The 3 best universities in Milan (2024-2025)

Planning to study in Milan? Check out the best Milan Universities, their rankings, fees and browse their English taught programmes!

Bas Teunissen

4 minute read

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Updated on 19 Apr 2024

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Studying

Milan is not only a fashion capital, corporate hotspot and architectural forerunner; it’s also home to some world-class educational institutions.

Many internationals move to Milan to take advantage of these incredible universities. So, let’s take a look at the universities in Milan that are best for international students looking to study abroad in Milan.

In this article, we'll dive into everything you need to know about the 3 best universities in Milan— from tuition fees to suitable courses for international students. The 3 universities we'll look into are:

• Polytechnic University of Milan
• Bocconi University Milan
• University of Milan

If you’re all about technology, then why not polish your skills at the largest technical university in Italy?

With over 37,000 students attending, over 19% of Polytechnic are international students.

This means studying at Polytechnic Milan is an intercultural experience, finding the cutting edge of technology with talented students from all over the world. In the subdivision of Engineering & Technology for the QS world university rankings, Milan Polytechnic scored #20 in the world. It also achieved top 10 rankings for Design, civil & structural Engineering, Architecture and Mechanical & aerospace engineering.

Polytechnic Milan tuition fees for international students

The Polytechnic University of Milan is a public university, which means the tuition fees are relatively low. There are small differences between graduate and post-graduate fees. Let’s break it down for you!

The maximum basic inclusive tuition fee for international postgraduate students is €3,898 per year. However, most students are entitled to reductions and/or financial support based on your family’s income.

The amount you actually pay will be based on your ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator). So, unless your parents have salaries that are far beyond average, you’ll pay a lot less than the basic fees.

Polytechnic Milan masters in English

With over 19% of the student body made up of international students, it’s no surprise that Milan Polytechnic has plenty of English language education.

With over 43 postgraduate programs, there’ll be a spot for your interests somewhere! You can study a wide range of engineering-related programmes, from Aeronautical engineering to Urban planning & policy design. To check out their entire course range, check out their website.

The Bocconi University in Milan is a private university that is known as one of the best universities in Europe for its specialisations. QS World University Rankings ranked the university 7th in the world and 3rd in Europe in business and management studies.

Its economics and econometrics even ranked as the #1 in Europe and #16 worldwide. With around 15,000 students a year, it’s a relatively small university. The campus is located beside Parco Ravizza in Milan and comprises of several buildings.

Bocconi University tuition fees for international students

As Bocconi University is a private University, it has pretty high tuition fees compared to public universities. The school does offer scholarships for students who have exemplary academic performance.

The annual tuition fees for Bocconi University programs are typically:

Some programs might have separate fees, so be sure to check if your intended program has an additional fee.

Bocconi University bachelors in English

The Bocconi University offers a special 3-year undergraduate program for international students. It’s taught entirely in English and is designed to prepare students for an international career, with the option to major in economics, management or finance.

Bocconi University Masters in English

Unlike most universities, all of Bocconi’s master’s programmes are taught in English, with some in Italian (instead of the other way around). There’re plenty of postgraduate courses, ranging from International management to Cyber risk strategy and governance. If you want to check out the entire range of courses available at Bocconi, check out their website.

The University of Milan, also known as Statale, is one of the bigger universities in Europe, with over 60,000 students. In fact, the university grew so large (well over 90,000 students) that in 1998 it was split into two.

Today, the school has an international student body of about 7%, which is lower than other Italian unis, yet it still remains a popular choice for internationals. The second public university that came from this split is called the University of Milan-Bicocca. Milan University is ranked 3rd in Italy by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), and it ranks in the top 10 for Italy in the rankings by Times Higher Education.

University of Milan tuition fees for international students

The University of Milan uses the Italian public university tuition fee system, meaning that there’s a large chance that your economic background and/or your financial situation can drastically affect the amount of tuition paid. So, the numbers we’ll mention next are the maximum tuition fees you could be paying per year.

Thankfully, Statale has a useful tuition simulator that will tell you exactly how much you can expect to pay if you intend to attend Unimi as an international student! The fees will vary depending on your nationality and economic background. Roughly, the most you can expect to pay is:

University of Milan masters in English

The University of Milan has over 27 master's programmes available in English. Whether you want to pursue a master of Chemistry or Public and corporate communication, you’ll have plenty of choices. To get more information on the available courses, be sure to check out their website.

Are you interested in studying fashion? You're in luck! Milan's got some of the best fashion schools in Italy!

Before you choose your perfect Milanese university, there’re a few other factors to consider before moving to Milan. Namely, the cost of living in Milan for international students and how to find suitable student accommodation in your ideal neighbourhood. We’ve created a guide to help you navigate life in Milan on a student budget, another to help you find student accommodation in Italy, and one more so you can figure out which neighbourhood is perfect for you.

There you go! The best universities you'll find in Milan are ready for you to grow your knowledge, explore the city and immerse yourself in Italian culture.

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