Cost of Studying in Italy for International Students (2027)

Public university tuition is calculated mainly through the ISEE household income indicator. Every enrolling student pays a small fixed instalment, generally between about EUR 136 and EUR 208 a year depending on the university, covering a regional tax for the right to higher education and a stamp duty. On top of that fixed instalment, a variable contribution is added for students above the university's no-tax income threshold, rising to a published maximum that differs by university; the public universities checked for this guide publish maximums from about EUR 1,500 to EUR 4,550 a year. Non-EU students whose household income and assets are entirely outside Italy are often assigned a flat-rate fee band by country of origin instead of a full ISEE calculation. Private universities set tuition independently of the ISEE system; Bocconi's published first-year tuition, the only private university checked here, is EUR 17,000 for its Bachelor of Science and Law programmes and EUR 18,550 for its Master of Science and MA programmes. Application fees at the universities checked for this guide range from none stated to about EUR 100 per application. Applicants for a study visa must also show proof of financial means of EUR 10,179.85 for the academic year, a figure that applies from the 2026/2027 academic year onward according to Italian consular sources. No official Italian government figure for a student's average monthly living cost was found for this guide, so no living-cost range is given; applicants should budget for rent, food and transport separately by city.