Overview
Milano-Bicocca is the newest of Milan’s state universities and the one with the most campus-like feel. It was built in the 1990s on the site of a former Pirelli industrial complex in the north of the city, and its departments sit together in a planned district with modern lecture halls, laboratories, a theatre and shops. For students who find the dispersed layout of La Statale daunting, Bicocca is the more straightforward option.
Its academic profile is sharpest in economics, statistics and data science, psychology, biotechnology, medicine, materials science and physics, with sociology, education and law also well established. The university has a group of English-taught degrees at bachelor’s level, including economics, international business and some sciences, and a longer list at master’s level in areas such as data science, economics, biology, physics and marine sciences. Medicine and surgery are taught at hospital sites in Monza.
The Bicocca district has become a residential and commercial area with good transport, and the campus is a short metro or train ride from central Milan. It feels calmer than the centre and rents are slightly lower, though Milan is expensive everywhere. The international office runs centralised admissions and offers scholarships and fee reductions for selected international students.
Who it suits
Bicocca suits students in economics, data science, psychology, biotechnology and the physical sciences who want Milan’s job market and a coherent campus rather than a scattered historic university. It is a good fit for applicants who value modern facilities and clear administration, and for those who want slightly lower rents on the northern side of the city.
What to check before applying
- Check whether your programme is on the Bicocca campus or at a Monza hospital site.
- Review the entrance tests for economics, psychology and medicine, which are selective.
- Look at the international scholarship criteria and application deadlines.
- Apply for on-campus and regional housing as early as possible and prepare a private-market backup.
- Verify the English certificate accepted for English-taught degrees.