University of Padova: admission for international applicants

University of Padova (Università degli Studi di Padova, UniPD) takes applicants with a school qualification obtained abroad through apply.unipd.it, and its first call for Academic Year 2027/2028 opened on 15 September 2026 and closes on 15 November 2026 for most degree programmes. University of Padova's test page for Academic Year 2026/2027, the latest published, says an admission test is always required for first-cycle and single-cycle programmes; according to its pages as of October 2026, the English-taught ones ask for English at B2, and a year can cost from zero to around 3,000 euros.

University of Padova counts you as an international student, or international degree-seeker, if you hold a qualification obtained abroad and want to enrol in a degree programme, whatever your citizenship. Courses at University of Padova start at the end of September or the beginning of October, and University of Padova does not offer direct enrolment in the second semester.

Degrees taught in English

University of Padova lists eight bachelor's degree programmes taught in English: Animal Care, Psychological Science, Techniques and Methods in Psychological Science, Information Engineering, Italian Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Biology of Human and Environmental Health, Earth and Climate Dynamics, and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making. The single-cycle master's degree in Medicine and Surgery is also taught in English, and the Medicine chapter covers it.

Four more English bachelor's programmes appear on University of Padova's list marked "new programme 2027/2028 - to be approved": Management, Finance and Business Analytics and Physics for Technology (2027/2028, to be approved), and Food Safety for Global Health and Innovative Technologies in Agriculture (2027/2028, to be approved). Until approval, treat these four as planned, not confirmed.

Channel, test and language

For every English-taught programme except Medicine and Surgery, University of Padova sends you to apply.unipd.it to submit your application. Medicine and Surgery runs through registration on Universitaly and an admission test in English, the IMAT.

University of Padova's admission test page for Academic Year 2026/2027, the latest published, says an admission test is always necessary to access first-cycle and single-cycle master's programmes, and the test is used to draw up rankings for limited-access programmes. For the English-taught programmes, University of Padova asks every applicant with a foreign qualification, regardless of citizenship or residence, to show English equivalent to at least B2 (page as of October 2026).

Cittadella dello studente, Psicologia, designed by Gino Valle, Padova

The cost depends on ISEE (the Italian family income indicator), academic merit and the chosen programme. University of Padova's student fees page for the 2026-2027 academic year, the latest published, charges students with citizenship outside the European Union who are not resident in Italy an all-inclusive fee: € 2790 for Group A (Humanities) and € 2990 for Group B (Scientific and Primary Teacher Education). The money chapter gives the full table.

University of Padova dates its foundation to 1222, and on its own rankings page it reports 204th place in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2027. That position is the university's own claim.

University of Padova ties its identity to the motto "Universa universis patavina libertas" and to a spirit of freedom it says has belonged to the university since 1222, the year of its foundation. University of Padova roots its present in the observations of Galileo Galilei, the anatomical studies of Vesalius and Harvey, and the first woman graduate, Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia.

Padua also holds what University of Padova calls the first university botanical garden in the world, now on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and the first permanent anatomical theatre. University of Padova's museums hold 16 collections and over 1 million artifacts.

Rankings University of Padova cites

The QS figure on University of Padova's page is written the Italian way, 8.808 institutions, where the full stop separates thousands, so it reads as eight thousand eight hundred and eight.

The positions above are University of Padova's own statements, as its rankings page words them (translated from Italian).

University of Padova in numbers

University of Padova reports 8 schools and 32 departments offering 210 courses of study across all subject areas, and more than 600 courses taught in a foreign language. Padua itself, a city of about 210,000 inhabitants, is home to over 76,000 students; that is University of Padova's figure for the city, not a headcount of the university.

Seat of the Scuola Galileiana di Studi Superiori, Unipd, Padova

Five of University of Padova's eight English-taught bachelor's programmes have limited entry, two are open admission with requirements, and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making is listed with "Scheduled Local" access, according to the programme pages as of October 2026. University of Padova states the number of places only in the call for admission of each limited-access programme and does not publish applications, admits or an admit rate for international applicants.

Limited entry means places set in a call for admission and a ranking. Open admission with requirements has no call for admission, because University of Padova publishes calls only for limited-access programmes; you still have to meet the programme's entry requirements. The "Scheduled Local" label on the Economics, Governance and Decision-Making page is University of Padova's own wording; the tests chapter explains the test that programme names.

Number of places

University of Padova publishes a call for admission exclusively for degree programmes with limited access, and that call sets out the number of places, the timing and method of applying, the admission requirements and the selection criteria. University of Padova does not print the number of places on its programme or admission web pages, so the call of your programme is the only place to read it.

Animal Care shows how the calls split by applicant group: its admission page for Academic Year 2026-2027, the latest published, lists a separate "Call for admission - Non-European candidates residing abroad with foreign entry title". If you are a non-EU applicant living abroad, read the call written for your group, because the places and rules in it apply to you.

Applications and admit rate

University of Padova does not publish how many international applicants apply to or are admitted on each programme, and it gives no admit rate. Competition for a limited-entry programme shows only in the ranking list of each call, not in a published statistic.

