University of Bologna: Fees, Admission, Rankings and Programmes 2026/27

University of Bologna at a glance

• Public university: The University of Bologna is a state university in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, founded in 1088, with 85,256 students enrolled in 2024/25, 8,222 of them international.
• Teaching in English: 74 English-taught programmes on ApplyAZ: 9 bachelor's, 62 master's and 3 single-cycle.
• Fees for 2026/27: from €157.04 (₹17,000) in the no-tax area to €2,197.04 (₹2.4 lakh) at the top band for a standard bachelor's. Study can be tuition-free for eligible students through a DSU scholarship from ER.GO.
• Rankings: Joint 123rd in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (3rd among Italian public universities) and 130th in THE 2026.
• ApplyAZ: ApplyAZ, with offices in Milan and India, focuses on Italian public universities, with no private-university tie-ups or university commissions 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 programmes does the University of Bologna teach in English?

The University of Bologna has 74 English-taught programmes on ApplyAZ for the next intake: 9 bachelor's, 62 master's and 3 single-cycle degrees, so most are two-year master's. Each programme page sets out its entry test, intake and requirements. The table lists them all by level, with the test each one uses.

Source: our own programme listings, counted on 28 September 2026; the counts match the programme list further down this page, and our full programme list covers every public university. Degrees with an English-taught curriculum are included. The 2027/28 calls are not out yet, so each programme page adds its deadline when the call is published, and we track every call on your shortlist.

How much does the University of Bologna cost in 2026/27?

The University of Bologna costs from €157.04 (₹17,000) a year in the no-tax area to €2,197.04 (₹2.4 lakh) at the top band for a standard bachelor's degree in 2026/27. The yearly contribution depends on family income, measured by the ISEE, and study can be tuition-free for eligible students who win a DSU scholarship.

Anyone who files no ISEE, no foreign income documents and no flat-fee request pays the course maximum. Some courses cost more, up to €6,073.04 (₹6.7 lakh) a year in total (a €5,916 maximum contribution, Conservation and Restoration).

Source: Sistema di calcolo contribuzione studentesca 2026/27, Tabella importi massimi 2026-2027 and the flat reduced fee page. Rupees use the FBIL reference rate of 21 September 2026, €1 = ₹109.90.

Families with income or assets abroad can file an ISEE, or foreign income and asset documents translated and legalised, by 30 October 2026, or by 16 November with a €100 (₹11,000) penalty; the normal ISEE formula then applies. The alternative is the flat reduced fee for non-OECD countries, requested on the ER.GO portal with no income documents. Source: Bologna, ISEE and foreign income documents.

Worked example: With a family ISEE parificato of €15,000, a first-year bachelor's student from India pays €157.04 (₹17,000), because €15,000 is inside the no-tax area. The flat non-OECD fee would cost €1,157.04 (₹1.3 lakh), so the ISEE route is cheaper for most families. We prepare the documents with you, file them with the university and prepare the ER.GO scholarship application with you at the same time.

How do non-EU students apply to the University of Bologna?

Non-EU students living abroad apply to the University of Bologna programme by programme, then pre-enrol on Universitaly so the consulate can issue a study visa. The windows below are the 2026/27 ones, and the 2027/28 calls are not published yet. The university decides admission, and the consulate decides the visa.

Sources: International Studies (bachelor's, Forlì), Business and Economics, CLaBE (bachelor's); Universitaly; Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata, visa checklist. For eligible students, we handle each of these steps, from the programme applications to the visa file.

Which entry tests and language levels does the University of Bologna ask for?

The University of Bologna uses TOLC (E, I, F, PSI, SU) by CISIA, CEnT-S by CISIA, SAT, IMAT and TEST-ARCHED, depending on the programme. English-taught degrees usually ask for B2 English, and Italian-taught degrees for B2 Italian. The test for each programme is in the table above and in its call.

The table sets out what two 2026/27 calls ask for at each degree level.

Sources: International Studies and International Management calls. We prepare these documents with you; our DOV guide and Italy study visa guide cover the qualification and visa papers.

English: B2, set programme by programme: International Studies asks for a B2 certificate obtained from 1 February 2023 or a diploma taught in English; International Management accepts a B2 certificate or the Oxford Online Placement Test. Source.

Italian: B2 for Italian-taught degrees: at least 48 on the university's Italian L2 test, or a CELI, CILS, PLIDA or CERT-IT certificate at B2 or higher. Source. We match each programme on your shortlist to its test and handle the registration and application steps for eligible students.

How does the University of Bologna rank?

