Università degli Studi di Pavia
University of Pavia, one of Italy's public universities.
The University of Pavia is a public research university in Lombardy, founded in 1361 and one of the oldest universities in Europe. It teaches about 26,400 students, including 2,800 international students, on campuses in Pavia and Cremona. Its 18 departments cover medicine, pharmacy, engineering, science, economics, humanities and social sciences. Its recognised strengths include Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, Civil Engineering, Energy Science and Engineering, Statistics and Physics.
Yes, the University of Pavia offers 27 Bachelor's and Master's programmes taught entirely in English, out of 105 degree programmes in total. English-taught options also include joint degrees, vocational programmes and PhDs. Popular choices include the BSc and MSc in Artificial Intelligence, the MSc in Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, the Master in International Business and Entrepreneurship (MIBE), the Master in Finance, and the Master in World Politics and International Relations.
The University of Pavia admits students with a non-Italian qualification through its official application portal, apply.unipv.eu, where you apply to your chosen programme. Places are limited, so a complete, early application matters more than anything else you control. We have no reliable acceptance rate for Pavia, so be careful with figures quoted online. For questions on your own case, the Welcome Office is at welcomeoffice@unipv.it or +39 0382 984020.
Applying to the University of Pavia means running three processes in parallel: university admission, the EDiSU scholarship and the Italian type D study visa. Applications for 2026/27 opened on 12 November 2025, and non-EU applicants should confirm the deadline for their citizenship on the official portal. Start early, because places are limited and both visa processing and accommodation take time. If you want EDiSU benefits, choose the income-based fee option.
Non-EU students at the University of Pavia choose between a flat rate of €390 to €4,550 a year and an income-based (ISEE) fee. The flat rate depends on citizenship and area of study and needs no financial documents. The income-based fee follows your family's economic situation, and the all-inclusive fee is zero for a family ISEE below €23,000 if you enrol within the normal length of your programme. A fixed first instalment of €156 applies, and fees are split into four instalments.
Yes, you can study at the University of Pavia with little or no tuition, but only if your family income qualifies. Tuition is set by family income (ISEE): the all-inclusive fee is zero for a family ISEE below €23,000 while you study within the normal length of your programme, and a DSU scholarship winner also gets a tuition waiver. Your family income is outside your control. Choosing the income-based option, filing documents on time and keeping your studies on track are in your control.
The EDiSU right-to-study (DSU) scholarship, run by EDiSU Pavia, is the main scholarship for University of Pavia students and is open to Italian, EU and non-EU students. It is awarded by public competition on family income and academic merit. Off-site students receive either an EDiSU college place, one canteen meal a day and up to €4,479 in cash, or one meal a day and up to €7,419 in cash. EDiSU supports more than 11% of regularly enrolled students, and MAECI government grants are also available.
The University of Pavia is in the global top 400 in QS 2027 and leads comprehensive public universities in Lombardy and Northern Italy in Censis 2026/27. It is rising, at joint 395th in QS 2027, up from 440th two editions earlier. Global rankings mostly measure research across a whole university, so they say little about one degree. Use them as one signal, then judge the programme, the entry requirements, the EDiSU scholarship and the city.
Student life at the University of Pavia happens in a historic university town of about 70,000 people, about 35 km from Milan, with trains roughly every 10 minutes. Faculties and residences are spread through the town, with 25 university colleges, 37 libraries and extensive sports facilities. Its compact size keeps living costs lower than in Milan. EDiSU scholarship winners who live off-site can receive a college place and one canteen meal a day.
The University of Pavia is the top comprehensive public university in Lombardy and Northern Italy in the Censis 2026/27 large-universities category, with a score of 90.2. Compared with studying in Milan, 35 km away, it offers lower living costs in a smaller town, with the city a short train ride away. Private universities charge fixed, high fees, while Pavia's tuition follows family income. The university reports that 91% of its graduates work within a year, against a national average of 85% (AlmaLaurea 2024).
The University of Pavia is a good choice if you want an old, respected public university, an English-taught degree and lower living costs than Milan. It is strongest for fields such as artificial intelligence, economics, finance and international relations. It suits you less if you want big-city life every day, since Pavia is a town of about 70,000 people, or if your subject is not among its 27 English-taught programmes. Its outcomes are strong: 91% of graduates in work within a year (AlmaLaurea 2024).
ApplyAZ can build the University of Pavia into a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at public universities, if it fits you. We are independent and take no commissions. We write your CV and tailored SOPs, submit each application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your EDiSU scholarship and prepare your visa file, and a named person owns each stage. We tell you if Italy is not realistic, and strong, organised students can use our roadmap to apply alone. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
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