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

University of Ferrara at a glance

• Public university: The University of Ferrara is a state university in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, on MUR's list of 61 public universities, with 27,101 students enrolled in 2024/25, 902 of them international.
• Teaching in English: 4 English-taught programmes on ApplyAZ: 3 master's degrees and 1 bachelor's.
• Fees for 2026/27: set by family income (ISEE), the same for every course, so study can be tuition-free for eligible students through a DSU scholarship from ER.GO.
• Rankings: In the 901 to 950 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027 (31st among Italian public universities) and in the 501 to 600 band in THE 2026.
• ApplyAZ: ApplyAZ, with offices in Milan and India, works only with Italian public universities 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 Ferrara teach in English?

The University of Ferrara has 4 English-taught programmes on ApplyAZ for the next intake: three master's degrees and a bachelor's in Physiotherapy. 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 9 October 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 tuition works at the University of Ferrara

At the University of Ferrara, tuition follows family income, the same for every course in 2026/27, and an ISEE up to €27,000 falls in the no-tax area. The contribution follows the family ISEE, or translated and legalised income documents for families abroad, and study can be tuition-free for eligible students who win an ER.GO scholarship.

From the second year, the fee also depends on credits earned and years enrolled. After a first instalment, the contribution is paid in three equal instalments, the last two by 15 February and 17 May 2027.

Source: Bando Unife 2026/2027: Costi d'iscrizione, Benefici e agevolazioni.

Families with income or assets abroad can pay the same as families with an ISEE: they file their 2025 family, income and property details with certificates from the home country, translated into Italian and legalised, as Unife's English guide to the foreign income form explains. The deadline is 2 November 2026, or 15 December with a late surcharge; the Bando sets no flat fee by country, and the ER.GO scholarship has its own, earlier deadline. Source: Ferrara, ISEE and income from abroad.

Worked example: If Unife's check of the family's translated and legalised income documents gives an ISEE-equivalent of €15,000, a first-year student from India falls inside the no-tax area in 2026/27 (derived). Without the documents by 15 December 2026, the top band applies, on every course. We prepare the translated and legalised documents and the online form with you, and the ER.GO scholarship application with you at the same time.

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

Non-EU students living abroad apply to the University of Ferrara on apply.unife.it, where the documents are evaluated, and pre-register on Universitaly so the consulate can issue a study visa. The windows below are the 2026/27 ones: visa applications are now closed, and the 2027/28 windows are not published yet. The university decides admission, and the consulate decides the visa.

Sources: Ferrara's how to enrol page for the apply.unife.it windows and its entrance visa page for the Universitaly deadlines, 2026/27 (the pages print no year beside the dates); 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 Ferrara ask for?

The University of Ferrara uses CISIA's TOLC tests to assess starting knowledge on open-access bachelor's degrees, not to select. Architecture, the health professions, and Medicine and Dentistry follow national restricted access, while English-taught master's check the degree and documents instead of setting a test. The route for each programme is in the table above.

The table sets out what Ferrara's 2026/27 pages for international students ask for at each degree level.

Sources: Ferrara's documents and qualifications page, entrance visa page and arrival to enrolment page, 2026/27. We prepare these documents with you; our DOV guide and Italy study visa guide cover the qualification and visa papers.

English: An internationally recognised certificate of at least B2 for the study visa, if English is not your mother tongue. Ferrara's admission pages give no other level for its English-taught master's, so we check each programme's requirement for your shortlist. Source.

Italian: Ferrara's admission pages for international students give no Italian level: the documents page asks for language proof only where a course's admission procedure requires it, so we check each Italian-taught course on your shortlist. 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 Ferrara rank?

The University of Ferrara is in the 901 to 950 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027, 31st among Italian public universities, and in the 501 to 600 band of the THE World University Rankings 2026. No subject reaches the world top 200 in QS by Subject 2026, 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 Ferrara find work?

Yes, most do. Among Ferrara's master's graduates of 2024, 82.5% were in work about a year later, with mean net pay of €1,508 (₹1.7 lakh) a month, according to AlmaLaurea. Five years after graduating, 92.7% of the 2020 master's graduates were in work, earning €1,925 (₹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. AlmaLaurea flags a response rate below 50% for Ferrara's master's graduates at 5 years.

Which DSU scholarship covers the University of Ferrara?

University of Ferrara students apply for the regional DSU scholarship through ER.GO. For 2026/27 the family ISEE limit is €25,000 (₹27.5 lakh), and a student living away from home can get up to €7,171.11 (₹7.9 lakh) a year. Winners are exempt from the yearly contribution and get the regional tax refunded, 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 with you, with the translated and legalised family documents that ER.GO assesses itself for families without an ISEE.

