Milan is not only a fashion capital, corporate hotspot and architectural forerunner: it’s also home to some world-class educational institutions.

Many expats move to Milan to send their blooming careers into overdrive, but it’s also possible to begin your career in Milan by making it the basis of your academic achievements! So let’s take a look at the universities in Milan that are best for international students looking to study abroad in Milan.

Cost of living for students in Milan

Milan is an expensive city. In fact, it’s the most expensive city in Italy! When you say Milan, people think about the giga yachts you’ll find in the Milano Marinas. This means that the cost of living in the city will not be cheap, even for the most crafty students. Milan has various neighbourhoods that are popular among students, and these tend to be the more affordable areas in Milan. Affordable housing meaning affordable in relation to some of the other areas in Milan!

Let’s take a look at the average rental prices in Milan according to the HousingAnywhere Rent index.

Accommodation type	Average rental price
1-bedroom Apartment	€ 1145
Private Studio	€ 871
Private Room	€ 561

The prices in the table are the prices as they have dropped due to the Corona pandemic. As the world slowly returns back to normal, you can expect prices to bounce back up by as much as 15%. So, if you’re looking for a place in Milan, now is the time to get bang for your rental buck!

Study abroad in Milan

Milan is home to many educational facilities, from a large public university to smaller, private and specialised schools. We’ve selected 3 of the universities that are the most popular among international students coming to Milan!

• Polytechnic University of Milan
• The Bocconi University
• University of Milan & University of Milan-Bicocca

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Are you interested in studying fashion? You're in luck! Milan's got some of the best fashion schools in Italy!

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Polytechnic University of Milan

If you’re all about technology, then why not polish your skills at the largest technical university in Italy?

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With over 42.000 students attending, it also boasts a staggering 18% international students.

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This means studying at Polytechnic Milan is an intercultural experience, finding the cutting edge of technology with talented students from all over the world. In the subdivision Engineering & Technology for the QS World University Rankings, Milan Polytechnic scored #20 in the world, as well as top 10 rankings for Design, Civil & Structural Engineering, Architecture and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.

Polytechnic Milan tuition fees for international students

The Polytechnic University of Milan is a public university, which means the tuition fees are relatively low. There are small differences between graduate and post-graduate fees. Let’s break it down for you!

Fee breakdown	Cost per year
Bsc programmes	€ 3726
Msc Programmes	€ 3898
Stamp duty	€16
Regional tax	€140
Insurances	~€15

The maximum basic inclusive tuition fee for international postgraduate students is €3898 per year. However, most students are entitled to reductions and/or financial support based on your family’s income.

The amount you actually pay will be based on your ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator). So, unless your parents have salaries that are far beyond average, you’ll pay a lot less than the basic fees.

Polytechnic Milan Masters in English

With 18% of the student body made up of international students, it’s no surprise that Milan Polytechnic has plenty of English Language education.

With over 41 postgraduate programs, there’ll be a spot for your interests somewhere! In 2021 Polytechnic Milan offers the following masters in English:

• Aeronautical Engineering
• Agricultural Engineering
• Architectural Design and History
• Architecture - Building Architecture
• Architecture - Built Environment - Interiors
• Architecture and Urban Design
• Automation and Control Engineering
• Bioinformatics for Computational Genomics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Building and Architectural Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Civil Engineering for Risk Mitigation
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance
• Design & Engineering
• Design for the Fashion System
• Digital and Interaction Design
• Electrical Engineering
• Electronics Engineering
• Energy Engineering
• Engineering Physics
• Environmental and Land Planning Engineering
• Food Engineering
• Geoinformatics Engineering
• Integrated Product Design
• Interior and Spatial Design
• Landscape Architecture - Land Landscape Heritage
• Management Engineering
• Management of Built Environment
• Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology
• Mathematical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Mobility Engineering
• Music and Acoustic Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering
• Product Service System Design
• Space Engineering
• Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Design
• Telecommunication Engineering
• Urban Planning and Policy Design

Bocconi University Milan

The Bocconi University in Milan is a private university that is known as one of the best universities in Europe for its specialisations. QS World University Rankings ranked the university 7th in the world and 3rd in Europe in business and management studies.

