University of Tuscia
Università degli Studi della Tuscia
A small state university in Viterbo, headquartered in a 13th-century convent, strongest in agriculture and forestry.
- Students
- 8,119
- International
- 14%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 24:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- €756
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1979
About Unitus
The University of Tuscia was established as a state university by Law No. 122 of 3 April 1979, replacing the Free University of Tuscia (1969-1979). Viterbo's university tradition is much older: Pope Paul III founded a Studium here in 1546, which ran with interruptions until 1581. Today the rectorate occupies Santa Maria in Gradi, a Dominican convent founded in 1244 and used as a prison from 1873 to 1993.
Unitus is small, with about 8,100 students enrolled in degree programmes in 2025/26 according to Italy's ministry statistics office (USTAT), and is organised into seven departments covering agriculture and forestry, biological and ecological sciences, economics and engineering, agro-food and forest systems, law and education, humanities and languages, and communication and tourism. Besides Viterbo, it teaches in Civitavecchia and Rieti. Its Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE) was ranked first in Italy in agricultural and veterinary sciences among the government's 2022 Departments of Excellence.
Bachelor's degrees are taught in Italian, so international students need Italian at B2, while its English-taught programmes are at master's level (for example Circular Economy, Marine Biology and Ecology, and Mechanical Engineering). Fees are income-based, with a No Tax Area that goes beyond the national minimum. It suits students interested in agriculture, forestry, food science, heritage conservation or the environment who want a small university in a historic city in northern Lazio.
Why students choose Unitus
Income-based fees: Italian and EU students with an ISEE up to 26,000 euros who meet the merit rules pay no contribution at all, only the 156 euros of regional tax and stamp duty.
DAFNE, the Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, placed first in Italy in agricultural and veterinary sciences among the 2022 Departments of Excellence.
Distinctive degrees include Food and Wine Technology, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, and a single-cycle degree in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage.
The university's headquarters is the medieval Santa Maria in Gradi complex, with a 13th-century cloister of 160 paired marble columns.
Admissions
2027-28 academic year
Selectivity
Unitus does not publish an acceptance rate. International applicants are first admitted to a programme, then complete Universitaly pre-enrolment; applications are assessed in the order they are submitted.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign secondary school diploma | Diploma after at least 12 years of schooling, with Apostille or legalisation and a certified Italian translation (not needed if issued in English), plus a Declaration of Value or CIMEA certificate of comparability or correspondence |
|---|---|
| Italian language | B2 for Italian-taught programmes (all bachelor's degrees) |
| English language | Only needed for English-taught programmes (all at master's level): B2 shown by IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity or Cambridge First, or proof that previous studies were taught in English. |
Deadlines
- Enrolment for bachelor's degrees (2026-27 cycle) Non-binding Next deadline · In 29 days4 November 2026
Enrolment for 2026-27 opened on 1 August 2026; later enrolment incurs a penalty. Expect a similar window for 2027-28.
Universitaly pre-enrolment windows for non-EU applicants living abroad are set nationally each year and had not been published for 2027-28 when checked. Pre-enrolment can be submitted 'under reserve' before your Declaration of Value or CIMEA certificate is ready, but start that paperwork months in advance.
How to apply
International applicants living abroad first obtain admission to a programme, then submit a pre-enrolment application on the Universitaly portal, which Unitus's International Student Office validates and forwards to the Italian embassy or consulate for a type D study visa. Enrolment is then completed in person at the International Student Desk in Viterbo with the passport, visa, diploma, Declaration of Value or CIMEA certificate and Italian language certificate. EU students and residents enrol online through the GOMP student portal.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary school diploma after at least 12 years of schooling that gives university access in your home country.
- Italian at B2 for Italian-taught programmes.
- Correctly legalised and translated documents, plus a Declaration of Value or CIMEA certificate.
- For limited-access programmes, success in the admission test set out in the programme's call.
Tips for applying to Unitus
- 1 Request your Declaration of Value or CIMEA statement months ahead; you can pre-enrol under reserve without it, but you cannot finish enrolment in Viterbo until you have it.
- 2 Upload any missing documents only through the Universitaly portal; the international office ignores documents sent by email.
- 3 If you do not submit an ISEE/ISEEUP by the deadline, you are charged the maximum or the fixed international fee, so organise your income paperwork early.
- 4 Ask your Italian embassy for your official codice fiscale (tax code) before you arrive.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Fees depend on the family's ISEE, with a No Tax Area up to 26,000 euros for students who meet the credit requirements (above the national 22,000-euro threshold) and reduced fees up to 30,000 euros. Scholarship holders of Laziodisco, the Lazio regional right-to-study agency, pay only what Laziodisco requires plus stamp duty; students with good credit records get a merit bonus, and students in a second degree at Unitus get 50% off.
