University of Pisa
Università di Pisa
Galileo's university, founded in 1343, with about 46,000 students in a city of 90,000 people.
- Students
- 46,000
- Tuition
- €446
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1343
- QS World Ranking
- #341
- 2027 edition
About UniPi
The University of Pisa received papal recognition as a Studium Generale in 1343, making it one of Europe's oldest universities. Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa and studied and then taught mathematics here, and the university's historic heart is still the Palazzo della Sapienza, commissioned in 1486. Today about 46,000 students are enrolled across 20 departments, in a city of roughly 90,000 people, which the university says gives Pisa the highest student-to-resident ratio in Italy.
Pisa is a comprehensive university, with 59 bachelor's, 9 single-cycle master's and 73 master's degree courses. It has a strong scientific tradition: it set up Italy's first degree in computer science in 1969, and in the QS 2025 subject rankings it placed 29th in the world for Classics and Ancient History. Together with the Scuola Normale Superiore and the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, it forms the Pisa University System.
Almost all bachelor's degrees are taught in Italian; the one fully English-taught bachelor's in Pisa is Management for Business and Economics, and a handful of others mix English and Italian. The university suits students who can study in Italian, want low public tuition, and like the idea of a small, walkable city where university buildings are spread through the historic centre.
Why students choose UniPi
Fees are income-based: students with an ISEE up to 26,000 euros who are on track pay only the 140 euro regional tax, and the maximum annual contribution is 2,900 euros.
Management for Business and Economics is taught entirely in English, with a double-degree agreement with Nürtingen-Geislingen University.
Pisa's QS 2025 subject rankings include Classics and Ancient History at 29th in the world and Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in the top 100.
Around 46,000 students live in a city of about 90,000, with more than 150 university buildings spread across the centre.
Admissions
2027-28 entry (dates below are from the 2026-27 cycle, for reference)
Selectivity
Pisa publishes no overall admission rate. Most bachelor's courses are open access, with a non-selective entry test that can only add catch-up requirements. Limited-access courses select by ranking: Medicine and Surgery and other healthcare degrees through national selection, and courses such as Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and Management for Business and Economics through local selection.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign secondary school diploma | At least 12 years of schooling in total, with the last two years completed successfully, and a qualification that gives access to higher education in its home country; supported by a Declaration of Value or a CIMEA statement of comparability |
|---|---|
| Italian diploma (maturità) | Enrol directly in open-access courses; for limited-access courses pass the selection set out in the course's admission call |
| Management for Business and Economics (English-taught) | Score of at least 10 on CEnT, TOLC-E, SAT, ACT or GMAT (converted to the TOLC-E scale); up to 36 points for the test and up to 5 for an English certificate in the ranking |
| English language | Italian-taught degrees require Italian at B2 (CLIQ certificate or the Pisa Language Centre's Open Badge) for non-EU applicants pre-enrolling on Universitaly. For Management for Business and Economics, an English certificate such as IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT or Cambridge B2 First (minimum 174) earns up to 5 ranking points; no fixed IELTS or TOEFL minimum is published on the course page. |
Deadlines
- Management for Business and Economics, non-EU visa applicants Non-binding Passed5 July 2026 (2026-27 cycle)
Set by the admission call (DR 609 of 7 May 2026) for non-EU citizens living abroad who need a student visa; ranking published 17 July 2026. The call timetable lists 25 of the 50 visa places outside the reserved quotas (Marco Polo project, Tashkent preparatory year). Visa applicants also had to complete Universitaly pre-enrolment by this deadline to enter the reserved ranking. The course page's heading labels the 5 July line as the EU deadline, but the call and the page's own EU line show it applies to visa applicants.
- Management for Business and Economics, EU and equivalent applicants Non-binding Passed30 August 2026 (2026-27 cycle)
Applications opened 1 June 2026; 150 places (129 after reserved quotas). The May 2026 call set 23 August 2026; the course page later showed 30 August 2026.
- Enrolment in open-access courses Non-binding Passed30 September 2026 (2026-27 cycle)
Enrolment opened 8 July 2026; late fees apply afterwards.
- Universitaly pre-enrolment, non-EU visa applicants Non-binding Passed30 September 2026 (2026-27 cycle)
Earlier deadlines in each limited-access admission call take priority; only visas issued by 30 November 2026 were accepted.
Pisa has not yet published 2027-28 dates. The dates shown are from the 2026-27 cycle; expect a similar pattern, with limited-access calls in spring and summer and open-access enrolment from July to the end of September.
How to apply
Register on the Alice student portal, choose your course and either enrol directly (open-access courses) or sign up for the admission selection (limited-access courses). Upload your ID, photo, school diploma and a Declaration of Value or CIMEA comparability statement. Non-EU applicants who need a visa must also pre-enrol for the same course on Universitaly and then apply for a type D study visa.
What admissions looks for
- A recognised secondary qualification from at least 12 years of schooling that gives access to university in its home country.
- For limited-access courses, a high enough score in the selection: for Management for Business and Economics, the admission test counts for up to 36 of 46 points.
- Italian at B2 for Italian-taught degrees, or English for the English-taught programme.
- For open-access courses, adequate initial preparation, checked by a non-selective test that can lead to extra learning requirements (OFA).
Tips for applying to UniPi
- 1 Check whether your course is open, locally limited or nationally limited: this decides whether you just enrol or must compete in a selection.