The University of Bologna is joint 123rd in the QS World University Rankings 2027, 3rd among Italian public universities, and 130th in the THE World University Rankings 2026. In QS by Subject 2026 it has 51 subjects and subject areas in the world's top 200, led by Archaeology at 19th. Rankings measure whole universities, so the programme matters more.

Sources: QS World University Rankings 2027, published 18 June 2026, THE World University Rankings 2026 and QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. The Italy position counts the Italian public universities QS ranks; "=" marks a joint rank. The table shows the 12 best of the 51 subjects and subject areas in the top 200; Nursing (151 to 225) is not counted.

Do graduates of the University of Bologna find work?

Yes, most do. Among Bologna's master's graduates of 2024, 83.3% were in work about a year later, with mean net pay of €1,519 (₹1.7 lakh) a month, according to AlmaLaurea. Five years after graduating, 93.9% of the 2020 master's graduates were in work, earning €1,878 (₹2.1 lakh) a month on average.

Source: AlmaLaurea, XXVIII survey of graduate outcomes (Rapporto 2026, June 2026): 2024 graduates at 1 year and 2020 graduates at 5 years. AlmaLaurea counts anyone in paid work, including paid training, as employed.

Which DSU scholarship covers the University of Bologna?

Bologna students apply for the regional DSU scholarship through ER.GO. For 2026/27 the family ISEE limit is €25,000 (₹27.5 lakh), and the top grant for a student living away from home is €7,171.11 (₹7.9 lakh) a year. Winners are also exempt from the university's yearly contribution, so study can be tuition-free for eligible students.

Source: ER.GO call for 2026/27. Our ER.GO guide covers the scholarship in full, our DSU scholarship guide compares the regions, and we prepare the application and the family documents with you.

Bologna also runs its own scholarships for international students, International Talents @Unibo, with a yearly call (2025/26 notice). Amounts and dates change each year, so we check each new call for the programmes on your shortlist.

Two national schemes are open to international students too: our guides to the MAECI scholarship and Invest Your Talent in Italy explain who can apply.

What does it cost to live in Bologna?

For the study visa, the consulate asks you to show at least €10,179.85 (₹11.2 lakh) a year for living costs in Bologna or any other Italian city. That is a floor, not a full budget: rent is the biggest cost, and a DSU residence place is much cheaper than a private room.

Our Bologna city guide covers housing, transport and daily costs in detail.

How many IMAT places does the University of Bologna have for 2026/27?

The University of Bologna has 20 places for non-EU applicants living abroad on its English-taught Medicine and Surgery course in 2026/27, filled through the IMAT held on 29 September 2026. Anonymous scores come out on 8 October and the national ranking on 26 October; Bologna publishes its own non-EU list on 26 October.

Our MBBS in Italy guide compares all 16 universities with non-EU places, our IMAT exam guide covers the test and our IMAT results page the ranking lists; the Medicine and Surgery programme page covers the course itself. Our list of medical universities in Italy sets out every English-taught Medicine course side by side, and our IMAT cut-offs page gives the official last admitted scores by year.

How does the University of Bologna compare with similar universities?

The table compares the University of Bologna with five similar public universities: the universities of Padua, Milan, Parma, Ferrara and Modena and Reggio Emilia. It sets out their QS 2027 rank, English-taught programmes and yearly fees; the University of Ferrara is a smaller alternative in the same region, with 3 English-taught programmes.

Sources: QS World University Rankings 2027, our own programme listings and each university's fee rules, linked on its page. Where a university sets a flat or country-group fee for families with income abroad, its page gives that fee. Our list of all 61 public universities compares every one, our best universities in Italy page sets out QS 2027 and THE side by side, and the A to Z directory lists every university.

How does ApplyAZ handle applications to the University of Bologna?

For eligible students, we take care of the whole application to the University of Bologna. We shortlist programmes against your profile and their entry tests, prepare the documents and the family's income papers, file each programme application, complete Universitaly pre-enrolment, handle the visa file and prepare the DSU scholarship application (ER.GO) with you.

We focus on Italian public universities and consider selected exceptions when they fit the student’s needs. We have no private-university tie-ups and receive no university commissions. Decisions remain with the relevant authorities: the university decides admission, the region decides the DSU scholarship and the consulate decides the visa.

Student experiences at this university

Hear directly from ApplyAZ students about the support they valued on their route to English-taught study in Italy.

• Janani Vijay: Master’s at University of Bologna. Support students and families can count on.
• Arifa Aquil: Master’s in Economics and Finance at University of Bologna. Support and encouragement along the way.

Explore all student stories and videos.

Frequently asked questions

Is the University of Bologna a public university?

