University of Trieste
Università degli Studi di Trieste
A mid-sized public university in Italy's science city, charging students who live abroad a flat 976 euros a year.
- Students
- 17,936
- International
- 9%
- of students
- Tuition
- €176
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1924
About UniTS
The University of Trieste grew out of an Advanced School of Commerce founded in 1877 and became a university by royal decree in 1924; it turned into a full university in 1938 when the Faculty of Law opened. Its monumental central building sits on the Scoglietto hill above the city, and it also teaches in Gorizia, Pordenone and Portogruaro. Since 2012 teaching and research have been run by ten departments, from Engineering and Architecture and Life Sciences to Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Studies.
UniTS had 17,936 students on bachelor's and master's degrees in 2024/25, 9% of them international and 73% from outside Trieste. In 2026/27 it offered 36 bachelor's, 7 single-cycle and 35 master's programmes, a growing number of them fully or partly in English, plus double degrees with universities such as KU Leuven, Regensburg, Ljubljana and Paris Cité. The university reports that ANVUR placed it in the top accreditation tier, one of five among the 33 Italian universities assessed so far.
Trieste is also home to a cluster of international research centres, including SISSA, the ICTP, the Elettra synchrotron and national physics, astrophysics and oceanography institutes, which the university works with through cooperation agreements. It suits students who want a medium-sized, science-minded university on the Adriatic, with predictable fees and a direct route in for engineering, economics and interpreting.
Why students choose UniTS
Students whose permanent address is abroad pay a flat 800-euro tuition fee plus 160 euros regional tax and 16 euros stamp duty, 976 euros a year in total, and students from listed developing countries are exempt from the tuition part.
Visa places are generous in engineering and business: 50 each for the Industrial, Electronic and Computer, and Naval Engineering bachelor's degrees and 100 for the Business and Management curriculum in 2026/27.
The university reports a 61.5% employment rate one year after graduation, above the national average of 60.2%.
Double degrees link UniTS programmes with universities including KU Leuven, Regensburg, Bamberg, Ljubljana, Paris Cité, Rennes, Seville and Alicante.
Admissions
2027/28 entry (procedures and dates below are from the 2026/27 cycle)
Selectivity
No overall admission rate is published. Many programmes are open access with a skills check before enrolment (for example TOLC or CEnT tests in economics), while others have a local or national cap on places and a selection call. Non-EU visa applicants compete for a fixed quota per programme, from 1 or 2 places in some science and psychology degrees to 50 in several engineering bachelor's degrees. The university says it gives priority in evaluation to candidates from its target countries: Albania, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Switzerland, Israel, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school diploma | A foreign school-leaving qualification that gives access to university, assessed on apply.units.it (up to 3 programmes for one 40-euro fee) |
|---|---|
| Italian-taught or bilingual programmes (visa applicants) | Italian at B2 or above via a CLIQ certificate (CELI, CILS, PLIDA), a score of at least 50/72 in the CISIA Italian L2 test, or schooling at a listed international school |
| English-taught programmes | English proficiency assessed by each degree course; the university publishes a list of commonly accepted certificates |
| English language | Many degree courses require an English proficiency assessment, and the level and accepted certificates vary by course; check the course page. |
Deadlines
- Qualification assessment, round 1 Non-binding Passed15 January 2026 (2026/27 cycle, past)
Opened 15 December 2025.
- Qualification assessment, round 2 Non-binding Passed30 April 2026 (2026/27 cycle, past)
Opened 15 February 2026; the last round open to non-EU visa applicants.
- Qualification assessment, round 3 (EU and EU-equivalent applicants only) Non-binding Passed2 October 2026 (2026/27 cycle)
UniTS had not published its 2027/28 assessment rounds when checked; for 2026/27 applications opened on 15 December 2025. Universitaly pre-enrolment for visa applicants has no fixed deadline, but the university advises submitting it as early as possible. Enrolment deadlines depend on the degree course.
How to apply
Apply for an assessment of your foreign qualification on apply.units.it (DreamApply), uploading your documents; the 40-euro fee covers up to three programmes. Non-EU applicants living abroad who need a visa must first check that their programme has visa places, then, only after a positive assessment, pre-enrol on Universitaly and wait for UniTS to confirm there before applying for the visa. Enrolment and payment of the first fee instalment must be completed by the programme's deadline; on arrival, apply for a residence permit and upload the receipt on apply.units.it.
What admissions looks for
- A qualification that gives access to university studies, backed by complete documents.
- Language proficiency at the level set by the course: Italian at B2 for Italian-taught or bilingual courses, and English as assessed by English-taught courses.
- For capped programmes, a place in the selection ranking; for open-access ones, completion of any required skills check.
- For visa applicants, a free place in the programme's non-EU quota; candidates from the university's target countries get priority in evaluation.
Tips for applying to UniTS
- 1 Apply in the December-January round if you need a visa: the April round is your last chance, and Universitaly processing and embassy appointments take time.
- 2 Check the quota page first: if your course has no places for visa applicants, you cannot enrol.
- 3 Use your 40-euro assessment fee well: it covers up to three programmes.
