Overview
Siena is one of the smallest universities on this list and one of the oldest, and it has made a strategic decision to be international. For its size, it offers an unusually wide range of English-taught degrees at both bachelor’s and master’s level, across economics, finance, management, biotechnology, medicine, international studies, computer science, engineering and environmental sciences. The international office is accustomed to non-EU applicants and runs a central admissions portal with scholarship calls.
The academic strengths follow the English offer: economics and finance, biotechnology and medicine, law and political science, with a well-regarded group in the humanities and cultural heritage. The university’s medical school has an English-taught medicine degree, and the biotech departments benefit from a pharmaceutical and vaccine research cluster near the city. Some programmes are taught at the Arezzo and Grosseto sites, so applicants should check where their course is delivered.
Life in Siena is life in a medieval hill town: narrow streets, the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, the twice-yearly Palio horse race and a close community in which students are a visible part. It is quiet, safe and walkable, with Florence an hour and a half away by bus. The main limitation is size; students who want nightlife and a big-city job market will find it small, while those who want focus and atmosphere often love it.
Who it suits
Siena suits students in economics, biotechnology, medicine, international studies and computer science who want an English-taught degree in a small, historic town with a close academic community. It fits applicants who prefer calm and character to urban scale, and who are prepared to plan early for housing.
What to check before applying
- Confirm whether your programme is in Siena, Arezzo or Grosseto.
- Check the application rounds and scholarship deadlines for international students.
- Apply to DSU Toscana for residence places as soon as the call opens.
- Review the admission test for the English-taught medicine degree if relevant.
- Plan transport to Florence and Pisa airports for arrival and trips home.