- 2 For Management for Business and Economics, sit CEnT, SAT, ACT or GMAT early; a total below 11.5 means an extra learning requirement you must clear in the first year.
- 3 Non-EU applicants: submit the Universitaly pre-enrolment by the selection deadline, or you will be moved from the reserved ranking into the general one.
- 4 Start your Declaration of Value or CIMEA statement early; students with foreign qualifications and visa applicants had until 31 December to upload documents and pay the first instalment without late fees.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Tuition is reduced automatically according to ISEE, with no tuition contribution up to an ISEE of 26,000 euros for students on track. DSU Toscana scholarship holders and Italian Government scholarship holders are fully exempt from the contribution, and students with foreign income can apply for a reduction based on the ISEEU Parificato. International students can also look at DSU Toscana scholarships and the 'Invest your talent in Italy' and MAECI scholarships.
- 2,900 euros
- Maximum annual contribution (regular students)
- ISEE up to 26,000 euros, if on track (140 euro regional tax still due)
- No tuition contribution
- Up to 150 euros for a diploma grade of 95/100 or higher
- Merit reduction for Italian school leavers
Academics
Management for Business and Economics (BSc)
Pisa's fully English-taught bachelor's, with 150 EU and 50 non-EU visa places and a double degree with Nürtingen-Geislingen University.
Computer Science (Informatica)
Italy's first computer science degree, launched in Pisa in 1969; open access, taught in Italian.
Classics and Ancient History
Ranked 29th in the world in the QS 2025 subject rankings, the university's strongest subject.
Veterinary Medicine
A single-cycle degree whose subject area is in the QS 2025 world top 100 (51-100 band).
Medicine and Surgery
A single-cycle degree taught in Italian, with national limited-access selection.
Aerospace Engineering
A locally limited-access engineering bachelor's taught in Italian.
Research
- The Pisan Electronic Calculator (CEP), designed in the mid-1950s, led to Italy's first computer science degree in 1969; Italy's first internet link originated in Pisa in 1986.
- The university's Garden of Simples, founded in 1543-44 under Luca Ghini, was the first botanical garden attached to a university.
- Pisa runs ten museums, including the Museum of Natural History at the Certosa di Calci.
Schools & faculties
- Department of Biology
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry
- Department of Economics and Management
- Department of Pharmacy
- Department of Physics
- Department of Law
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Information Engineering
- Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering
- Department of Mathematics
- Department of Veterinary Sciences
- Department of Political Science
The university publishes graduate employment data per course; no single university-wide figure was verified. It awarded 7,050 degrees in 2023.
Student life
Pisa has no enclosed campus: more than 150 university buildings, 400 lecture halls and ten museums are spread through a compact city where students make up a large share of the population. Most students share flats, and the university puts a typical room at 300 to 350 euros a month plus bills. Clubs and activities include the CUS university sports centre, the university choir, the student radio Radioeco and the E-Team motor racing team. DSU Toscana runs student canteens, residences and scholarships for students across Tuscany.
- E-Team, the University of Pisa's student motor racing team.
- CUS Pisa, the university sports centre.
- Radioeco, the student radio, and the University of Pisa Choir.
- Welcome Days and the WIS! enrolment support service for international students.
Housing. There is no university campus; students usually share private flats in Pisa or nearby towns, and DSU Toscana offers residences and the CercoAlloggio housing portal.
Location
Pisa is a small city in Tuscany on the River Arno. University buildings are spread through the historic centre, where a room in a shared flat typically costs 300 to 350 euros a month. Many students also live in nearby Lucca, Livorno, Cascina or Pontedera, all within about 20 km and well served by public transport.
Nearest airport: Pisa International Airport (PSA)
Notable alumni
- GG Galileo GalileiAstronomer and physicist; studied and later taught mathematics at Pisa
- EF Enrico FermiNobel Prize-winning physicist; Pisa graduate
- CR Carlo RubbiaNobel Prize-winning physicist
- GC Giosuè CarducciPoet, Nobel Prize in Literature
- AF Alessio FigalliMathematician, Fields Medal recipient
- CA Carlo Azeglio CiampiPresident of the Italian Republic
- MM Mario MonicelliFilm director
- AB Andrea BocelliTenor
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Pisa offer bachelor's degrees in English?
Only one bachelor's in Pisa is taught entirely in English: Management for Business and Economics. A few others, such as Digital Technologies Engineering and Economics and Commerce, are listed as English and Italian; the rest are taught in Italian.
How much does the University of Pisa cost for international students?
In 2026-27, students with income abroad pay a flat contribution by country: 290, 580, 1,160 or 2,900 euros a year, plus the 140 euro regional tax and a 16 euro stamp duty in the first year.
Is there an entrance exam at the University of Pisa?
Open-access courses use a non-selective test to check your preparation. Limited-access courses, such as Medicine and Surgery, Computer Engineering and Management for Business and Economics, admit students through a competitive selection.
Do I need to speak Italian to study at Pisa?
For Italian-taught degrees, yes: non-EU applicants need Italian at B2 (a CLIQ certificate or Pisa's Open Badge) to pre-enrol on Universitaly. The English-taught programme does not require Italian.
What test do I need for Management for Business and Economics at Pisa?
One of CEnT, TOLC-E with the English section, SAT, ACT or GMAT, taken from January 2025, with a minimum eligibility score of 10 on the TOLC-E scale.
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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