What is the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies known for, and is it public?
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies is a public university school in Pisa, Tuscany, established in 1987, and one of Italy's most selective places to study. It calls itself a research university and a school of talent. It admits a small number of honours students by competitive exam, in social sciences and in experimental and applied sciences, and gives them free accommodation and meals, with no tuition fee. It is best known for robotics: ShanghaiRanking's 2026 subject table puts it 10th in the world for Robotic Science and Engineering.
Can international students study at Sant'Anna School in English?
Partly: the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies is most open to international, English-speaking students at second level, not through a simple English bachelor's. Its 2026/27 second-level competition accepts a bachelor's degree from an Italian or foreign university, in economics, management, data science, political science, agricultural sciences or engineering. First-level honours students follow a parallel degree at the University of Pisa or partners in Florence and Trento, where many courses are in Italian, so check the language of each track before you apply.
How hard is it to get into the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies?
Getting into the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies is very hard: the 2026/27 competition offered 60 first-level and single-cycle places and 18 second-level places. First-level places were 29 in social sciences and 31 in experimental sciences: 14 in engineering, 12 in medicine and 5 in agriculture. Second-level applicants need a bachelor's degree completed within four years with an average of at least 27 out of 30, or equivalent, obtained by 31 December 2026.
How do you apply to the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, step by step?
You apply to the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies through its annual competition, with a preliminary TOLC test for most first-level tracks and written and oral exams in Pisa. For 2026/27 second-level applications closed at noon on 22 June 2026 and first-level applications at 20:00 on 30 July 2026. First-level written exams ran from 24 to 28 August, with orals in September. Medicine applicants skip the TOLC and go straight to the exams. Non-EU winners also need a type D study visa.
- Read the call for your area and level on the Sant'Anna admissions page.
- For first-level tracks other than Medicine, take the TOLC, which can be sat online as TOLC@CASA.
- Apply online before the deadline for your level.
- Sit the written exams in late August and the orals in Pisa in September.
- If you win, enrol at Sant'Anna and your parallel degree, and apply for your visa.
How much does the Sant'Anna School cost for international students?
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies charges its honours students no tuition fee, and students receive free accommodation and meals on campus throughout their studies. That makes it one of the least expensive ways to study in Italy, if you win a place. Even the competition is supported: the School reimburses travel and accommodation costs for candidates attending the exams in Pisa, based on ISEE, and refunds the TOLC registration fee for first-level applicants.
Can you study at the Sant'Anna School with little or no tuition?
Yes, winners at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies study without tuition and with free accommodation and meals, but the condition is merit, not income. You must win one of very few places in an open competition, then keep the School's academic standards. What is in your control is preparation: the TOLC, the written and oral exams, and your grades. What is not in your control is how many strong candidates apply in your year. Family income affects only side costs, such as reimbursed exam travel.
Which scholarship covers the Sant'Anna School, and how much is it worth?
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies funds its own honours students, so the main benefit is the place itself: study with no tuition fee, plus free accommodation and meals on campus for the whole programme. You do not need the regional DSU Toscana grant for those costs. The School also reimburses exam travel and accommodation based on ISEE, and TOLC fees for first-level applicants. For the parallel degree at the University of Pisa, check the fee rules that apply to Sant'Anna students when you enrol.
How good is Sant'Anna in the rankings, and how much should they matter?
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies is in the 201 to 250 band of the THE World University Rankings 2026, joint 4th in Italy with Politecnico di Milano and the University of Padua. It is not in the ARWU 2026 overall table or the QS 2027 overall table, but ShanghaiRanking's 2026 subject tables rank it 10th worldwide for Robotic Science and Engineering. For a school of about 800 students, subject strength and supervision matter more than overall rank.
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026: 201 to 250 band, joint 4th in Italy
- ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2026: Robotic Science and Engineering 10th, Biomedical Engineering 151 to 200
- ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026: not in the overall table
- QS World University Rankings 2027: not in the overall table
- Censis 2026/27: not included
What is student life like in Pisa, and what does it cost to live there?
Student life at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies is residential: honours students live on campus with free accommodation and meals, so the usual Pisa rent and food budget does not apply to them. Pisa is a compact university city shared with the University of Pisa and the Scuola Normale Superiore, and it has its own international airport. Sant'Anna students attend classes both at the School and at the University of Pisa, so daily life mixes a small college with a large university.
How does the Sant'Anna School compare with other schools in Pisa?
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies and the Scuola Normale Superiore are Pisa's two public Scuole Superiori, both selective and both with no tuition fee for winners. Sant'Anna covers social sciences, engineering, medicine and agriculture, while the Normale focuses on sciences and humanities. In THE's 2026 rankings the Normale is 137th and Sant'Anna 201 to 250. The University of Pisa, where many Sant'Anna students take their parallel degree, is a large public university ranked 341st in QS 2027.
Is the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies a good choice for you?
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies suits exceptional, driven students who want a demanding honours path on top of a regular degree, in fields such as engineering, medicine, economics, law or political science. It suits you less if you want a simple English-taught bachelor's degree, since first-level students also follow a parallel degree often taught in Italian. Second-level applicants need an average of at least 27 out of 30. If you win, the funding and research exposure are hard to match.
How can ApplyAZ help with the Sant'Anna School, and when should you go alone?
ApplyAZ is honest about the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies: it is a merit competition won through preparation, so strong, organised students often apply on their own using the School's call and the TOLC. Where ApplyAZ helps is the wider plan: a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities, a CV and tailored SOP for each, Universitaly pre-enrolment, DSU and visa files, with a named person owning each stage. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