- ISEE up to 26,000 euros (with merit requirements)
- No Tax Area threshold
- 2,394 euros (plus 156 euros regional tax and stamp duty)
- Maximum all-inclusive contribution
- 600 / 1,050 / 1,500 / 1,950 euros (plus 156 euros regional tax and stamp duty)
- Fixed international fee bands
- Five equal instalments, 4 November 2026 to 30 June 2027
- Payment
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (October-February and March-July)
Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (bachelor's)
Taught by DAFNE, ranked first in Italy in agricultural and veterinary sciences among the 2022 Departments of Excellence.
Forestry and Environmental Sciences
A bachelor's in Italian, with an English-taught master's continuation offered as a double or joint degree.
Food and Wine Technology (bachelor's)
A bachelor's degree in food and wine technology, part of Unitus's agriculture and food science offer.
Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (single-cycle master's)
A professional five-year programme; one alumna became the first in Italy to graduate in the conservation of cultural heritage at Unitus.
Marine Biology and Ecology (master's, English)
One of Unitus's English-taught master's degrees, run by the Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences.
Research
- DAFNE was a Department of Excellence in 2017 (SAFE-Med project) and ranked first in Italy in Area 07 among the 180 Departments of Excellence in 2022, funding the D.I.Ver.So project (2023-2027).
- DAFNE takes part in the national Agritech, Biodiversity and Rome Technopole centres.
- The university runs the Angelo Rambelli Botanic Garden, the Alpine Studies Center (CSALP) and a network of museums, including a mycology section of the Italian National Museum of Antarctica.
Schools & faculties
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE)
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB)
- Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business Organization (DEIM)
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF)
- Department of Legal, Social and Educational Sciences (DIKE)
- Department of Modern Languages, Literature, History, Philosophy and Law Studies (DISTU)
- Department of Humanities, Communication and Tourism (DISUCOM)
Student life
Unitus is a small university, so classes and offices are close-knit, and much of it is housed in historic buildings in Viterbo, above all the former convent of Santa Maria in Gradi with its 13th-century cloister, a second cloister from 1306 and a fountain from 1480. Lessons usually begin in the last week of September or soon after, with exam sessions in January-February and June-July. The university sports club CUS Viterbo, a University Language Centre, a botanic garden and a network of museums add to student life, and Laziodisco provides regional scholarships and services.
- Rectorate in the Santa Maria in Gradi complex, a Dominican convent founded in 1244.
- Teaching sites in Viterbo, Civitavecchia and Rieti.
- CUS Viterbo university sports club.
- Angelo Rambelli Botanic Garden and university museum network.
Location
Viterbo is a medieval city in northern Lazio, known as the City of the Popes because the papal court was based here in the 13th century. It has long had a university tradition, from itinerant schools in the 1200s to Paul III's Studium of 1546, and today Unitus is spread across historic buildings in the city, with further sites in Civitavecchia on the coast and in Rieti.
Nearest airport: Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
Notable alumni
- BF Barbara FraleHistorian and palaeographer known for work on the Knights Templar and the Shroud of Turin; the first student in Italy to graduate in the conservation of cultural heritage, at Unitus
- MA Maria Antonietta Farina CoscioniPolitician and civil-rights campaigner; studied business economics at the Faculty of Economics in Viterbo
- AP Antonella PisilliArt critic, gallerist and curator of contemporary African art; degree in conservation of cultural heritage
- AT Alessandra TerrosiPolitician; degree in agricultural sciences from the Faculty of Agriculture in Viterbo
Frequently asked questions
How much are tuition fees at the University of Tuscia?
Fees depend on family income. Italian and EU students with an ISEE up to 26,000 euros who meet the credit rules pay only 156 euros in regional tax and stamp duty; the maximum contribution is 2,394 euros plus those 156 euros.
How much do international students pay at Unitus?
Non-EU students with income abroad who do not submit an ISEEUP pay a fixed fee by country band: 600, 1,050, 1,500 or 1,950 euros a year, plus 156 euros in regional tax and stamp duty (756 to 2,106 euros in total).
Does the University of Tuscia teach bachelor's degrees in English?
No. Its English-taught programmes are master's degrees, such as Circular Economy, Marine Biology and Ecology, Mechanical Engineering and Security and Human Rights. Bachelor's degrees require Italian at B2.
How do non-EU students apply to Unitus?
After being admitted to a programme, you submit a pre-enrolment on Universitaly; Unitus validates it and forwards it to the Italian embassy for your study visa, and you finish enrolment in person in Viterbo.
What is the enrolment deadline at Unitus?
For 2026-27, bachelor's enrolment ran from 1 August to 4 November 2026, with a penalty for later enrolment. The 2027-28 dates had not been published.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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