Overview
The University of Milan, universally called La Statale, is the city’s general-purpose state university and the counterpart to the Politecnico and Bocconi. If you want to study something other than engineering, design or business in Milan, this is usually where you end up. The faculties span medicine, pharmacy, law, political science, agriculture, veterinary science, natural sciences and a large humanities school, and several of them sit among the strongest in the country for research.
The English-taught offer has grown quickly. There are English bachelor’s degrees in areas such as international politics, medicine and some sciences, and a longer list of English master’s degrees across data science, biology, chemistry, economics, law and the environment. The international office runs a central admissions portal with set deadlines and offers fee reductions and scholarships for international students based on merit and income.
Campus life is spread across the city. The Ca’ Granda, a former Renaissance hospital, is the symbolic heart for law and humanities, while the science and medicine departments cluster in Città Studi, near the Politecnico. A new science campus is taking shape in the MIND district on the former Expo site. Milan offers more internships and graduate roles than any other Italian city, but students need to plan for rents that are far above the national norm.
Who it suits
La Statale fits students who want Milan’s opportunities with state-university fees, especially in medicine, biomedical and natural sciences, law, political science and languages. It suits self-reliant students who can manage a dispersed campus and a demanding housing market, and those who see Milan’s companies and institutions as part of their study plan.
What to check before applying
- Confirm whether your programme requires an entrance test or a specific application round for non-EU students.
- Check the location of your department; some are a long tram ride from the centre.
- Review the income- and merit-based fee reductions available to international applicants.
- Start the housing search several months before arrival and consider neighbouring towns on the metro line.
- For Italian-taught degrees, check the language certificate level required.