University of Pavia
Università degli Studi di Pavia
Lombardy's oldest university (1361), a walkable city-campus with historic colleges and English-taught medicine.
- Students
- 26,400
- International
- 11%
- of students
- Tuition
- €390
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1361
About UNIPV
The University of Pavia traces its roots to a school of rhetoric set up by Emperor Lothair in 825, and its Studium Generale was founded by Charles IV in 1361, making it the oldest university in Lombardy. Its professors have included Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery, and three Nobel laureates: Camillo Golgi, Giulio Natta and Carlo Rubbia.
Pavia is a city-campus of about 26,400 students, 2,800 of them international, in a town of 70,000 people 35 km from Milan. Teaching is organised in 18 departments across two campuses: the historic central palace in Pavia's old town, with nine courtyards and forty historic lecture theatres, and the Cravino science and medicine pole known as La Nave; musicology is taught in Cremona, the city of Stradivarius. The university offers 105 bachelor's and master's programmes, 27 of them in English.
Fees at this public university are low and income-based: students with an ISEE of up to 32,000 euros pay no all-inclusive fee. A distinctive feature is the college system, from the 16th-century Collegio Borromeo and Collegio Ghislieri to colleges run by the regional student agency, where students live and study together. It suits students who want a serious research university in a walkable, uncrowded town close to Milan.
Par ingenio virtus
University motto
Why students choose UNIPV
The Harvey Medicine and Surgery course was the first medical degree in Italy taught in English, with 100 places a year and more than 40% international students.
Fees are income-based: zero all-inclusive fee for students with an ISEE up to 32,000 euros, and flat rates from 390 euros a year for non-EU students from lower-income countries.
The university reports that 91% of its graduates find work within a year of graduating (AlmaLaurea 2024).
The college system includes the historic Collegio Borromeo and Collegio Ghislieri, linked through the IUSS school for advanced studies.
Admissions
2027/28 entry (2026/27 calendar shown for reference)
Selectivity
Most programmes are non-restricted access (accesso libero) with a non-selective entry test; restricted-access programmes (accesso programmato), such as Medicine and Surgery and Artificial Intelligence, have a fixed number of places and a selective entry test. Non-EU applicants living abroad compete for a limited quota of places (contingente) in each programme.
Typical entry requirements
| Italian or foreign secondary school diploma | At least 12 years of schooling, with the last two years in the same programme, plus any university-access exam required in the issuing country; the Admission Office evaluates each foreign diploma. |
|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery (Harvey Course, in English) | Restricted access, 100 places a year set by the Italian Ministry, with a selective entry test. |
| Fewer than 12 years of schooling | The University of Pavia runs a Foundation Year programme to bridge the gap for international students. |
| English language | English-taught bachelor's programmes such as Social Sciences for Global Challenges require B2 English, shown by a language certificate, a secondary school programme taught in English, or an entrance test. |
Deadlines
- Non-restricted programmes, 1st window (past cycle, for reference) Non-binding Passed20 November 2025
For 2026/27 entry: 12 to 20 November 2025.
- Non-restricted programmes, 2nd window (past cycle, for reference) Non-binding Passed20 January 2026
12 to 20 January 2026.
- Non-restricted programmes, 3rd window (past cycle, for reference) Non-binding Passed18 March 2026
10 to 18 March 2026; non-EU applicants living abroad only if places remain. Later windows ran 5 to 11 June and 1 to 8 September 2026 (the last only for EU students and non-EU residents in Italy).
The 2027/28 application calendar has not been published yet. For 2026/27 the first window opened on 12 November, so non-EU applicants should expect the first 2027/28 window in November 2026 and apply early, as later windows depend on remaining places.
How to apply
Apply on apply.unipv.eu: register, choose one programme, upload an ID and your secondary school diploma (in English, Spanish or French, or officially translated into Italian), pay the 35 euro application fee and submit within an application window. Restricted-access programmes follow their own call for applications, usually published from December. Admitted non-EU students living abroad then pre-enrol on Universitaly and apply for a type D study visa.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary school diploma that gives access to university in the issuing country, after at least 12 years of schooling.
- For English-taught programmes, B2-level English.
- For restricted-access programmes, a strong result in the selective entry test.
- For non-restricted programmes, completion of the non-selective knowledge test.
Tips for applying to UNIPV
- 1 Non-EU applicants living abroad should apply in the first or second window: later windows only open if the non-EU quota still has places.
- 2 Check whether your programme is restricted or non-restricted access before applying, as the process and dates differ.
- 3 Submit your ISEE (or the documents for an equivalent ISEE) on time; without it you are placed in the top fee bracket.
- 4 If you have fewer than 12 years of schooling, consider Pavia's Foundation Year.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Students with an ISEE up to 32,000 euros pay no all-inclusive fee while enrolled within the standard duration plus one year. EU and non-EU students can apply to EDiSU Pavia, the regional right-to-study agency, for scholarships and housing by presenting an ISEE or equivalent ISEE. The university also offers exemptions and incentives, for example for siblings enrolled at Pavia.
