Università degli Studi di Cagliari
University of Cagliari, one of Italy's public universities.
The University of Cagliari is a public university in Sardinia's capital, whose founding charter was signed by Philip III of Spain on 31 October 1620. It has more than 24,750 enrolled students in 6 faculties and 15 departments, with its central offices on Via Università. It offers bachelor's, master's, single-cycle, specialist and PhD programmes, and belongs to the EDUC European university alliance. It came 3rd among Italy's large public universities in Censis 2026/27.
Yes, but the choice is small: in 2025/26 the University of Cagliari listed four degree programmes taught entirely in English, plus one English-taught curriculum. They are Medicine and Surgery, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence, International Management, and Advanced Biotechnology, with Advanced Cellular Studies as a curriculum of the Cellular and Molecular Biology master's. Its 2026/27 list adds about 200 single modules taught in English across all faculties.
The University of Cagliari reserves a set number of places for non-EU students on each programme: in 2025/26 there were 149 reserved places across 71 programmes. You need a qualification valid for university entry in your country, with 12 years of schooling for a bachelor's or a relevant degree for a master's. Medicine and Surgery in English has national programmed access with its own selection. Cagliari does not publish an acceptance rate, so treat the small quotas as the real constraint.
From 2026/27, the University of Cagliari handles applications from abroad through its UNICA DreamApply portal, followed by Universitaly pre-enrolment for your visa. Check the reserved places for your programme first, because quotas are small. Scholarship deadlines come early: the ERSU Cagliari 2026/27 call closed on 28 August 2026, so prepare your ISEE parificato while you apply. The university's ISMOKA office, at foreignstudents@unica.it, supports international students.
The University of Cagliari sets tuition by family income (ISEE) across 20 bands, plus a €140 regional tax and €16 stamp duty. Under its 2026/27 rules, students with an ISEE up to €24,335.11 who meet the conditions pay no tuition, while the top band pays €3,528.55 a year in the Faculty of Humanities, for example. Non-EU students with income abroad need an ISEE parificato by 31 December 2026. Without an ISEE, you pay the highest bracket.
You can study at the University of Cagliari with little or no tuition only if your family income qualifies and you file on time. Tuition is set by 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. At Cagliari, ERSU winners and eligible candidates are exempt from both tuition and the regional tax. Students from particularly poor countries can have their ISEE set at zero with a certificate from the Italian embassy. Income is outside your control; deadlines are not.
The main scholarship for University of Cagliari students is run by ERSU Cagliari, Sardinia's regional right-to-study body in Cagliari, which also manages residences and canteens. Its 2026/27 call for scholarships and residence places set an ISEE limit of €28,339.88 and an ISPE limit of €61,608.48, and applications closed on 28 August 2026. The national minimum grant for off-site students in 2026/27 is €7,171.11 a year. Foreign students apply with an ISEE parificato.
The University of Cagliari is 3rd among Italy's large public universities in Censis 2026/27, with 88.5 points, a ranking that weighs services, scholarships, facilities and employability. In global tables it sits lower: 1,201 to 1,400 in QS 2027, 601 to 800 in THE 2026 and 801 to 900 in ARWU 2026. Global rankings mostly measure research output and reputation, while Censis looks at what students experience. Use both as signals, then judge the programme.
Student life at the University of Cagliari happens in Sardinia's capital, a coastal city with the university's central offices on Via Università. Cagliari Elmas airport is 7 km away, 5 to 7 minutes by train for €1.30, so travel to mainland Italy is simple. ERSU Cagliari runs student residences and canteens, and in arrival season offers short stays at its Viale La Plaia residence. For longer private rentals, the university points international students to ESN Cagliari.
The University of Cagliari is the larger of Sardinia's two public universities; the other is the University of Sassari in the north of the island. Cagliari has more than 24,750 students and an English-taught offer that includes Medicine and Surgery, while Sassari has over 13,000 students and English-taught master's in veterinary fields. Both did well in Censis 2026/27: Cagliari came 3rd among large universities and Sassari 1st among medium-sized ones.
The University of Cagliari is a good choice if one of its English-taught programmes fits you, especially Medicine and Surgery, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence, or International Management, and you want a coastal city with strong student services. It suits you less if you want many English-taught options, since only a handful exist and non-EU quotas are small. Its Censis result is strong, but its global rankings are modest, so judge the programme first.
ApplyAZ helps you apply to the University of Cagliari as part of a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities. We write your CV and a tailored SOP for each, submit every application and your Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your ERSU Cagliari scholarship and prepare your visa file, with a named person owning each stage. We take no university commissions, and strong, organised students can use our roadmap to apply alone. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
Open a programme for its entry requirements, entrance tests, fees and intake dates.
