Rankings: The 19 best universities in Italy for 2027
19 universities in Italy appear in at least one of the three major global university rankings. The table orders them by their combined world position.
Ranking table
| # | University | QS 2027 | THE 2027 | ARWU 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Politecnico di MilanoMilan | 87 | 157 | 201 |
| 2 |  Sapienza University of RomeRome | 111 | 147 | 151 |
| 3 |  University of BolognaBologna | 123 | 111 | 201 |
| 4 |  University of PaduaPadua | 204 | 224 | 151 |
| 5 |  University of MilanMilan | 270 | 351 | 201 |
| 6 |  University of Naples Federico IINaples | 401 | 376 | 201 |
| 7 |  University of TurinTurin | 405 | 376 | 201 |
| 8 |  Politecnico di TorinoTurin | 206 | 401 | 701 |
| 9 |  Vita-Salute San Raffaele UniversityMilan | 465 | 247 | 501 |
| 10 | SSASant’Anna School of Advanced StudiesPisa | – | 257 | – |
| 11 |  University of FlorenceFlorence | 409 | 351 | 301 |
| 12 | UTUniversity of TrentoTrento | 438 | 351 | 301 |
| 13 |  University of Rome Tor VergataRome | 342 | 326 | 401 |
| 14 |  University of PaviaPavia | 395 | 401 | 401 |
| 15 |  University of BresciaBrescia | 581 | 401 | 601 |
| 16 |  Ca' Foscari University of VeniceVenice | 600 | 451 | – |
| 17 |  University of VeronaVerona | 781 | 451 | 601 |
| 18 |  University of TriesteTrieste | 761 | 551 | 601 |
| 19 |  Parthenope University of NaplesNaples | 1,001 | 801 | – |
About these rankings
Each ranking uses its own method, so a university can sit in quite different positions across them. A dash (–) means the university is not included in that ranking.
- QS World University Rankings combine surveys of academics and employers with measures such as citations per faculty, staff-to-student ratio and the share of international staff and students.
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings assess teaching, the research environment, research quality, international outlook and links with industry.
- Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking) are based on research output: highly cited researchers, papers in leading journals, and Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals won by staff and alumni.
Rankings say little about the quality of a single programme. Compare the programmes in Italy on content, fees and entry requirements as well.
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