How results are published

University of Padova's admission results page, in its Academic Year 2026/2027 version (the latest published), notifies eligible candidates for open-access programmes directly through the platform used for the application. For limited-access programmes the same page points to ranking lists, and the Animal Care page says ranking lists are published as indicated in the relevant calls for admission.

The same results page keeps a separate section for non-EU citizens residing abroad who apply for a study visa, under the first call for A.Y. 2026/27. If you need a visa, look for your result in that section, not in the general list.

For University of Padova's English-taught programmes other than Medicine and Surgery, the Admissions and Welcome Unit checks your application first and a dedicated Academic Committee then evaluates it, on a file of CV, motivation letter, transcript and a school certificate from at least 12 years of schooling (application page as of October 2026). On the test page for Academic Year 2026/2027, the latest published, limited-access programmes rank you on an admission test, possibly combined with other criteria, and University of Padova publishes no minimum grade per foreign qualification.

University of Padova's step-by-step procedure for the English-taught programmes says the application is checked by the Admissions and Welcome Unit first and then evaluated by a dedicated Academic Committee. For the Italian-taught route, University of Padova uses the same first check and sends the file to the relevant Academic Committee only where required.

Ranked on the test or on the record

University of Padova's admission test page for Academic Year 2026/2027, the latest published, says the test is used to draw up admission rankings for limited-access programmes, possibly in combination with other criteria, and to decide eligibility for open-access programmes. The limited-access programmes that page lists under the CEnT-S are Animal Care, Biology of Human and Environmental Health, Economics, Governance and Decision-Making, and Information Engineering.

How much weight the CEnT-S score carries against other criteria is set in the call for admission of each programme, not on University of Padova's web pages. Your previous academic record counts directly in the full fee waivers for international students (waiver page, Academic Year 2026/2027, the latest published): the best applicants for each degree programme become beneficiaries on the basis of their previous academic record (CV, personal statement, language skills, etc.).

Is there an interview?

University of Padova's application steps for bachelor's and single-cycle programmes list no interview. The selection rests on the documents above and, where the programme requires one, the admission test.

Minimum grades for foreign qualifications

University of Padova does not publish a minimum grade per qualification, whether the IB Diploma, A levels, a US high school diploma, the Abitur, the French baccalauréat or the Polish matura. The entry rule University of Padova does publish is the school certificate after at least 12 years of school attendance; the diplomas chapter covers what else a foreign qualification needs.

Five of University of Padova's English-taught bachelor's programmes take the CEnT-S, a CISIA test in English that costs 55 euros to register, while most Italian-taught programmes use a TOLC at €35.00 and Medicine and Surgery in English uses the national IMAT. The TOLC fee, the programme lists and the IMAT dates come from University of Padova's test page for Academic Year 2026/2027, the latest published; the CEnT-S details come from its apply.unipd.it news page as of October 2026.

The CEnT-S for English-taught bachelor's programmes

University of Padova accepts the CEnT-S for Animal Care, Information Engineering, Biology of Human and Environmental Health, Earth and Climate Dynamics, and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making. Registration costs 55 euros, and you can sit the CEnT-S at UNI, in university facilities, or at HOME, remotely.

The CEnT-S has sections in Mathematics, Reasoning on texts and data, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. CISIA runs it in 4 macro-periods, and you may book and take it only once per macro-period: November to January, February and March, April to June, and September. The normalised score, the final official result, appears in the CISIA Student Area only at the end of the macro-period in which you sat the test, so plan a sitting that ends before your application deadline.

Earth and Climate Dynamics is listed under open-access degree programmes that use the CEnT-S on University of Padova's Academic Year 2026/2027 test page, where the test is used to determine eligibility for enrolment for open-access programmes, not a ranking. On that page, Biology of Human and Environmental Health and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making are limited-access programmes that take the CEnT-S, where the test is used for the admission ranking.

TOLC and University of Padova's own tests

University of Padova uses the TOLC, an individual computer test administered by the CISIA consortium, for most of its degree programmes. You register on the CISIA website and pay €35.00. On the Academic Year 2026/2027 test page, the test required for the limited-entry programmes in Aerospace, Biomedical and Computer Engineering is the TOLC-I, the same TOLC-I applies to the limited-enrolment programmes of the School of Science, and the TOLC-AV grants access to Italian-taught open-admission degree programmes. For the Aerospace, Biomedical and Computer Engineering ranking, the same page says the rankings are published as indicated in the relevant admission calls.

A few programmes use admission tests set by University of Padova itself: admission tests are set, delivered in person and on a single date, for example for Scienze motorie, a programmed-access course taught in Italian (page for Academic Year 2026/2027). For the two English-taught psychology programmes, University of Padova says information about the test is published as indicated in the relevant calls for admission, and the admission page lists April test instructions for EU and EU-equated candidates.

IMAT and the open semester for Medicine

For Medicine and Surgery and Medicine and Surgery MedTech in English, admission is defined at ministerial level through ministerial decrees, and candidates must pass an admission test in English, the IMAT (English application page as of October 2026). The most recent IMAT, for Academic Year 2026/2027 entry, took place on 29 September 2026 according to the ministerial test table on University of Padova's Medicine page, while the text of University of Padova's test page gives Entrance tests: 30 September 2026. The Medicine page also refers to candidates who took the IMAT in Padova on September 29th.

