University of Messina - Universita degli Studi di MESSINA
Public university
Average Gross Tution
€0 for eligible Students
Programs Available
940+
Jobs
4 Lakh+ Italian Jobs
The University of Messina is one of the cheapest routes into an Italian public degree for international students — most non-EU students pay between €156 and €506 for a full academic year. Founded in 1548 on the Sicilian coast, UniME now runs 18 degrees fully in English, including a six-year Medicine and Surgery programme.
This guide covers what you actually pay, which courses are in English, who qualifies, and where the 2026/27 cycle stands right now.
UniME began as the College of Messina, founded by Ignatius of Loyola under Pope Paul III — the first Jesuit college anywhere, and the template for hundreds that followed. Marcello Malpighi, Giovanni Pascoli and Vittorio Emanuele Orlando all taught or studied here.
Modern UniME is a mid-sized public university spread across four campuses in the city, with its medical school built around the G. Martino University Hospital. Its strongest research identity comes from geography: sitting on the Strait of Messina gives it genuinely unusual programmes in marine biology, blue biotechnology and seismic risk that larger inland universities can't run.
For international applicants, the practical draw is simpler — it is a state university with real English-language provision and among the lowest published fees in Western Europe.
This is where most guides get it wrong. Since 2025/26, UniME sets international tuition by country group, not by course or family income. The figure below is the total annual amount, regional tax included.
So an Indian student on a master's in Data Science pays €256 for the year — roughly ₹26,000. That is the whole tuition bill, not a deposit or a first instalment. It can be split into three payments, and invoices appear on your ESSE3 student page about a month before each due date.
Two things this table does not cover: the €30 application fee, and Vocational Master programmes (Master Universitari), which are priced separately in their own annual call.
UniME lists 18 full degrees in English for 2026/27. Note what is not here: there is no English-taught MBA, despite what several agency pages claim.
Bachelor's degrees (3 years)
Single-cycle degree (6 years)
Master's degrees (2 years)
Everything else at UniME — Pharmacy, Law, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Italian-track Medicine, most humanities — is taught in Italian and requires a B2 Italian certificate or a pass in the university's ITA-Test.
UniME does not publish one, and the numbers floating around online — 60–70% on some sites, 20% on others — are third-party guesses. Treat them as noise.
What actually determines whether you get in:
For open-access English-taught bachelor's and master's degrees, a well-matched, complete application has a strong chance. For Medicine, assume it is competitive and prepare accordingly.
Every document must be in English or officially translated into Italian.
You need an accepted international certificate at B2 — IELTS and TOEFL both qualify — unless you fall into an exemption category, such as having studied previously in English. Check the exemption list before booking a test; a lot of applicants pay for one they didn't need.
Applications for English-taught programmes go through the UniME Application Portal; Italian-taught ones use the Portale UniME dei candidati. One account gives access to both.
You may submit a maximum of two pre-evaluation applications — any combination of English and Italian-taught. The €30 fee covers both and is non-refundable.
The steps:
Where the cycle stands right now (August 2026): all visa-applicant calls for 2026/27 have closed. The no-visa call remains open until 20 November, and the Universitaly pre-enrolment deadline for 2026/27 is 15 September 2026. If you need a study visa, you are now working toward 2027/28 — based on this year's pattern, the early-bird call should open around late November 2026, which is the window worth targeting.
Two completely different routes, and mixing them up costs people a year.
English-taught Medicine and Surgery requires the IMAT, run nationally by the Ministry of University and Research. Applications must be submitted on the UniME portal and on Universitaly within the same window. Clinical training runs through the G. Martino University Hospital and GP practices.
Italian-taught Medicina e Chirurgia no longer has an entrance test at all. Under the 2025 national reform, the first semester is open to everyone. At the end of it, all Italian universities run three common exams, and your average determines whether you continue. If you don't make the cut, the credits transfer into related degrees like Pharmacy or Biotechnology. This route still requires B2 Italian.
Close to it, for students who qualify. The main scheme is ERSU Messina, the regional right-to-study agency, and it is open to non-EU students.
For 2026/27, the package includes:
The 2026/27 application window ran 1 July – 18 August 2026 on the ERSU Messina portal. Awards are based on income and academic merit, which means your ISEE Parificato — the Italian financial-status declaration — has to be prepared early. Missing it is the single most common reason international students lose a scholarship they would have won.
UniME also runs Casa UniME, a rent grant for out-of-town and international students, and Italy's national MAECI scholarships are open to Indian applicants separately.
Messina is substantially cheaper than Milan, Rome or Bologna — the trade-off for being at the far southern end of the country.
You'll also need health cover, a codice fiscale (tax code), and your residence permit within eight days of arriving. Non-EU students can work up to 20 hours a week during term.
Be honest with yourself about the trade-off.
It works well if you want a recognised EU degree at close to zero tuition, you're targeting one of its distinctive strengths — marine biology, seismic risk, data science, medicine — or you want a low-cost, low-competition entry point into the Italian system with Erasmus mobility attached.
It works less well if brand ranking drives your plans. At 761–770 in the QS World Rankings, UniME is a solid but not elite institution, and Messina is a quiet coastal city of about 220,000 — the internship and part-time job market is thinner than in Milan or Turin. Everyday life off campus runs largely in Italian, so arriving with zero Italian makes the first months harder than students expect.
For most international applicants weighing cost against outcome, the maths still lands firmly in UniME's favour.
Is the University of Messina free?
Not technically, but it's close. International tuition runs €156–€506 a year depending on your country group, and an ERSU scholarship can cover the rest plus a living stipend.
How much is tuition for Indian students?
India sits in Group B: €256 per year, regional tax included.
Does UniME teach in English?
Yes — 18 full degrees, including Medicine and Surgery. Italian-taught programmes require a B2 Italian certificate or the UniME ITA-Test.
How many applications can I submit?
Two, in any combination of English and Italian-taught programmes. The €30 fee covers both.
Is UniME recognised in India?
Yes. It is a state university within the Italian system, and degrees carry ECTS credits. For Indian recognition, get your qualification assessed through CIMEA or the relevant authority.
When do applications for 2027/28 open?
Based on this year's calendar, expect the early-bird call for non-EU visa applicants around late November 2026. Applying in that first window gives you the longest runway for the visa.
Is Messina safe for international students?
Yes. It's a small coastal city with normal urban precautions and an active student community across the four campuses.
Data verified against international.unime.it (application, fees and English-taught programme pages, updated June–July 2026), the ERSU Messina 2026/27 call, and QS World University Rankings 2027. Fees and deadlines change annually — confirm on the official portal before applying.
