Italy seems to have it all: Amazing landscapes from coasts to mountains, an impressive history, and a remarkably tasty and diverse cuisine. Not to mention it was here that the very first university in Europe was founded, nearly one thousand years ago.
Today, several of Italy’s institutions are among the top-ranked universities in Europe. That includes centuries-old traditional universities like the University of Bologna, Sapienza University of Rome or the University of Padua - but also younger modern universities like Roma Tor Vergata or the University of Milan. Among dozens of world-class schools, it can be difficult to pick one when you are planning to study in Italy.
| University | QS Ranking 2020 | THE Ranking 2020 | ARWU Ranking 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Politecnico di Milano | 149 | 301 | 201 |
| University of Bologna | 177 | 168 | 201 |
| Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies | 177 | 149 | – |
| Sapienza University of Rome | 203 | 251 | 151 |
| Scuola Normale Superiore | 204 | 152 | 401 |
| University of Padua | 234 | 201 | 201 |
| University of Milan | 302 | 301 | 151 |
| Politecnico di Torino | 348 | 501 | 501 |
| University of Pisa | 389 | 351 | 151 |
| University of Trento | 389 | 301 | 401 |
| University of Naples Federico II | 424 | 351 | 301 |
| University of Florence | 448 | 351 | 201 |
| University of Rome Tor Vergata | 511 | 501 | 501 |
| Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore | 511 | 501 | 401 |
| University of Turin | 541 | 401 | 201 |
| University of Pavia | 581 | 401 | 301 |
| University of Milano-Bicocca | 591 | 401 | 401 |
| University of Genoa | 651 | 401 | 401 |
| University of Trieste | 701 | 401 | 601 |
| University of Siena | 701 | 401 | 501 |
| University of Brescia | 751 | 501 | 601 |
| University of Perugia | 751 | 351 | 401 |
| University of Modena and Reggio Emilia | 751 | 401 | 701 |
| Ca' Foscari University of Venice | 751 | 601 | – |
| University of Verona | 801 | 401 | 501 |
| University of Parma | 801 | 601 | 601 |
| University of Bari Aldo Moro | 801 | 401 | 501 |
| University of Palermo | 801 | 601 | 601 |
| Roma Tre University | 801 | 501 | 901 |
| University of Salerno | 801 | 351 | 701 |
| University of Ferrara | 801 | 401 | 501 |
| University of Catania | 801 | 501 | 601 |
| Polytechnic University of Bari | 801 | 401 | – |
| University of Udine | 801 | 501 | 801 |
| University of Salento | – | 601 | 901 |
| Università degli Studi dell’Insubria | – | 501 | 901 |
| University of Chieti-Pescara | – | – | 901 |
| University of Urbino | – | 401 | 801 |
| University of Messina | – | – | 801 |
| University of Calabria | – | 601 | 801 |
| University of Cagliari | – | – | 801 |
| Marche Polytechnic University | – | 501 | 801 |
| Tuscia University | – | – | 701 |
| University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” | – | – | 701 |
| Free University of Bozen-Bolzano | – | 401 | 701 |
| International School for Advanced Studies | – | – | 601 |
| University of L'Aquila | – | 501 | 601 |
| Vita-Salute San Raffaele University | – | 201 | 501 |
| Humanitas University | – | – | 501 |
| University of Sassari | – | 601 | – |
| University of Eastern Piedmont | – | 601 | – |
| University of Bergamo | – | 601 | – |
The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a university’s research is referenced elsewhere).
The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.

Italy offers the perfect combination of stunning history, academic tradition, and innovative research and education. In the birthplace of Europe’s first university, many of Italy’s institutions are today among the best in the world. International students are flocking to the Southern European country to receive world-class education and enjoy la dolce vita - “the sweet life”.
Read more about studying in Italy