Overview
The University of Catania is the oldest university in Sicily and one of the oldest in Italy, with a comprehensive range of faculties. It is best known for engineering and computer science, physics, medicine and pharmacy, agriculture and the natural sciences, and it benefits from a local microelectronics and technology cluster, often called the Etna Valley, that gives engineering and physics students research and internship connections.
Most teaching is in Italian, with a limited number of English-taught master’s degrees in fields such as engineering, computer science, physics and economics. International students who come here should plan to learn Italian, and the university offers language courses to support them. The international office handles admissions for non-EU applicants and provides help with permits and fee documentation.
The science and engineering departments and the university hospital sit together on the Cittadella Universitaria campus on the edge of the city, which gives those students a compact campus life, while law, economics and humanities are in baroque palazzi in the old centre. Catania itself is energetic and sometimes chaotic, with Etna looming above, beaches close by, a warm climate and a cost of living far below the north. The airport is one of the busiest in the south, with direct connections across Europe.
Who it suits
Catania suits students who can study in Italian and who want a low-cost, warm coastal city with a technology cluster, especially in engineering, computer science, physics, medicine and agriculture. It fits adaptable applicants who prioritise affordability and climate over a highly structured environment.
What to check before applying
- Check whether your programme has an English-taught option; most do not.
- Verify the Italian certificate level required for your course.
- Confirm whether your programme is in Catania, Ragusa or Syracuse.
- Apply to ERSU Catania for housing and grants when the call opens.
- Review entrance test requirements for medicine, engineering and health professions.