- ISEE up to 32,000 euros (2026/27)
- No all-inclusive fee
- 35 euros
- Application fee
- 390 euros a year
- Non-EU flat rate, lowest bracket
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Medicine and Surgery, Harvey Course
Italy's first medical degree taught in English: six years, 100 places a year, with clinical training at the San Matteo, Maugeri and Mondino clinics.
Artificial Intelligence (BSc)
An English-taught, restricted-access bachelor's run jointly with the University of Milan and the University of Milano-Bicocca.
Social Sciences for Global Challenges (BA)
Fully English-taught and open access, covering health, climate, migration and ageing across politics, law, economics and statistics.
Building Engineering and Architecture
A five-year single-cycle degree taught in English and Italian.
Physical Sciences for Innovative Technologies (BSc)
An English-taught joint degree with Milano-Bicocca, delivered in blended format.
Research
- Nobel laureates Camillo Golgi (Medicine, 1906), Giulio Natta and Carlo Rubbia taught at Pavia.
- Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery, was professor of experimental physics and rector.
- Pavia ranks 4th in Italy for citations per faculty in the QS World University Rankings 2027, with citation performance three times the global average.
Schools & faculties
- Economics
- Pharmacy
- Law
- Engineering
- Humanities, Philosophy and Languages
- Medicine, Sport Sciences and Psychology
- Musicology and Cultural Heritage (Cremona)
- Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences
- Political and Communication Sciences
According to the AlmaLaurea Report 2024 cited by the university, 91% of Pavia graduates find work within one year of graduation, compared with a national average of 85%; engineering, medicine and pharmacy show the highest rates.
Student life
Pavia is a city-campus where everything is within about fifteen minutes' walk. Many students live in the university colleges, from the 16th-century Collegio Borromeo and Collegio Ghislieri to the Collegio Nuovo, Collegio Santa Caterina and the colleges run by EDiSU, where they share meals, study and activities. The town has 37 libraries, 19 museums and collections, theatres and cultural associations, and was European City of Sport in 2014.
- More than 20 university colleges, including the historic Borromeo and Ghislieri.
- The central palace has nine courtyards and forty historic lecture theatres.
- Over 400 agreements with foreign universities and 700+ Erasmus agreements.
- Pavia is part of the EC2U European university alliance.
Housing. Students can live in the university colleges and EDiSU residences, which combine accommodation with academic and social activities, or rent privately in town.
Location
Pavia is a medium-sized, uncrowded city of about 70,000 people on the Ticino river in Lombardy, 35 km south of Milan with trains to Milan about every 10 minutes. The historic centre, where the university's central palace sits on Corso Strada Nuova, is compact and walkable, and the Cravino science campus is reachable by bus.
Nearest airport: Milan Linate Airport (LIN)
Notable alumni
- CG Camillo GolgiNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1906); studied medicine at Pavia, 1860-1868
- GC Gerolamo CardanoRenaissance mathematician and physician; entered the University of Pavia in 1520
- CL Cesare LombrosoPhysician and founder of criminal anthropology; medical degree from Pavia
- CB Charles BorromeoCardinal and saint who founded the college at Pavia now known as the Almo Collegio Borromeo; studied civil and canon law
- CC Carlo CattaneoPhilosopher who led Milan's city council during the Five Days of Milan in 1848; law graduate, 1824
- ES Emanuele SeverinoPhilosopher; graduated with Italy's first dissertation on Heidegger
- EC Elena ContiStructural biologist and director at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry; chemistry graduate, 1991
- BS Beppe SevergniniJournalist and essayist; law graduate
Frequently asked questions
How much does the University of Pavia cost?
For 2026/27, the all-inclusive fee is zero for students with an ISEE up to 32,000 euros and rises to a maximum of 3,636 to 4,851 euros depending on the subject area, plus a regional tax of 130 to 190 euros. Non-EU students on the flat rate pay 390 to 4,550 euros depending on their country.
Does the University of Pavia teach in English?
Yes. It offers 27 English-taught bachelor's and master's programmes, including the Harvey Medicine and Surgery course, Artificial Intelligence and Social Sciences for Global Challenges.
How many places are there in Pavia's English-taught Medicine course?
The Harvey Course has 100 places a year set by the Italian Ministry, and admission is by selective entry test. More than 40% of its students are international.
When can I apply to the University of Pavia for 2027?
The 2027/28 calendar is not yet published. For 2026/27, non-restricted programmes had windows from 12 to 20 November 2025, 12 to 20 January 2026 and later windows in March, June and September.
Do non-EU students need Universitaly pre-enrolment for Pavia?
Yes. Non-EU students living abroad must pre-enrol through the Universitaly portal after admission and apply for a type D study visa; places for them in each programme are limited.
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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