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

University of Calabria at a glance

• Public university: The University of Calabria is a state university in Rende, Calabria, founded in 1968, with 23,469 students enrolled in 2024/25, 802 of them international.
• Teaching in English: 10 English-taught programmes on ApplyAZ, all master's degrees.
• Fees for 2026/27: set by family income (ISEE), so study can be tuition-free for eligible students with a University of Calabria DSU scholarship. UnicalAdmission scholarship places also cover the enrolment fee.
• Rankings: In the 851 to 900 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027 (joint 26th among Italian public universities) and in the 601 to 800 band in THE 2026.
• ApplyAZ: ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, with offices in Milan and India. For eligible students from countries like India we take care of university checks, applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment and the visa file, and we help with the DSU scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.

Which programmes does the University of Calabria teach in English?

The University of Calabria has 10 English-taught programmes on ApplyAZ for the next intake: all of them master's degrees. Each programme page sets out its entry test, intake and requirements. The table lists them by level, with the test each one uses.

Source: our own programme listings, counted on 9 October 2026, 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 tuition works at the University of Calabria

At the University of Calabria, the yearly contribution depends on family income, measured by the ISEE. An ISEE up to €22,000 falls in the no-tax area, and study can be tuition-free for eligible students with a DSU scholarship. UnicalAdmission scholarship places also cover the enrolment fee.

Tuition follows family income (ISEE). Families with income abroad can file an ISEE parificato or pay the flat fee for international students, and DSU scholarship winners are exempt from tuition.

The contribution is paid in three parts: by 30 November 2026 (31 January 2027 for master's), then by 28 February and 31 May 2027. Late payment adds a penalty (Allegato 1).

Source: Allegato 1, Tasse a.a. 2026/27 and Tasse, contributi ed esoneri page for 2026/27. Rupees use the FBIL reference rate of 21 September 2026, €1 = ₹109.90.

International students are charged by ISEE when they file one; without it the university applies a flat fee for international students. Through the UnicalAdmission call, scholarship places cover the enrolment fee. Source: UnicalAdmission master's call 2026/27, Article 6.

Worked example: A student from India admitted through the 2026/27 UnicalAdmission call to one of its scholarship places gets the enrolment fee covered, with housing, campus meals and about €3,600 included (₹4.0 lakh), for families under the call's income limits. The university scholarship needs an ISEE parificato by 30 October 2026; for the DSU scholarship, which the student submits online in their own name once enrolled (for 2026/27, the window closed on 30 September 2026 at 12:00 Italian time), we prepare the family documents with you.

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

Non-EU students living abroad apply to Calabria's master's through the UnicalAdmission call, on the Esse3 portal. A department committee reviews the CV and holds an online interview, then winners enrol conditionally and pre-enrol on Universitaly for the visa. The 2026/27 call closed on 30 March 2026, and the university decides admission.

Sources: Calabria's UnicalAdmission master's call 2026/27, the decree extending conditional enrolment to 17 June 2026 and the Unical Admission page; 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 Calabria ask for?

Calabria sets no written test for its international master's. Through the UnicalAdmission call, a department committee reviews each applicant's CV and holds a remote oral interview in the teaching language, which also checks English or Italian. Non-EU bachelor's applicants take a CISIA TOLC test instead.

The table sets out what the 2026/27 UnicalAdmission call asks of non-EU applicants living abroad, with an English-taught and an Italian-taught master's as examples.

Sources: Calabria's UnicalAdmission master's call 2026/27, its how-to-apply guide and the reallocation decree, 2026/27. We prepare these documents with you; our DOV guide and Italy study visa guide cover the qualification and visa papers.

English: No CEFR level is set: the 2026/27 UnicalAdmission call assesses English in the online interview for English-taught master's (Article 10), and an English certificate is optional at application (how-to-apply guide). Source.

Italian: Not required for admission to an English-taught master's: the interview checks Italian only for master's taught in Italian (Articles 3 and 10), and Calabria offers an optional Italian course. 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 Calabria rank?

The University of Calabria is in the 851 to 900 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027, joint 26th among Italian public universities, and in the 601 to 800 band of the THE World University Rankings 2026. It has no subject in the QS by Subject 2026 top 200, so the programme matters more than the rank.

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.

Do graduates of the University of Calabria find work?

Yes, most do. Among Calabria's master's graduates of 2024, 69.8% were in work about a year later, with mean net pay of €1,403 (₹1.5 lakh) a month, according to AlmaLaurea. Five years after graduating, 90.4% of the 2020 master's graduates were in work, earning €1,701 (₹1.9 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 Calabria?

The University of Calabria runs its own DSU call for 2026/27 through its Centro Residenziale, open to international students on the same terms as Italians. The family ISEE limit is €26,500 (₹29.1 lakh), and a student living away from home can get up to €8,246.78 (₹9.1 lakh) a year. Eligible students pay no university fees or contributions.

Source: University of Calabria DSU call for 2026/27. Our DSU scholarship guide compares the regions, and we prepare the application and the family documents with you before the student submits it online in their own name.

The UnicalAdmission call also offers 132 university scholarships for non-EU master's students in 2026/27, 9 or 10 on each English-taught master's after a February reallocation. Each covers the enrolment fee, a residence place, campus meals and about €3,600 (₹4.0 lakh), for families with income up to €41,500 (₹45.6 lakh) for two members or €54,000 (₹59.3 lakh) for three or more.

