Università del Salento
University of Salento, one of Italy's public universities.
The University of Salento is a public university in Lecce, in Apulia, founded in 1955, run as the Free University of Lecce from 1960 and a state university since the late 1960s. It is the main university of the Salento peninsula, with programmes in engineering, sciences, economics, law, languages, education and social sciences. It is growing: enrolment rose 16.7% between 2018/19 and 2024/25, to 20,075 students (ANVUR), and it ranks in all three main world tables.
The University of Salento teaches most of its degree programmes in Italian, and its international portal lets you filter the course list for international courses, including any taught in English. We could not verify a current count of English-taught degrees, so check the language of instruction in the course catalogue before you apply. For Italian-taught degrees, non-EU students living abroad must meet the Italian language requirement set in each admission notice.
The University of Salento sets requirements by programme: open-access degrees go straight to enrolment, limited-place bachelor's degrees need a selection test, and master's degrees need the right prior credits plus an admission test or check. Non-EU students who need a visa also pre-enrol on Universitaly and must obtain the visa before final enrolment. For Italian-taught courses they also meet the Italian requirement. The university publishes no acceptance rate.
Applying to the University of Salento runs through its student portal, studenti.unisalento.it, plus Universitaly and the visa if you are non-EU. In the 2025/26 cycle, visa applications had to reach the Italian consulate by 30 November 2025, and enrolment ran from July to November, so expect a similar calendar and confirm the dates in each year's admission notice. Start in spring, because documents, the language requirement and visa appointments all take time.
The University of Salento sets tuition by family income (ISEE) in its yearly fee regulation, and we could not verify its 2026/27 amounts from official pages. Italian rules give a no-tax area: students on track with an ISEE up to €22,000 pay no contribution, only the regional tax and stamp duty. If your family income is abroad, you need an ISEE parificato, built from translated and legalised documents; without one, expect the top band. Check the fee page before you budget.
Yes, you can study at the University of Salento with little or no tuition, but only if your family income qualifies and your paperwork is 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 ADISU Puglia application and every deadline. Not in your control: your family income and the ranking.
The right-to-study (DSU) scholarship for University of Salento students comes from ADISU Puglia, the regional agency for Apulia, which also runs student housing and canteens. For 2026/27, bachelor's and master's students applied online between 14 July and 13 August 2026, and provisional rankings were approved in early September. In Censis 2026/27 Salento scored 100 for scholarships. We could not verify this year's grant amounts, so read them in the ADISU call.
The University of Salento is 7th among Italy's medium-sized public universities in Censis 2026/27, with 86.8 points, up six places, and it appears in all three main world tables: 1001 to 1200 in QS 2027, 801 to 1000 in THE 2026 and 801 to 900 in ARWU 2026. Global tables mostly measure research across a whole university, while Censis weighs services, scholarships and facilities. Use rankings as one signal, then judge your programme.
Student life at the University of Salento happens in Lecce, a historic city in the far south of Apulia, known for its baroque centre and close to both the Adriatic and Ionian coasts. For scholarship winners, ADISU Puglia runs housing and canteens, so apply with your DSU application rather than after you arrive. We found no official rent or monthly budget figures for Lecce, so compare listings carefully and visit or video-call before you pay any deposit.
The University of Salento is southern Apulia's public university, smaller than the University of Bari, which had 40,658 students in 2024/25, and larger than the University of Foggia, with 13,857. In Censis 2026/27 Salento came 7th among medium-sized public universities, ahead of Foggia in 11th, while Bari came 9th among mega universities. Salento and Foggia both sit in the 801 to 1000 band of THE 2026. Private universities charge fixed fees, not income-based ones.
The University of Salento is a good choice if you want a growing public university in a historic southern city, with scholarship services that Censis rates highly and income-based fees. It suits students of engineering, sciences, economics, law and languages who can study in Italian, or who find an English-taught course in its catalogue. It suits you less if you need many English-taught options or big-city life. Read each admission notice carefully, as rules differ by course.
ApplyAZ can include the University of Salento in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at public universities when it offers a course that 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 DSU scholarship and prepare your visa file, and a named person owns each stage. Strong, organised students can use our roadmap alone. see how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
Open a programme for its entry requirements, entrance tests, fees and intake dates.
