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

University of Palermo at a glance

• Public university: The University of Palermo is a state university in Palermo, Sicily, founded in 1806, with 44,439 students enrolled in 2024/25, 766 of them international.
• Teaching in English: 18 English-taught programmes on ApplyAZ: 2 bachelor's and 16 master's.
• Fees for 2026/27: from €156 (₹17,000) in the no-tax area to €3,070 (₹3.4 lakh) at the top band for a science course. Study can be tuition-free for eligible students through a DSU scholarship from ERSU Palermo.
• Rankings: In the 801 to 850 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027 (joint 24th among Italian public universities) and in the 501 to 600 band in THE 2026.
• ApplyAZ: ApplyAZ, with offices in Milan and India, focuses on Italian public universities, with no private-university tie-ups or university commissions 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 Palermo teach in English?

The University of Palermo has 18 English-taught programmes on ApplyAZ for the next intake: 2 bachelor's and 16 master's, so most are two-year master's. 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 28 September 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 much does the University of Palermo cost in 2026/27?

The University of Palermo costs from €156 (₹17,000) a year in the no-tax area to €3,070 (₹3.4 lakh) at the top band for a science course in 2026/27. Families abroad file an ISEE parificato; non-EU visa applicants without one pay a flat €211 to €378 (₹23,000 to ₹42,000). Study can be tuition-free for eligible students with a DSU scholarship.

Students who file no ISEE are billed at class 14 at first, then moved to the top class if no ISEE arrives by 31 December. At the top band, medical courses reach €3,454 (₹3.8 lakh) a year in total and health-profession courses such as Nursing €3,587 (₹3.9 lakh); the highest, Conservation and Restoration, reaches €6,094 (₹6.7 lakh), derived from Table A, class 27, plus €156.

Source: Tabella relativa alla contribuzione studentesca A.A. 26/27 and the country lists for the flat fee (2024/25). Rupees use the FBIL reference rate of 21 September 2026, €1 = ₹109.90.

Students with income abroad can file an ISEE parificato: they first pay only the €156 and are temporarily exempt from the contribution, then the parificato sets their band (Article 10 of the Regolamento per la contribuzione studentesca, 2024/25, in force for 2026/27). Non-EU visa applicants who cannot obtain one pay the flat country contribution instead, €211 (₹23,000), €267 (₹29,000) or €378 (₹42,000) in total. Source: Palermo, tuition fees for international students.

Worked example: With a family ISEE parificato of €15,000, a first-year bachelor's student from India pays €156 (₹17,000) in 2026/27, because €15,000 is inside the no-tax area. Without a parificato, the flat country fee would be €267 (₹29,000) if India is still on List B2B, as in the 2024/25 lists, so the ISEE route is cheaper. We prepare the documents with you, file them with the university and prepare the ERSU Palermo scholarship application with you at the same time.

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

Non-EU students living abroad apply to the University of Palermo programme by programme, then pre-enrol on Universitaly so the consulate can issue a study visa. The windows below are the 2026/27 ones, and the 2027/28 calls are not published yet. The university decides admission, and the consulate decides the visa.

Sources: English-taught bachelor's, open access, English-taught master's; 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 Palermo ask for?

The University of Palermo uses TOL (the university's Test On Line), TOLC-E by CISIA, TOLC-I by CISIA and TOLC-PSI by CISIA, depending on the programme. English-taught degrees usually ask for B2 English, and Italian-taught degrees for B2 Italian. The test for each programme is in the table above and in its call.

The table sets out what two 2026/27 calls ask for at each degree level.

Sources: Bachelor's degree (extra-EU) and Master's degree (extra-EU) calls. We prepare these documents with you; our DOV guide and Italy study visa guide cover the qualification and visa papers.

English: B2 or higher, or a Medium of Instruction certificate; accepted minimums include IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 72 and PTE 46. Degrees taught in English and IB diplomas in English are exempt. Source.

Italian: B2 or higher for Italian-taught degrees: CELI, CILS, CERT.IT, PLIDA or another CLIQ certificate, or the university's own Italian test. 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 Palermo rank?

The University of Palermo is in the 801 to 850 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027, joint 24th among Italian public universities, and in the 501 to 600 band of the THE World University Rankings 2026. No subject reaches the QS by Subject 2026 top 200, and the programme matters more than any ranking.

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 Palermo find work?

Yes, most do. Among Palermo's master's graduates of 2024, 72.6% were in work about a year later, with mean net pay of €1,393 (₹1.5 lakh) a month, according to AlmaLaurea. Five years after graduating, 92.0% of the 2020 master's graduates were in work, earning €1,706 (₹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 Palermo?

Palermo students apply for the regional DSU scholarship through ERSU Palermo. For 2026/27 the family ISEE limit is €23,000 (₹25.3 lakh), and the top grant for a student living away from home is €8,246.78 (₹9.1 lakh) a year. Winners are also exempt from the university's yearly contribution, so study can be tuition-free for eligible students.

Source: ERSU Palermo call for 2026/27. Our ERSU Palermo guide covers the scholarship in full, our DSU scholarship guide compares the regions, and we prepare the application and the family documents with you.

Palermo's own awards, listed on its scholarships page for international students, are calls for refugees, students from war-affected countries and transnational education partners (Unicore, Just Peace and TNE). For students from India, the main award is the ERSU Palermo scholarship, and we check each new university call for the students we work with.

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 Palermo?

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

How does the University of Palermo compare with similar universities?