Keeping it for 2027/28 needs 30 credits by 10 August 2027. The DSU call makes other University of Calabria awards and MAECI scholarships incompatible with a DSU scholarship, unless the student gives one up (DSU call, Article 20).

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 Rende?

For the study visa, the consulate asks you to show at least €10,179.85 (₹11.2 lakh) a year for living costs in Rende or any other Italian city. That is a floor, not a full budget: rent is the biggest cost, and a DSU winner's residence place is paid from the grant.

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

How does the University of Calabria compare with similar universities?

The table compares the University of Calabria with five public universities in southern Italy: Magna Graecia in Catanzaro and Mediterranea in Reggio Calabria, the other two Calabrian universities, then Salerno, Catania and Messina. It sets out their QS 2027 rank and English-taught programmes on ApplyAZ.

Sources: QS World University Rankings 2027, our own programme listings, counted on 9 October 2026. Each university's page explains how its tuition works. 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 Calabria?

For eligible students, we take care of the whole application to the University of Calabria. 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 application with you, which the student submits online in their own name.

We work only with Italian public universities, and we do not promise outcomes: the university decides admission, the university's Centro Residenziale decides the DSU scholarship and the consulate decides the visa.

Frequently asked questions

Is the University of Calabria a public university?

Yes. The University of Calabria is a state university on the Ministry of University and Research's list of 61 public universities, established by law in 1968, with its campus at Arcavacata di Rende, near Cosenza. It had 23,469 students in 2024/25, 802 of them international, and its fees follow family income.

How does tuition work at the University of Calabria?

Tuition at the University of Calabria follows family income, measured by the ISEE, and an ISEE up to €22,000 falls in the no-tax area. International students without an ISEE are charged a flat fee, UnicalAdmission scholarship places cover the enrolment fee, and study can be tuition-free for eligible students with a DSU scholarship.

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

Yes. Students who meet the University of Calabria's own 2026/27 DSU call pay no university fees or contributions, so study can be tuition-free for eligible students. The family ISEE limit is €26,500 (₹29.1 lakh), and the top grant for a student living away from home is €8,246.78 (₹9.1 lakh) a year.

Which route suits a student from India at the University of Calabria?

A student from India applies through the UnicalAdmission call. A scholarship place covers the enrolment fee and includes housing, campus meals and about €3,600 (₹4.0 lakh), for families under the call's income limits. On other places tuition follows the call's rules, and a DSU scholarship can make study tuition-free for eligible students.

Does the University of Calabria offer its own scholarships?

Yes. The 2026/27 UnicalAdmission call offers 132 scholarships for non-EU master's students, 9 or 10 on each English-taught master's, with housing, campus meals and about €3,600 included (₹4.0 lakh). Families need income up to €54,000 (₹59.3 lakh) for three or more members, and the DSU call does not allow it alongside another University of Calabria award.

Which entry tests does the University of Calabria use?

Calabria sets no written test for its international master's. A department committee reviews each UnicalAdmission applicant's CV and holds a remote oral interview in the teaching language, which also checks English or Italian. Non-EU bachelor's applicants take a CISIA TOLC test instead, and we prepare each applicant for the interview.

Where is the University of Calabria's campus?

The University of Calabria's campus is at Arcavacata di Rende, next to Cosenza, at Via Pietro Bucci, 87036 Rende. Our Rende city guide puts a student budget at €500 to €700 a month (₹55,000 to ₹77,000), rent included. We help eligible students plan housing and the move as part of the visa file.

What is the University of Calabria's world ranking?

The University of Calabria is in the 851 to 900 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027, joint 26th among Italian public universities, and in the 601 to 800 band of the THE World University Rankings 2026. It has no subject in the QS by Subject 2026 top 200.

When do applications open at the University of Calabria?

Non-EU students apply to the University of Calabria's master's through the UnicalAdmission call. The 2026/27 call closed on 30 March 2026, and the university expects to publish the 2027/28 call in January 2027. We track the new call and file every application in time for eligible students.

How does ApplyAZ help with a University of Calabria application?

For eligible students, we take care of everything: the shortlist, the UnicalAdmission application and interview preparation, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the ISEE parificato, the visa file and the DSU application, prepared with you. The university decides admission and the scholarships, and the consulate decides the visa. Start by checking your eligibility at go.applyaz.com.

Sources

• MUR, Università statali
• Ustat, University of Calabria, 2024/25
• Calabria, history and mission and the Calabria website
• Allegato 1, Tasse a.a. 2026/27, Tasse, contributi ed esoneri page for 2026/27 and UnicalAdmission master's call 2026/27, Article 6, Calabria, 2026/27
• Calabria's UnicalAdmission master's call 2026/27, reallocation decree, how-to-apply guide and Unical Admission page (2027/28 timing); UnicalAdmission call 2026/27, 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, Rapporto 2026
• UnicalAdmission master's call 2026/27, Article 9 and Unical Admission page (Calabria's own scholarships)
• University of Calabria DSU call 2026/27
• University of Calabria DSU call for 2026/27, Article 10, our Rende city guide
• Calabria's international course catalogue, the international students page, the DSU calls page and the DSU guidelines for international students 2026/27
• Universitaly, Kolkata consulate visa checklist and the FBIL reference rate, 21 September 2026
• All sources verified 28 and 29 September 2026. Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead; reviewed by Reeya Sharma. First published 3 June 2025; last updated and verified 29 September 2026.