Università degli Studi di Brescia (UniBS)
University of Brescia, one of Italy's public universities.
The University of Brescia (UniBS) is a public university in Lombardy, founded in 1982 and known for engineering, medicine and close ties to industry. It has about 16,000 students across four areas: engineering, medicine and surgery, economics and management, and law. Brescia sits in one of Europe's most industrial areas, so its engineering and economics programmes work closely with manufacturing, automation and mechanical companies, and its medical school is linked to a major teaching hospital.
Yes, the University of Brescia offers a choice of programmes taught in English, mostly at master's level, plus many double degree programmes with partner universities. Several English-taught master's degrees are open access for holders of foreign qualifications. Teaching spans engineering (mechanical, industrial, civil, information and automation), medicine and health sciences, economics and management, and law. The university publishes its current list of English-taught programmes each year, so check it before you apply.
The University of Brescia asks international master's applicants for a relevant bachelor's degree and English at B2 level for English-taught programmes, or B2 Italian for Italian-taught ones. Non-EU applicants living abroad first request a pre-evaluation, which checks that their bachelor's degree covers the required subjects and credits. UniBS does not publish an acceptance rate, so the honest test is whether your previous studies match the programme you want.
Applying to the University of Brescia starts with a pre-evaluation of your qualification, then moves to scholarships, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the visa and the regional scholarship. Order matters, because the LMINT scholarship call for 2026/27 closed on 15 March 2026 at noon, well before most students think about visas. Once you arrive, you enrol and request your residence permit within 8 working days, so plan each step against its own deadline.
Tuition at the University of Brescia is set by family income (ISEE), so what you pay depends on your family's finances, not your passport. Students within the no-tax area pay only the regional tax and stamp duty, and contributions rise with income up to a maximum. International students can use an ISEE parificato, calculated from translated and legalised family income documents. Start gathering these documents early, because translation and legalisation take time in most countries.
Yes, you can study at the University of Brescia with little or no tuition, but only if your family income places you in the no-tax area. Tuition is set by family income (ISEE); students from lower-income families can pay little or nothing beyond the regional tax and stamp duty, and a DSU scholarship winner also gets a tuition waiver. Your family income is not in your control. Your ISEE parificato documents, your scholarship deadlines and a positive pre-evaluation are.
The University of Brescia offers three main routes: LMINT, STAR and the regional DSU scholarship. For 2026/27, 13 LMINT scholarships of €4,800 a year went to non-EU students living abroad who enrol in an English-taught master's. Four STAR grants, worth about €6,650 a year including tuition, accommodation and meals, were reserved for students from developing and priority countries. UniBS manages the Lombardy DSU scholarship (2026/27 national minimum for off-site students: €7,171.11), and MAECI grants exist too.
The University of Brescia is joint 581st in QS 2027, its best QS result to date, and 9th among Italy's medium-sized public universities in Censis 2026/27. QS, THE and ARWU mostly measure research output and reputation across a whole university, so they say little about one degree. Censis weighs services, scholarships, international outlook and employability, which is often more useful. Use rankings as one signal, then look at the programme, entry requirements, scholarship and city.
Student life at the University of Brescia means living in Lombardy's second-largest city, with a Roman forum, a castle and a compact historic centre between Lake Garda and Lake Iseo. It is safe, served by a metro and much cheaper than Milan. Most students budget about €650 to €900 a month, including a private room at €350 to €500. University residences are available for scholarship students. Milan is about 40 minutes and Verona about 45 minutes away by high-speed train.
Compared with Milan's universities, the University of Brescia is smaller, cheaper and closer to industry, but offers a narrower range of subjects. Bergamo is similar in size and strong in economics and languages, while Pavia is older and broader. Brescia stands out for engineering, medicine and economics, and for scholarships aimed specifically at non-EU students. Private universities in the region charge fixed, high fees, while tuition at Brescia follows family income (ISEE).
The University of Brescia is a good choice if you want an English-taught master's in engineering, medicine-related fields or economics, close links with industry and living costs well below Milan. It suits you less if you want a bachelor's taught in English or a wide range of subjects, since most English teaching is at master's level. Plan early: the LMINT scholarship call closed on 15 March 2026 for 2026/27, and the pre-evaluation must come before your Universitaly pre-enrolment.
ApplyAZ can build the University of Brescia into a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at public universities, if it fits you. We are independent and take no commissions. We write your CV and tailored SOPs, submit each application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship and prepare your visa file, and a named person owns each stage. We tell you if Italy is not realistic, and strong, organised students can use our roadmap to apply alone. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
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