Its economics and econometrics even ranked as the #1 in Europe and #16 worldwide. With around 15.000 students a year, it’s a relatively small university. You can find the campus is located beside Parco Ravizza in Milan, comprising several buildings.

Bocconi University tuition fees for international students

As Bocconi University is a private University, it has relatively high tuition fees compared to public universities. The school does offer scholarships for students who have exemplary academic performance.

In 2021, the tuition fees for Bocconi University programs were as follows:

Program	Tuition Fee
Bsc programmes	€ 12.883
Msc Programmes	€ 14.073

Some programs might have separate fees, so be sure to check if your intended program has an additional fee. Additionally, students can opt to live in the university dormitories, for an additional annual fee of around €6000.

Bocconi University Bachelors in English

The Bocconi University offers a special 3-year undergraduate program for international students. It’s taught entirely in English and is designed to prepare students for an international career, with the option to major in economics, management or finance.

Bocconi University Masters in English

Unlike most universities, all of its master’s programmes are taught in English, with some in Italian (instead of the other way around).

• International Management
• CEMS MIM Program
• China MIM Program
• Management
• ESSEC - Bocconi Double Degree
• Marketing Management
• Accounting, Financial Management and Control
• Finance
• Economics and Management in Arts, Culture, Media and Entertainment
• Economics and Management for Arts, Culture and Communication;
• Economics and Management of Government and International Organizations
• Economics and Social Sciences
• Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology
• Data Science and Business Analytics
• Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance
• LSE - Bocconi Double Degree
• Sciences Po - Bocconi Double Degree.

University of Milan

The University of Milan, also known as Statale, is one of the larger universities in Europe, with over 60.000 students. In fact, the university grew so large (well over 90.000 students) that in 1998 it was split into two.

In 2021, the school had an international student body of about 6%, which is lower than usual due to corona and its ensuing restrictions. The second public university that came from this split is called the University of Milan-Bicocca. Milan University is ranked 3rd in Italy by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), as well as ranking in the top 10 for Italy in the rankings by Times Higher Education.

University of Milan tuition fees for international students

The University of Milan uses the Italian public university tuition fee system, meaning that there’s a large chance that your economic background and/or your financial situation can drastically affect the amount of tuition paid. So, the numbers we’ll mention next are the maximum tuition fees you could be paying per year.

Thankfully, Statale has a useful tuition simulator that will tell you exactly how much you can expect to pay if you intend to attend Unimi as an international student!

Fee breakdown	Cost per year
Bsc programmes	€ 3904
Msc Programmes	€ 3050
Stamp duty	€16
Regional tax	€140

University of Milan Masters in English

If you’re looking for an English language bachelor programme, you have 3 options at La Statale:

• International Medical School
• International Politics, Law and Economics
• Law

International Masters students have a few more options, with 27 English Language Masters degrees available at the University of Milan:

• Bioinformatics
• Biomedical Omics
• Biotechnology for the Bioeconomy
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Crops and Plant Sciences
• Data Science & Economics
• Environmental and Food economics
• Environmental Change and Global Sustainability
• Finance and Economics
• Global Politics and Society
• Industrial Chemistry
• International Relations
• Law and Sustainable Development
• Management of Human Resources
• Management of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine
• Molecular Biology of the Cell
• Molecular Biotechnology and Bioinformatics
• Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
• Philosophical Sciences
• Plant Science
• Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs
• Public and Corporate Communication
• Quantitative Biology
• Safety Assessment of Xenobiotics and Biotechnological Products

There you go! The best universities you'll find in Milan, ready for you to build your talent, explore the city and immerse yourself in Italian culture.

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