At public universities the fee is calculated through the ISEE system for all students, by family income, exactly as it is for an Italian. In practice you pay between EUR 0 and EUR 4,000 per year, and a family with an average or low income can pay EUR 0-2,000 per year at a top university. The fees of EUR 15,000 to EUR 25,000 per year appear only at private universities (Bocconi, LUISS), where they are fixed and the same for everyone.

ISEE is the Italian indicator of a family's economic situation, used to set the reduced fee at public universities. For a family from Romania you use the ISEE parificato version, calculated by a tax assistance centre (CAF) based on the family's income and assets documents. The lower the declared income, the lower the annual fee, down to almost zero.

Yes, the Romanian Baccalaureate is recognised for admission, as you are an EU citizen. You will need your diploma and transcript officially translated, plus sometimes the dichiarazione di valore or recognition through the ENIC-NARIC network, depending on the university. Many competitive programmes (engineering, economics, medicine) additionally require an admission test such as TOLC or a university's own test.

Yes. There are more than 600 programmes in English, concentrated at master's level but growing at bachelor's level too (Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi, LUISS, Politecnico di Torino). For these you need proof of English (aim for IELTS 6.0-6.5 or TOEFL 80+). For programmes in Italian you need a CILS or CELI certificate at B2 level. Our recommendation: even if you study in English, learn Italian alongside it for everyday life.

Usually both. Almost all universities require pre-enrolment on the national Universitaly portal, where you choose your programme and upload the basic documents. In parallel, many universities also have their own admissions portal where you submit the full application, pay the application fee and schedule any tests. Always check the university's official website for the exact steps and deadlines.

On average EUR 700-1,100 per month for accommodation and living, depending on the city. Milan is the most expensive, while Bologna, Padua, Turin or Rome are more affordable. On top of this comes the tuition fee (low at public universities through ISEE), but also the option to significantly reduce expenses through regional DSU scholarships, which can include accommodation and meals for low-income students.

At public universities (Politecnico di Milano, Bologna, Sapienza, Padova, Torino, UniMi, Ca' Foscari) you pay EU fees through ISEE (EUR 0-4,000 per year) and have access to strong research and engineering programmes. At private ones (Bocconi, LUISS) the fee is fixed and higher (EUR 12,000-16,000+ per year) and the same for everyone, but you get a global corporate network, programmes predominantly in English and very high employability. The choice depends on your field, your budget and your career goals.

Yes. In addition to the fee already reduced through ISEE at public universities, the Italian regions offer DSU scholarships (diritto allo studio) based on income and merit, which can cover accommodation, meals and a monthly stipend. Private universities such as Bocconi and LUISS have their own merit-based and need-based scholarship schemes. As an EU citizen you have access to the same scholarships as an Italian student, which makes the real cost of studying very competitive.