Università degli Studi di Roma "Foro Italico"
University of Rome Foro Italico. Photo: Mister No, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The University of Rome Foro Italico is Italy's public university dedicated to sport, exercise and movement sciences, based at Piazza Lauro de Bosis in the Foro Italico area of Rome, Lazio. It has been a university institution since 1998. It is small and specialist rather than general: its 686 graduates in 2025, 440 at bachelor's level and 246 at master's level, came from just 2 of AlmaLaurea's 15 fields of study. It has been an AlmaLaurea member since 2006.
The University of Rome Foro Italico teaches mainly in Italian, so most international students need a solid level of Italian to study there. Its degrees centre on sport and exercise sciences at bachelor's and master's level. Check its official site, uniroma4.it, for any English-taught programme in the year you plan to start. If you need a fully English degree in this field, compare it with Tor Vergata's English-taught MSc in Sport and Health Promotion.
The University of Rome Foro Italico follows Italy's national rules for international applicants: you need a school qualification valid for university entry in your country, or a relevant degree for a master's, with a declaration of value or CIMEA statement. Non-EU applicants resident abroad compete for a limited quota of reserved places and must pre-enrol on Universitaly for their visa. Italian-taught degrees require proof of Italian. The university publishes no acceptance rate.
You apply to the University of Rome Foro Italico by checking the admission notice for your programme, applying to the university, and completing Universitaly pre-enrolment for your visa if you are a non-EU applicant resident abroad. Places can be limited, so read the call's selection rules and dates carefully. Apply to DiSCo Lazio for a scholarship in parallel: its 2026/27 call closed at noon on 22 July 2026, well before most courses start.
The University of Rome Foro Italico, like every Italian public university, sets tuition by family income (ISEE), and Italian law sets a no-tax area of at least €22,000 ISEE. Every student also pays the Lazio regional tax of €140 and a €16 stamp duty. If your family income is abroad, you need an ISEE parificato built from translated, legalised documents; without one, you should expect the top fee band. Check the university's current fee regulation for its exact bands.
You can study at the University of Rome Foro Italico with little or no tuition only if your family income qualifies and you complete the paperwork on time. Tuition is set by family income (ISEE); students from lower-income families can pay little or nothing beyond the regional tax, and a DSU scholarship winner also gets a tuition waiver. In your control: your ISEE parificato, your DiSCo Lazio application and its deadline. Not in your control: your family's income, the regional ranking and whether you win a place on a limited-entry degree.
The main scholarship for University of Rome Foro Italico students is the DiSCo Lazio right-to-study grant, run by the Lazio region for students at its universities. For 2026/27 its ISEE limit is €28,339.88 and its ISPE limit €61,608.48, and the call closed at noon on 22 July 2026. The national minimum grant for 2026/27 is €7,171.11 a year for off-site students and €4,190.71 for commuters. The same call covers residence places and canteen access.
The University of Rome Foro Italico does not appear in ARWU 2026, and we found no QS 2027, THE 2026 or Censis 2026/27 ranking for it. That is normal for a small, single-field university: global tables measure research volume across many subjects, and Censis groups universities by size. For sport science, judge the programme itself, its practical training, its facilities and its links with sport federations and clubs.
Student life at the University of Rome Foro Italico happens in the Foro Italico area in the north of Rome, a district shaped around sport. Rome is one of Italy's more expensive cities: HousingAnywhere's September 2026 estimate puts a room at about €650 a month and a full student budget near €1,200, with a monthly transport pass around €35. DiSCo Lazio handles residence places for scholarship students, so apply early and never pay a housing deposit before seeing the room.
The University of Rome Foro Italico is the only one of Rome's public universities devoted entirely to sport and movement sciences. Sapienza, Tor Vergata and Roma Tre are large, multi-subject universities: in QS 2027 Sapienza is 111th and Tor Vergata joint 342nd. Tor Vergata also teaches an MSc in Sport and Health Promotion in English, which suits students without Italian. Choose Foro Italico if you want a specialist sport environment and can study in Italian.
The University of Rome Foro Italico is a good choice if you want a career in sport, exercise, coaching or physical activity for health, you speak good Italian, and you prefer a small, specialist university over a large general one. It suits you less if you need a degree fully in English, want a wide choice of subjects, or care about global ranking positions. Budget honestly for Rome, and apply to DiSCo Lazio early if your family income is modest.
ApplyAZ can tell you honestly whether the University of Rome Foro Italico fits your plan, and build it into a shortlist of 20 to 30 programmes at Italian public universities if it does. We write your CV and a tailored SOP, submit applications and your Universitaly pre-enrolment, file DiSCo Lazio and prepare your visa file, with a named person owning each stage. We take no university commissions, and organised Italian speakers can apply alone. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
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