- 4 If you live abroad you do not need an ISEE: your fees are automatically set at the flat 976-euro rate, and you can request a temporary exemption while waiting for your visa.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
ARDiS, the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional agency for the right to study, awards scholarships and runs canteens, housing and discounted public transport; ARDiS scholarship winners are exempt from tuition and regional tax. Italian Government (MAECI) and CRUI scholarship holders and students from developing countries have dedicated waivers, and UniTS gives merit-based fee reductions (450, 300 or 150 euros in 2025/26).
- 40 euros, covering up to 3 programmes
- Qualification assessment fee
- ISEE Università up to 30,000 euros
- No-tuition threshold (Italian residents)
- 450, 300 or 150 euros
- Merit reductions (2025/26)
- 2 October 2026, 31 March 2027, 28 May 2027
- Fee instalments (2026/27, bachelor's)
Academics
Naval Engineering (BSc and MSc)
Engineering at Trieste began with naval engineering in the 1940s; the bachelor's had 50 visa places and the master's 20 in 2026/27.
Business Administration and Management (BSc)
Offered in English and Italian, with 100 visa places on its Business and Management curriculum in 2026/27.
International Economics and Financial Markets (BSc)
Offered in English and Italian, with 100 visa places on the Economics and Financial Markets curriculum.
Specialised Translation and Conference Interpreting (MA)
Descends from the Advanced School of Modern Languages for Interpreters and Translators opened in 1978.
Engineering for the Energy Transition (MSc)
The master's with the largest visa quota at UniTS in 2026/27 (80 places).
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MSc)
Paired with a bachelor's in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics; 25 visa places in 2026/27.
Research
- Trieste hosts SISSA, the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, the Elettra synchrotron and INFN and INAF sections, which UniTS works with through cooperation agreements.
- The university runs 13 PhD programmes plus 5 inter-university PhD programmes (2025/26).
- UniTS reports being placed in ANVUR's top accreditation tier, one of five among the 33 universities evaluated so far.
Schools & faculties
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Department of Economic, Business, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
- Department of Engineering and Architecture
- Department of Humanities
- Department of Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Studies
- Department of Life Sciences
- Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Geosciences
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences
- Department of Physics
- Department of Political and Social Sciences
61.5% of graduates were employed one year after their degree, against a national average of 60.2% (university facts and figures, graduates of 2025). The university awarded 3,320 bachelor's and master's degrees in 2025.
Student life
UniTS is a compact university where most teaching happens around the central building on the Scoglietto hill and nearby sites in Trieste, with smaller campuses in Gorizia, Pordenone and Portogruaro. Nearly three quarters of students come from outside Trieste. The regional agency ARDiS runs student canteens near the main campuses at discounted prices, housing, scholarships and discounted bus passes. Student satisfaction surveys for 2023/24 recorded 88% overall satisfaction with courses.
- 73% of degree students come from outside Trieste.
- ARDiS canteens near the main campuses at discounted rates, plus discounted public transport subscriptions.
- Double degrees with nine European universities, including KU Leuven and Paris Cité.
Housing. Student housing is offered mainly through ARDiS, the regional right-to-study agency, alongside private rentals listed on the university's accommodation page.
Location
Trieste is a port city at the north-eastern tip of the Adriatic in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, shaped by its Austro-Hungarian past and home to a dense cluster of international research centres. The university's main campus looks down over the old city from the Scoglietto hill, with further sites in Gorizia, Pordenone and Portogruaro.
Nearest airport: Trieste Airport (TRS)
Notable alumni
- AO Albert O. HirschmanDevelopment economist, author of Exit, Voice, and Loyalty; laurea in economics from Trieste (1938)
- RF Roberto FicoPresident of Campania and former President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies (2018-2022); studied communication studies, graduating in 2001
- AI Andrea IllyChairman of the illycaffè coffee company; chemistry graduate
- DF Dario FloreanoRobotics and AI researcher; bachelor's degree in visual psychophysics (1988)
- SP Stefano PatuanelliFive Star Movement politician appointed Italian Minister of Economic Development in 2019; building engineering graduate
- LL Lelio LuttazziJazz pianist, composer and TV presenter; studied law at Trieste during the Second World War (did not graduate)
Frequently asked questions
How much are tuition fees at the University of Trieste for international students?
Students whose permanent address is abroad pay a flat 800 euros a year plus 160 euros regional tax and 16 euros stamp duty, 976 euros in total. Students from listed developing countries pay only the 176 euros of taxes.
Does the University of Trieste teach in English?
Yes, some programmes are fully or partly in English, for example Business Administration and Management and International Economics and Financial Markets, which have English-language curricula; check the language on each course page.
What is the application deadline for international students at UniTS?
For 2026/27, qualification assessments ran in rounds ending 15 January and 30 April 2026, with a third round for EU applicants only until 2 October 2026. Dates for 2027/28 had not been published when checked.
Do I need to pre-enrol on Universitaly for Trieste?
Yes, if you are a non-EU applicant living abroad who needs a visa: after a positive assessment on apply.units.it, pre-enrol on Universitaly and wait for UniTS to confirm before applying for the visa. There is no fixed Universitaly deadline, but earlier is better.
Do I need Italian to study at UniTS?
For Italian-taught or bilingual courses, visa applicants need Italian at B2 (a CLIQ certificate such as CELI, CILS or PLIDA) or at least 50/72 in the CISIA Italian L2 test. English-taught courses set their own English requirement.
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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