Italian-taught Medicine and Surgery and Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics follow the open semester: according to University of Padova's open semester page as of October 2026 (in Italian), you enrol in a semestre aperto of about three months, without any entrance test.

SAT, ACT and the OFA

University of Padova does not list the SAT or the ACT among its admission tests for any bachelor's programme; the CEnT-S, TOLC, its own tests and the IMAT are the tests it names. On the Academic Year 2026/2027 test page, a score below a programme's minimum threshold leads to an additional learning requirement, called OFA.

You apply to University of Padova's English-taught programmes on apply.unipd.it, for up to 2 degree programmes, with a €60 application fee, and the intake for Academic Year 2027/2028 opened on 15 September 2026. According to the application page as of October 2026, for programmes with unlimited places, Call One runs from 15 September 2026 - 15 November 2026; for limited-place programmes, non-EU citizens residing outside Italy apply from 7 January 2027 - 7 March 2027.

These windows are the timeline on University of Padova's Study in English application page as of October 2026, which covers all programmes except Medicine and Surgery. Which window applies to you depends on two things: whether your programme has a limited number of places, and whether you are an EU or EU-equated citizen or a non-EU citizen living outside Italy.

University of Padova's English application page prints Call Two as 1 December 2027 - 1 March 2027, a window that ends before it begins, so the year is a typo. The Italian-route page gives Call Two as December 1, 2026 - March 1, 2027, and that is the window shown above. Some degree programmes may also open a Call Three, again only for EU citizens and non-EU citizens residing in Italy.

The steps on apply.unipd.it

• Register on apply.unipd.it by clicking "Become an applicant" and filling in the form. Register once only: University of Padova rejects applications from anyone who registers more than once with different email addresses.
• Choose your programmes, up to 2 per Academic Year. You cannot apply twice for the same programme in different calls of the same Academic Year.
• Upload the documents listed below, then pay the application fee of €60, which is not refundable, and submit.
• If your programme requires the CEnT-S, as its call states, do not pay the application fee: register for the CEnT-S instead, at 55 euros to CISIA.

Documents to upload

For an English-taught bachelor's programme, University of Padova asks for a CV and a motivational letter in English, a transcript of records, and the upper secondary school certificate achieved after at least 12 years of school attendance. If you have not yet obtained your final qualification, an enrolment or provisional certificate is accepted. Add an English language certificate or other language certification where the programme's entry requirements ask for one, and a certificate of the university entrance exam where the law of the country that awarded your school certificate requires it (the diplomas chapter lists examples).

University of Padova requires no legalised documents to be submitted at the application stage; if you are admitted, you submit original and legalised copies of your previous qualifications. If you have not yet obtained your qualification, the deadline to complete your study cycle is 31 July 2027 (page on specific entry requirements for foreign qualifications, as of October 2026).

Accepting your place

Once you are selected for a programme other than Medicine and Surgery, the first instalment of the fees is due at enrolment: University of Padova's student fees page for 2026-2027, the latest published, sets it at 208 euros for first-year students, while the costs page gives 205 euros for future first-year students (page as of October 2026); the fees chapter sets the two side by side. Courses at University of Padova start at the end of September or the beginning of October, and direct enrolment in the second semester is not available.

If you are a non-EU citizen living outside Italy, University of Padova gives you your own limited-places call, 7 January 2027 - 7 March 2027 (English application page as of October 2026). For Medicine and Surgery you also pre-enrol at the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence through the Universitaly portal.

Which applicant group you are in

University of Padova treats as EU and EU-equated citizens the citizens of any European Union Member State and of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and San Marino. Call Three is open to EU citizens and to non-EU citizens residing in Italy.

If you are a citizen of a country outside that list and you live outside Italy, you are in the group with its own limited-places call, 7 January 2027 - 7 March 2027. Call Three is not for you: it is only for EU citizens and non-EU citizens residing in Italy.

Call Three is the one window closed to you as a non-EU applicant living abroad, so the practical deadlines for you are Call One or Call Two for unlimited-places programmes and the 7 January 2027 - 7 March 2027 call for limited-places programmes.

Universitaly pre-enrolment for Medicine

Medicine and Surgery runs on Universitaly from the start: registration on Universitaly is required, and candidates pass the IMAT and register according to places available, their ranking and the minimum score. University of Padova reminds non-EU citizens residing outside Italy that they must also pre-enrol at the Italian Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence through the Universitaly portal. No documents are uploaded on Universitaly during the registration phase. On the Italian-taught route, a non-EU applicant residing abroad must also provide proof of Italian language proficiency.

Marco Polo Project for Chinese students

Through the Marco Polo Project, University of Padova lets Chinese students apply for an entry visa to study the Italian language in Italy and then access their chosen first-cycle, bachelor's degree course.

According to its language requirement page as of October 2026, University of Padova requires English equivalent to at least B2 from every applicant with a foreign qualification who enrols on an English-taught programme, regardless of citizenship or residence, and you may hand in the certificate no later than 31/07/2027. Each accepted certificate has its own minimum score, which University of Padova lists separately from its language requirement page; for Italian-taught programmes the bar is Italian at B2.