Yes. The University of Bologna is a state university on the Ministry of University and Research's list of 61 public universities, founded in 1088 and based in Bologna, with campuses in Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna and Rimini. Its fees follow family income under national rules, and it had 85,256 students in 2024/25, 8,222 of them international.

How much does the University of Bologna cost in 2026/27?

In 2026/27 the University of Bologna costs €157.04 (₹17,000) a year with a family ISEE up to €27,000, and up to €2,197.04 (₹2.4 lakh) at the top band for a standard bachelor's. English-taught Medicine reaches €3,472.04 (₹3.8 lakh). Students from listed non-OECD countries such as India, with family income only abroad, can pay a flat €1,157.04 (₹1.3 lakh) instead.

Can study at the University of Bologna be tuition-free for eligible students?

Yes. Students who win an ER.GO scholarship are exempt from the yearly contribution and get the €140 regional tax refunded, so study can be tuition-free for eligible students. The 2026/27 family limits are an ISEE of €25,000 and an ISPE of €50,000, and the grant for a student living away from home reaches €7,171.11 (₹7.9 lakh) a year.

What does a student from India pay at the University of Bologna?

It depends on the route: with an ISEE parificato of €15,000, a first-year bachelor's student from India pays €157.04 (₹17,000) in 2026/27, because that is inside the no-tax area. The flat non-OECD fee costs €1,157.04 (₹1.3 lakh) for a bachelor's and €1,357.04 (₹1.5 lakh) for a master's. We work out the cheaper route and prepare the documents with the family.

How many programmes does the University of Bologna teach in English?

We list 74 English-taught programmes at the University of Bologna for the next intake: 9 bachelor's, 62 master's and 3 single-cycle degrees in Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy. Most master's degrees last two years and check your degree and requirements instead of setting an entry test, while restricted bachelor's degrees use tests.

Which entry tests does the University of Bologna use?

The University of Bologna uses CISIA's TOLC tests for many bachelor's degrees, including English-taught International Studies, CEnT-S or the SAT for some international programmes, the IMAT for Medicine and Veterinary Medicine in English, and TEST-ARCHED for Architecture. Most master's degrees have no entry test. We match each programme on your shortlist to its test and handle the registration.

How many IMAT places does the University of Bologna have?

For 2026/27 the University of Bologna has 20 places for non-EU applicants living abroad on its English-taught Medicine and Surgery course, set in Table B of MUR Decree 1005. The IMAT was held on 29 September 2026, and non-EU applicants are ranked against others who chose Bologna. We handle the registration and follow the ranking lists for you.

What is the University of Bologna's world ranking?

The University of Bologna is joint 123rd in the QS World University Rankings 2027, third among Italian public universities, and 130th in the THE World University Rankings 2026. In QS by Subject 2026 it has 51 subjects and subject areas in the world top 200, led by Archaeology at 19th and Petroleum Engineering at 24th.

When do applications open at the University of Bologna?

The University of Bologna sets application windows programme by programme. For 2026/27, the bachelor's calls we checked opened their first rounds in February 2026, with later rounds up to September. The 2027/28 calls are not published yet, so we track each call on your shortlist and file every application in the right round.

How does ApplyAZ help with a University of Bologna application?

For eligible students, we take care of everything: the shortlist, the fee route and income documents, each Studenti Online application, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the ER.GO scholarship and the visa file. The university decides admission, ER.GO the scholarship and the consulate the visa. Start by checking your eligibility at go.applyaz.com.

Sources

• MUR, Università statali
• Ustat, University of Bologna, 2024/25
• Bologna, history and the Bologna website (campuses)
• Sistema di calcolo contribuzione studentesca 2026/27, Tabella importi massimi 2026-2027, flat reduced fee page and ISEE and foreign income documents, Bologna, 2026/27
• International Studies (bachelor's, Forlì) and Business and Economics, CLaBE (bachelor's) calls, 2026/27; admission tests, English requirement and Italian language requirement
• QS World University Rankings 2027, QS by Subject 2026 and THE World University Rankings 2026
• AlmaLaurea, master's data and single-cycle data, Rapporto 2026
• International Talents @Unibo notice, 2025/26 (Bologna's own scholarships)
• ER.GO call 2026/27
• MUR Decree 1005, Table B and the Medicine and Surgery call, 2026/27
• Immobiliare.it Insights, 3 August 2026, ER.GO residence fees 2026/27, UniBo TPER fares from 1 September 2026, our Bologna city guide
• Universitaly, Kolkata consulate visa checklist and the FBIL reference rate, 21 September 2026
• All sources verified 28 September 2026. Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead; reviewed by Reeya Sharma. First published 3 June 2025; last updated and verified 28 September 2026.