomolecular sciences and climate, with PhDs taught in English.
Is IUSS Pavia a good choice for you?
IUSS Pavia is a good choice if you are a top student who wants extra, demanding interdisciplinary study alongside a Pavia or Milan degree, or a funded PhD in its research areas. It suits you less if you want a standard degree only, since IUSS adds real workload, or if you are not ready for a competitive written and oral exam and the yearly obligations that keep your grant. Age limits also apply: under 23 for undergraduate entry and under 26 at master's level.
How can ApplyAZ help with IUSS Pavia, and when should you go alone?
ApplyAZ can help you with the University of Pavia degree that IUSS Pavia builds on, as part of a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at public universities. We are independent and take no commissions. We write your CV and tailored SOPs, submit each application and your Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship and prepare your visa file, and a named person owns each stage. The IUSS exams are yours to prepare. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