University of Padova's language requirement page says the B2 thresholds apply to all degree programmes and curricula delivered in English. The page does not print the scores itself: it states that each certificate requires a minimum score and points to a separate list, "English language certifications", with the score per certificate. The apply.unipd.it documents page links the same full list of accepted certificates, minimum scores and exemptions.

Exemptions from the English certificate

University of Padova publishes the exemptions from the English certificate as a separate document, "Exemptions - English language certification", linked from its language requirement page; the page itself does not list who is exempt. Check that document before you book a test, because whether a native speaker, English-medium schooling or a particular school qualification counts is decided there, not on the web page.

How old a certificate may be and when to submit it

University of Padova accepts only valid certificates, as established by the certifying bodies; where a certificate has no expiry date, it must have been obtained within the last two years from the opening of the selection for international students, 15/09/2026, that is 15 September 2026 in the Italian day/month order. You may submit the certificate after your application on apply.unipd.it, but within the enrolment deadlines and no later than 31/07/2027, that is 31 July 2027 (page as of October 2026).

Italian for Italian-taught programmes

For University of Padova's programmes taught in Italian, every candidate with a foreign qualification must show Italian equivalent to at least level B2, with the exception of the laurea magistrale in Linguistica, a master's degree, which requires C1. You can submit an Italian certification from the CLIQ quality system, obtained within the last two years from the opening date of the selection process, 15/09/2026 (page as of October 2026, latest published). Candidates for Italian-taught programmes may also be required to show adequate English, as the teaching regulations of each programme provide.

University of Padova exempts from the Italian certificate anyone with Italian citizenship; an Italian qualification or one from secondary schools of San Marino or the Vatican City State; or a qualification listed in Annex 2 of the ministerial procedures for international students.

University of Padova requires no Italian language certificate when you apply for an English-taught degree programme.

To enter a bachelor's or single-cycle degree at University of Padova you need a minimum 12-year school record, plus a pass in your country's university entrance exam where its law requires one. University of Padova does not publish a minimum grade per qualification; if your diploma came after 11 years, extra university study or a Foundation course closes the gap.

Fewer than 12 years of school

If your final diploma came after a shorter programme, University of Padova asks you to fill the gap in one of two ways: at least 1 year of academic studies with all exams passed if you had 11 years of schooling, or 2 years if you had 10; or one- or two-year Foundation courses at an Italian university.

Foundation courses can fill other access requirements too, but University of Padova says they cannot replace a missing upper secondary school diploma. The pre-school year can count towards the 12 years of schooling when it is officially recognised at national level as part of the school curriculum, attendance is compulsory and it includes teaching the language of the country.

University entrance exam certificates

If the law of the country that awarded your school certificate requires a university entrance exam, University of Padova asks for the certificate of passing it. The examples University of Padova gives are Selectividad in Spain, the Prova de Aferição or Prova Geral de Acesso in Portugal, the Vestibular or Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio in Brazil, and the Gao Kao in China.

As an alternative to the entrance exam, University of Padova accepts an additional one year of academic studies if you had 12 years of schooling, or two years if you had 11, passed with all exams. These additional certificates only allow enrolment in the first year and cannot shorten your degree.

Country list and minimum grades

University of Padova publishes its country-by-country entry requirements as a separate document, "Specific entry requirements for qualifications awarded by non-Italian education systems", linked from its foreign qualifications page. University of Padova calls that information for reference only and not exhaustive, and says you may still apply if your country is not listed, and leaves the decision on whether your qualification gives access to the Admissions and Welcome Unit.

University of Padova does not publish a minimum grade per qualification, so there is no stated threshold for the IB Diploma, A levels, a US high school diploma, the Abitur, the French baccalauréat or the Polish matura. What University of Padova does publish are the structural rules above: years of schooling, entrance exam certificates and the documents below.

Legalisation and CIMEA

At the application stage no legalised documents need to be submitted; the Admissions and Welcome Unit may request the CIMEA Statement of Comparability of your upper secondary school diploma if further verification is deemed necessary. According to the English application page as of October 2026, if you are admitted, you submit original and legalised copies of your previous qualifications.

The Padua Foundation Year

University of Padova's Foundation Year primarily targets students whose diploma came after 11 years of schooling. Entry needs a high school diploma with at least 11 years of prior education, English at B2 and a dedicated online entry test in English (Foundation Year page as of October 2026).

University of Padova's two Foundation Year pages disagree on tuition. The main Foundation Year page says €6000. The fee page says "Tuition fees : 5000€" in three instalments, where the first is the admission fee of 1000€ and the second and third are 2500€ each, due by 30 November and 28 February. Ask University of Padova which figure applies before you pay. The application fee is 60€ for up to two Foundation Year programmes.

University of Padova teaches two single-cycle Medicine and Surgery degrees in English, both 6 years long: Medicine and Surgery in Venice and Medicine and Surgery MedTech in Padua. Both admit a limited number of students, selected at national level by Ministerial Decree through the IMAT on Universitaly; the latest IMAT, for Academic Year 2026/2027 entry, was held on 29 September 2026, and University of Padova says the call for admission with the test dates is published each year around June/July.