The table compares the University of Palermo with five similar public universities: the universities of Catania, Messina, Naples Federico II, Bari Aldo Moro and Cagliari. It sets out their QS 2027 rank, English-taught programmes and yearly fees; the University of Messina is a smaller alternative in the same region, with 19 English-taught programmes.

Sources: QS World University Rankings 2027, our own programme listings and each university's fee rules, linked on its page. Where a university sets a flat or country-group fee for families with income abroad, its page gives that fee. 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 Palermo?

For eligible students, we take care of the whole application to the University of Palermo. 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 scholarship application (ERSU Palermo) with you.

We focus on Italian public universities and consider selected exceptions when they fit the student’s needs. We have no private-university tie-ups and receive no university commissions. Decisions remain with the relevant authorities: the university decides admission, the region decides the DSU scholarship and the consulate decides the visa.

Student experiences at this university

Hear directly from ApplyAZ students about the support they valued on their route to English-taught study in Italy.

• Manpreet: Bachelor’s in Economics and Finance at University of Palermo. Encouragement throughout the application.
• Shreyash Gupta: Master’s in Spatial Planning at University of Palermo. Clear steps for an online application.

Explore all student stories and videos.

Frequently asked questions

Is the University of Palermo a public university?

Yes. The University of Palermo is a state university on the Ministry of University and Research's list of 61 public universities, established as a university in 1806 and based in Palermo, Sicily. Its fees follow family income under national rules, and it had 44,439 students in 2024/25, 766 of them international.

How much does the University of Palermo cost in 2026/27?

In 2026/27 the University of Palermo costs €156 (₹17,000) a year with a family ISEE up to €25,000, and up to €3,070 (₹3.4 lakh) at the top band for a science course. Humanities courses top out at €2,811 (₹3.1 lakh), and non-EU visa applicants without an ISEE parificato pay a flat €211 to €378 (₹23,000 to ₹42,000).

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

Yes. Palermo exempts students who meet the ERSU Palermo scholarship requirements from its yearly contribution, and ERSU refunds the regional tax, so study can be tuition-free for eligible students. The 2026/27 family limits are an ISEE of €23,000 and an ISPE of €52,500, and the top grant for a student living away from home is €8,246.78 (₹9.1 lakh).

What does a student from India pay at the University of Palermo?

With an ISEE parificato of €15,000, a first-year student from India pays €156 (₹17,000) in 2026/27, because that is inside the no-tax area. Without a parificato, a visa applicant pays the flat country fee, €267 (₹29,000) if India is still on List B2B as in 2024/25. We work out the cheaper route and prepare the documents with the family.

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

We list 18 English-taught programmes at the University of Palermo for the next intake: 2 bachelor's and 16 master's, in fields such as engineering, data science, economics, neuroscience and international relations. Master's applicants are selected on their degree and CV, then interviewed by the course coordinator.

Which entry tests does the University of Palermo use?

The University of Palermo uses its own TOL test for many locally restricted courses, CISIA's TOLC-E, TOLC-I and TOLC-PSI for economics, engineering and psychology, and the open semester for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine. English-taught master's have no entry test but add an interview. We match each programme to its test and handle the registration.

What does it cost to live in Palermo as a student?

A private single room in Palermo averaged €315 (₹35,000) a month in August 2026, up 13.6% in a year, according to Immobiliare.it Insights. ERSU Palermo gives scholarship-eligible students a residence bed with no rent. Our estimate for a monthly budget in Palermo, rent included, is €550 to €850 (₹60,000 to ₹93,000).

What is the University of Palermo's world ranking?

The University of Palermo is in the 801 to 850 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027, joint 24th among Italian public universities, and in the 501 to 600 band of the THE World University Rankings 2026. It has no subject in the world top 200 of QS by Subject 2026.

When do applications open at the University of Palermo?

The 2027/28 calls are not published yet. For 2026/27, applications on the Unipa Student Portal closed on 20 July 2026, and Universitaly pre-enrolment closed on 4 August for master's and 30 August for bachelor's, ahead of the 30 November visa deadline. We track the new calls and file each application in time.

How does ApplyAZ help with a University of Palermo application?

For eligible students, we take care of everything: the shortlist, the fee route and the ISEE parificato, each Unipa portal application, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the ERSU Palermo scholarship and the visa file. The university decides admission, ERSU Palermo the scholarship and the consulate the visa. Start by checking your eligibility at go.applyaz.com.

Sources

• MUR, Università statali
• Ustat, University of Palermo, 2024/25
• Palermo, history and the Palermo website
• Tabella relativa alla contribuzione studentesca A.A. 26/27, country lists for the flat fee (2024/25) and tuition fees for international students, Palermo, 2026/27
• English-taught bachelor's, open access and English-taught master's calls, 2026/27; admission tests, 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
• Palermo, scholarships for international students (Palermo's own scholarships)
• ERSU Palermo call 2026/27
• Immobiliare.it Insights, 3 August 2026, ERSU Palermo call for 2026/27, our Palermo city guide
• Palermo, Regolamento per la contribuzione studentesca (2024/25 text, in force for 2026/27), arts. 4, 10 and 12
• Palermo, Semestre aperto 2026/27 notice
• Universitaly, Kolkata consulate visa checklist and the FBIL reference rate, 21 September 2026
• All sources verified 28 September 2026. Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead; reviewed by Reeya Sharma. First published 3 June 2025; last updated and verified 28 September 2026.