Ferrara's fee call also rewards top marks: first-year students who finished school with 100 e lode, or a first degree with 110 e lode for a master's, pay only the first instalment, and a foreign mark counts only if it corresponds exactly (Bando Unife 2026/27, p. 17). The call names no scholarship of its own for international students, so for students from countries like India the ER.GO scholarship is the award we prepare.

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 Ferrara?

For the study visa, the consulate asks you to show at least €10,179.85 (₹11.2 lakh) a year for living costs in Ferrara 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 Ferrara city guide covers housing, transport and daily costs in detail.

How does the University of Ferrara compare with similar universities?

The table compares the University of Ferrara with five similar public universities: the universities of Bologna, Padua, Modena and Reggio Emilia and Parma, and Ca' Foscari University of Venice. It sets out their QS 2027 rank and English-taught programmes; Modena and Reggio Emilia is a slightly smaller alternative in the same region, with 8 English-taught programmes.

Sources: QS World University Rankings 2027 and 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 Ferrara?

For eligible students, we take care of the whole application to the University of Ferrara. 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 ER.GO scholarship application with you.

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

Frequently asked questions

Is the University of Ferrara a public university?

Yes. The University of Ferrara is a state university on the Ministry of University and Research's list of 61 public universities, based in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna. It had 27,101 students in 2024/25, 902 of them international, and its fees follow family income, with the same bands for families whose income is abroad.

How does tuition work at the University of Ferrara?

Tuition at the University of Ferrara follows family income, measured by the ISEE, the same for every course, and an ISEE up to €27,000 falls in the no-tax area. Above it, the contribution rises with the ISEE. Families with income abroad file translated and legalised income documents instead, and ER.GO scholarship winners are exempt, so study can be tuition-free for eligible students.

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

Yes. Students who win an ER.GO scholarship are exempt from the yearly contribution and get the 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.

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

It depends on the documents. If Unife's check of the family's translated and legalised income papers gives an ISEE-equivalent of €15,000, a first-year student from India falls in the no-tax area in 2026/27. Ferrara sets no flat fee by country, and without the papers by 15 December 2026 the top band applies. We prepare the papers with the family.

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

We list 4 English-taught programmes at the University of Ferrara: three master's degrees, in Physics, Green Economy and Sustainable Transitions, and Small Business Management in International Markets, and a bachelor's in Physiotherapy. Each programme page sets out its entry route, intake and requirements.

Which entry tests does the University of Ferrara use?

The University of Ferrara uses CISIA's TOLC tests to assess starting knowledge on open-access bachelor's degrees, not to select, and national procedures for Architecture, the health professions, Medicine and Dentistry. Its English-taught master's check the degree and documents instead of setting a test. We match each programme on your shortlist to its route and handle the registration.

Which English-taught master's degrees does the University of Ferrara offer?

Ferrara's course catalogue marks seven master's as taught in English, and we list three: Physics, Green Economy and Sustainable Transitions, and Small Business Management in International Markets. All three are open access with a requirements check and took 2026/27 applications on apply.unife.it from 12 January to 30 April. The other four link to partner universities' course sites.

What is the University of Ferrara's world ranking?

The University of Ferrara is in the 901 to 950 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027, 31st among Italian public universities, and in the 501 to 600 band of the THE World University Rankings 2026. No subject reaches the world top 200 in QS by Subject 2026, so the programme matters more than the rank.

When do applications open at the University of Ferrara?

For 2026/27, Ferrara's English-taught master's took applications on apply.unife.it from 12 January to 30 April, other master's to 30 June and bachelor's to 31 July, with Universitaly pre-evaluation by 30 June or 31 July. Visa applications are now closed and the 2027/28 windows are not published yet, so we track them for your shortlist.

How does ApplyAZ help with a University of Ferrara application?

For eligible students, we take care of everything: the shortlist, the translated and legalised income documents, each apply.unife.it application, Universitaly pre-evaluation, the visa file and the ER.GO scholarship application, prepared with you. 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 Ferrara, 2024/25
• Our own listing (founding year) and the Ferrara website
• Bando Unife 2026/2027: Costi d'iscrizione, Benefici e agevolazioni and ISEE and income from abroad, Ferrara, 2026/27
• Ferrara's how to enrol page and entrance visa page for international students, 2026/27; TOLC page, 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
• Bando Unife 2026/27, merit exemption (Ferrara's merit fee exemption)
• ER.GO call 2026/27
• Immobiliare.it Insights, 3 August 2026, ER.GO residence fees 2026/27, our Ferrara city guide
• Unife course catalogue (teaching languages)
• Unife English guide to the foreign income form
• Unife restricted-access courses page, 2026/27
• Unife enrolment news for 2026/27, 10 July 2026
• Unife arrival to enrolment page
• 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.