University of Padova says the number of places, the date of the admission test, its content and the selection procedures for Medicine and Surgery are set every year by Ministerial Decree. You register on Universitaly, pass the IMAT, an admission test in English, and can then register on the programme according to the places available, your ranking and the minimum score set by the admission test. If you are a non-EU citizen residing outside Italy, you also pre-enrol at the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your country through the Universitaly portal.

Medicine and Surgery MedTech is delivered entirely in English over six years and trains doctors with integrated clinical, biomedical, IT and statistical skills. University of Padova says MedTech offers the possibility of obtaining a second degree, preparing students for multidisciplinary work.

When the IMAT is and when the call comes out

University of Padova says you register for the IMAT on Universitaly around June/July, and that the call for admission with application dates, procedure and test dates is published each year around June/July (English application page as of October 2026).

For first-year access in Academic Year 2026/2027, University of Padova's Medicine and Surgery page (in Italian) fixed the admission test for 29 settembre 2026, Italian for the same day that the ministerial table on University of Padova's test page lists for both English programmes: 29 September 2026. The text of the same test page says "Entrance tests: 30 September 2026". The Medicine page refers to candidates who took the test in Padova on September 29th, so the test took place on that earlier date.

Italian-taught Medicine and the open semester

For Medicina e Chirurgia, Odontoiatria e Protesi dentaria and Medicina veterinaria, University of Padova's open semester page (in Italian, as of October 2026) says you enrol in a semestre aperto, an initial training period of about three months, without any entrance test. At the end, national tests produce a national ranking of everyone who passed at least one test, and Cineca assigns places by the preferences expressed.

Those who pass all three tests can enrol in the course they are assigned; those who fail one or two must take the missing exams. University of Padova advises you to also take part in the ordinary selections for other courses as a safeguard. University of Padova's Italian Medicine admission page lists first-year access only for 2026/27.

Documents for admitted Medicine candidates

You upload no documents on Universitaly during registration. The Global Engagement Office - Admissions and Welcome Unit emails the list to successful candidates only, and it includes the transcript of records and the upper secondary school certificate obtained after at least 12 years of school attendance, an official translation in English or Italian, and the legalisation of your upper secondary school diploma. No Italian language certificate is required for the English Medicine programme.

University of Padova lists eight bachelor's programmes held in English, each 3 years long, plus four more marked "new programme 2027/2028 - to be approved" and two single-cycle Medicine and Surgery degrees in English, according to its English-taught programmes page as of October 2026. Most of the English bachelor's have limited entry, five of them use the CEnT-S entry test, and Italian Medieval and Renaissance Studies is taught in Italian and English.

University of Padova says its degree programmes include bachelor's and single-cycle master's degrees taught exclusively in English, and that at the end of an English-taught programme the University of Padua issues a regular qualification, the same degree an Italian-taught programme leads to. The bachelor's programmes University of Padova lists as held in English are Animal Care, Psychological Science, Techniques and Methods in Psychological Science, Information Engineering, Italian Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Biology of Human and Environmental Health, Earth and Climate Dynamics, and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making.

Campus, access and entry test for each English bachelor's

Each programme page states its seat, language, duration and access type. The test column below comes from University of Padova's entrance-test page for Academic year 2026-2027, the latest published, and from the CEnT-S news on apply.unipd.it; check the call for your own intake and applicant group.

The CEnT-S is the unified CISIA entry test that apply.unipd.it says is valid for the English-taught bachelor's in Animal Care, Information Engineering, Biology of Human and Environmental Health, Earth and Climate Dynamics, and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making. On University of Padova's entrance-test page for Academic year 2026-2027, Animal Care, Biology of Human and Environmental Health, Economics, Governance and Decision-Making and Information Engineering sit under limited-access programmes, while Earth and Climate Dynamics sits under open-access programmes.

Economics, Governance and Decision-Making shows "Scheduled Local" access on its programme page. Biology of Human and Environmental Health is, on its Academic Year 2026-2027 admission page, an inter-university programme with the University of Bologna, which is why the programme page names Bologna and Padova as its seats.

For Psychological Science and Techniques and Methods in Psychological Science, University of Padova's School of Psychology admission page says information about the test is published as indicated in the relevant calls for admission. The same page carries separate April test instructions for EU or EU-equated candidates, so check the call for your own applicant group before you plan a test date.

New English bachelor's for 2027/2028, to be approved

University of Padova's English-taught programmes page lists four bachelor's marked "new programme 2027/2028 - to be approved": Management, Finance and Business Analytics; Physics for Technology; Food Safety for Global Health; and Innovative Technologies in Agriculture. These programmes still need approval, and the list gives no seat, access type or entry test for them, so treat them as possible options for autumn 2027 rather than confirmed ones.

Single-cycle degrees in English

The two single-cycle master's degrees University of Padova lists as held in English are Medicine and Surgery and Medicine and Surgery - MedTech; the Medicine chapter covers their IMAT route.

How the Italian degree system works at University of Padova

University of Padova's page on the university system says a bachelor's degree lasts 3 years, 180 credits, a single-cycle master's degree 5 or 6 years, 300 or 360 credits, and a master's degree 2 years, 120 credits. One credit conventionally corresponds to 25 hours of work.

University of Padova sorts courses by access. Restricted-access courses, with national or local restricted numbers, limit enrolments: you must sit an admission test and reach a high enough position in the ranking. On open-access courses a negative outcome in the prior-knowledge assessment still lets you enrol with additional learning requirements (OFA), which you must fulfil within the first year of the course.

Beyond full degrees, University of Padova's international courses page counts more than 600 courses taught in a foreign language alongside the degree courses taught in English, which matters if you plan an exchange semester or want English electives within an Italian-taught degree.

University of Padova teaches entire degree courses in Padua and also in Legnaro, Rovigo, Treviso, Venice, Vicenza and other cities and centers, according to its multi-site campus page as of October 2026. Among the English-taught programmes, Medicine and Surgery is taught in Venice, Animal Care in Legnaro, and Biology of Human and Environmental Health lists Bologna and Padova; the other English bachelor's are in Padua.

University of Padova describes a widespread presence in the Veneto region and beyond. Its multi-site campus page names the Astrophysical Observatory of Asiago, summer courses in Bressanone, the Villa Parco Revedin Bolasco in Castelfranco Veneto and the pole of Higher Mountain Education in Spert, alongside teaching sites such as Chioggia, Conegliano, Feltre, Monselice, Portogruaro, San Vito di Cadore and Schio.

English-taught programmes outside Padua

If you apply for an English-taught programme, the seat on its programme page decides where you live. University of Padova's Medicine and Surgery page gives Venice as the place, the Animal Care page gives Legnaro, home of the Agripolis complex, and the Biology of Human and Environmental Health page lists Bologna and Padova, because it is an inter-university programme with the University of Bologna. Medicine and Surgery - MedTech and the other English bachelor's list Padua.

What each city page says

University of Padova's Padua page says the first university botanical garden in the world was born in Padua and is now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The University Museum System holds 16 collections and over 1 million artifacts in 11 museums, 8 of which are in Padova.

University of Padova's Treviso page lists health-care degree programmes and two single-cycle courses, Law at the San Leonardo Complex and Medicine and surgery at the hospital, and a free psychological support service (SAP) for all students facing difficulties in managing their studies. The Vicenza page lists three engineering programmes and Food safety, and at Rovigo new classrooms and a gym were opened on 13/10/26 (day, month, year order).

The same multi-site page also lists Conegliano, Feltre and other towns among its sites, so check each programme page for its teaching language before you count a campus as an English-taught option.

University of Padova reports, from AlmaLaurea data, an employment rate of over 84% one year after graduation and 94.9% five years after a master's degree, according to its employability pages as of October 2026. Those pages name no survey year, and two of them describe the same figures slightly differently, so read them as the university's own headline numbers.

University of Padova's employability page applies the over 84% figure to graduates one year after graduation, while its "On the road to work" page applies over 84% to people one year after completing a master's degree. Both pages give 94.9% after five years.

The two pages also differ on contracts and cohort size. The employability page says almost 6 in 10 of those employed five years after a master's sign a permanent contract, while "On the road to work" says almost 6 people out of 10 sign a permanent or fixed-term contract. The first page counts almost 17,000 graduates each year, the second around 14,000.

University of Padova adds that out of 10 people graduating from Padua, on average 3 have permanent employed work, almost as many have fixed-term work and 1 is self-employed, and that 60% of its graduates completed placements recognised by their degree course. University of Padova says it ranks above the national average for both the employment rate and the earnings of its graduates; that comparison is the university's own claim.

Career services and job platforms

The Career service Unipd runs Internships and Traineeships, Job Placement, and Job and career guidance, and lists State Exams and Civil service on the same page. University of Padova's careers page announces a Università Aperta IES Career Day for Engineering, Economics and Science, described as "coming this November" without a year, and offers ColloquIA, which it calls the first AI interview simulator developed by the University of Padua.

The Mentor&Me programme pairs you with a mentor for 6 online meetings plus group sessions. If you want to keep studying, University of Padova offers more than 100 university master's programmes (first- and second-level) and more than 40 PhD courses.

After Medicine in English: Italian specialisation schools

University of Padova's Medicine and Surgery page says the English-taught degree gives you an Italian qualification with the opportunity to access specialisation schools in the medical field. The Medicine and Surgery - MedTech page says that degree qualifies you for the profession of doctor-surgeon and for access to specializations, doctorates and master's programmes at an international level.

On University of Padova's student fees page for the 2026-2027 academic year, the latest published, a degree costs from 0 to approximately 3,000 euros per year depending on household income, while non-EU students whose household is not resident in Italy pay a fixed fee of € 2790 (Group A, Humanities) or € 2990 (Group B, Scientific and Primary Teacher Education). That is the latest fee page University of Padova publishes.

EU and EU-equated students: fees by ISEE

For EU and EU-equated students, University of Padova sets the contribution from the household ISEE, Italy's income and assets indicator, and its fees page for 2026-2027 offers a no tax area up to 30,000 euros. University of Padova's costs page, as of October 2026, says that if your household ISEE is below 30,000 euros and you meet the minimum academic merit and enrolment requirements, you do not pay student fees, and it describes a full extraordinary exemption for the band between 22,000 and 30,000 euros.

To get income-based exemptions and reductions you complete the Request for concessions. University of Padova's costs page, as of October 2026, puts the general range at from zero to around 3,000 euros per year, varying with ISEE, academic merit and the degree programme you choose.

Non-EU students with a household abroad: the fixed fee

For the 2026-2027 academic year, University of Padova charges students with citizenship outside the European Union who are not resident in Italy an all-inclusive fee by group (the table below). Lower fees apply to students from particularly poor countries, defined by Ministerial Decree no. 166 of 3 March 2025 for the academic year 2026/2027.

Italian pages use a comma for decimals and a point for thousands, so € 996,66 means nine hundred ninety-six euros and sixty-six cents.

Instalments, regional tax and stamp duty

University of Padova's fees can be paid via PagoPA. Under the 2026-2027 fees page, first-year students pay a first instalment of 208 euros at enrolment, made up of 192 euros regional tax for the right to university education and 16 euros stamp duty; students enrolling in later years pay 588 euros by 30 September.

University of Padova's costs page, as of October 2026, gives a different first-instalment figure for future first-year students: 205 euros at enrolment. The fees page for 2026-2027 states 208 euros, so the figure depends on which page and academic year you read.

The second instalment is due by 15 February and the third by 15 May, and their amount varies with your degree programme and your personal and financial circumstances. Students not deemed eligible for the regional scholarship for 2026/2027 must pay the balancing amounts of the first instalment by 30 November 2026.

Application fee, enrolment fee and permit costs

For English-taught programmes other than Medicine and Surgery, University of Padova charges a non-refundable application fee of €60 (English application page as of October 2026). If you are a non-EU student, University of Padova's cost-of-living page, as of October 2026, puts the residence permit application at approximately € 116,46 and the health insurance valid for the permit at approximately from € 120 to € 150.

Living costs in Padua

University of Padova's cost-of-living page lists indicative monthly rents and everyday prices for students in Padua and stresses that these costs are purely indicative.

University of Padova offers international students on English-taught degrees up to 76 Padua International Excellence Scholarships of €8,000.00 (gross) a year plus a fee exemption, and 100 full fee waivers, according to its scholarship pages for Academic Year 2026/2027, the latest published; those pages say the calls will be published in November 2026.

Padua International Excellence Scholarship

University of Padova pays the Padua International Excellence Scholarship in 2 installments of € 4,000.00 gross each per academic year, and winners pay only the regional fee and the revenue stamp. The scholarship lasts at most 3 years for bachelor's and/or single-cycle programmes and 2 years for master's programmes, according to the page built on the A.Y. 2026/2027 call.

To enter the selection you must not hold Italian citizenship, unless it is a dual citizenship, and you must hold a non-Italian secondary school diploma; the call lists the remaining conditions. You submit no separate application: applying for your degree makes you eligible automatically, and the scholarships are mainly reserved for candidates from the first call, with second-call candidates considered only on an exceptional basis. The scholarship may be revoked if you do not earn at least 20 CFU (ECTS credits) by the 30th of November of the following academic year.

The 100 full fee waivers

University of Padova's full fee waivers go to the best applicants for each English-taught degree programme, 100 in total. Beneficiaries pay only the regional tax and stamp duty and skip the second and third instalments.

The waiver covers one academic year. You keep it for the 2nd year if you obtain at least 25 credits by 10 August of the academic year following enrolment, and, on bachelor's and single-cycle degrees only, for the 3rd year with at least 80 credits by 10 August of the second academic year.

Departmental, Galilean School and MAECI scholarships

University of Padova's departments fund their own scholarships for named programmes (departmental scholarships page as of October 2026): 1 scholarship for Biology of Human and Environmental Health, 2 scholarships each for Medicine and Surgery and for Medicine and Surgery - MedTech, and 1 scholarship for Italian Medieval and Renaissance Studies. The calls for these departmental scholarships are announced for November 2026.

The Galilean School international call (page as of October 2026) is not for bachelor's entrants: it is for students admitted to a master's degree or the 4th year of a single-cycle degree who are not yet 25 years old, with a package of €2,500.00 and a return flight up to €1,500.00 a year. Its page still prints the window From 25 March to 31 May 2025. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) scholarship is also not for bachelor's students: it covers second-cycle programmes, PhDs and research projects, at 900 euros a month for 6 to 9 months.

Regional scholarship and the ISEE parificato

Through Veneto Region funding, University of Padova supports low-income students, both Italian and international, with a regional scholarship paid partly in cash and partly in services (accommodation and meals). Under the call for applications 2026-2027, the latest published, you needed an ISEE below 26.306,25 euro and an ISPE below 43.125,94 euro plus merit requirements, and the deadline was 30 September 2026. In Italian notation the point separates thousands and the comma separates cents, so the first threshold is twenty-six thousand three hundred and six euros and twenty-five cents.

First-year students under the 2026-2027 call receive the scholarship in two instalments, the first by December 2026. If you live abroad with a household abroad, or live in Italy with employment income below 9,000.00 euros and a household abroad, you need a different certification, the ISEE parificato or equivalent ISEE. University of Padova says the calculation is free of charge and must be requested exclusively from the CAF affiliated with the University and ESU, and several months may be needed, so start early.

Country scholarships listed by University of Padova

University of Padova's page on scholarships for international students, as of October 2026, lists external programmes by country. Fundación Beca offers 1 full tuition fee waiver and a 50% reduction to 3 (total) Mexican students admitted to a bachelor's and/or master's programme. Colfuturo's waiver and 50% reduction for 10 (total) Colombian students, and Invest Your Talent in Italy, apply to master's programmes only (Invest Your Talent in Italy supports talented international students wishing to enrol in English-taught Master's degree programmes).

ESU, which runs the student residences in Padova, assigns places through a yearly competition and sets prices on the basis of the merit of the applicant, the economic condition of the family, the provision of services and the residence chosen; University of Padova adds an International Housing Service and private residences with places reserved for international students. University of Padova does not publish a housing guarantee for first-year international students, so plan a private-market option as well.

How ESU allocates residence places

In ESU residences, housing is assigned through a competition whose announcement, with requirements and deadlines, ESU publishes every year at the beginning of the summer. The latest published is the ESU Housing Competition A.A. 2026/2027, which granted the benefit only for the first degree at each level, and gave priority to off-site students who meet the merit and income requirements.

Under the A.A. 2026/2027 competition, first-year students were assessed on income requirements only, as certified by the ISEE or ISEE Parificato Universitario, so the equivalent ISEE described in the scholarships chapter matters for housing too. Prices depend on your merit, your family's economic condition, the services provided and the residence you choose.

University of Padova's campus life page refers to 15 Esu university residences in Padua where students from outside Padua can opt for an independent room or apartment.

International Housing Service and Cerco Alloggio

University of Padova has run an International Housing Service for international students since 2020, helping you find accommodation in Padua's private rental market. It offers guidance on the local housing market, English translation of rental contracts and clarification of legal terms, a personalised accommodation search, and help with administrative procedures.

According to its international housing page as of October 2026, through Cerco Alloggio the International Housing Office offers degree-seeking students, PhD students and international mobility students fully furnished and equipped apartments in Padua and in the other provinces where the University operates: Venice, Vicenza, Rovigo and Treviso. University of Padova students also get a 20% discount on the HousingAnywhere tenant protection fee, and ESU guest houses take weekly or monthly bookings for a maximum 6 months, which can bridge your first weeks.

Private residences with places for international students

University of Padova has signed agreements with private residences to reserve spots for international students; its international housing page names the Collegio Universitario Don Nicola Mazza. University of Padova's general accommodation page announces a list of private residences with reserved places and gives no date for it.

University of Padova's Global Engagement office runs welcome activities for students arriving from abroad, from the Rector's welcome meeting, held on 2 October in 2026, to weekly residence-permit webinars and a 10-hour course for first-year international students. Before you apply, Meet UniPD webinars let you ask questions.

Welcome services before and after you arrive

University of Padova's Admissions and Welcome sector organises welcome activities with the departments for those arriving in Padua from abroad. The Rector welcomes international students enrolled in the first year at an institutional meeting, generally in October and held in person and online; in 2026 it took place on 2 October. In September and October, UniverCity Tours show first-year international students the University facilities.

The Immigration Support Service desk (SAOS) explains the residence permit application in weekly online meetings; in 2026 these ran every Thursday from 12 to 1 p.m., from 17 September to 15 October 2026. The Global Citizenship Programme is a 10-hour course designed for international students in their first year.

For applicants, the Meet UniPD webinars cover the academic offer, scholarships, student services and tips on the application.

Life in Padua

University of Padova describes Padua as a city of about 210,000 inhabitants that is home to over 76,000 students. University of Padova also says it is always on the podium of the Censis ranking for the general quality of services and facilities; that is the university's own claim.

ESU runs 2 restaurants and works with 14 affiliated canteens, also open at weekends. University of Padova's campus life page puts a full meal at from 2 to 8 euros depending on economic conditions and merit, while its cost-of-living page gives from € 2 to € 8.50. The university offers psychological help, psychiatric counseling and health care, sport with the Unipd teams and a student-athlete status, and your student badge doubles as the Carta Flash Studio.

Paid work at the university

University of Padova lets students work for the university through the "200 ore" call for part-time student collaborations, whose next application deadline is 30 November 2026, and through tutoring grants. Student-athletes can apply for the Dual career programme by 30 October 2026. University of Padova does not publish the hourly pay for these roles on its student pages.

If you are a non-EU student, you must apply for a residence permit for study purposes within 8 working days of entering Italy, and the first permit is valid for a maximum of 1 year, according to University of Padova's stays page as of October 2026. With that permit you may work no more than 20 hours per week, within an annual limit of 1040 hours.

When to apply and how long the permit lasts

University of Padova says a residence permit for study purposes is required for any non-EU citizen or stateless person attending university courses for more than 3 months. The stays page counts the 8 working days from entering Italy, or from the end of quarantine.

The Questura issues the electronic permit no earlier than 40 days from your first appointment, for a period matching your health insurance cover and no longer than 1 year. To stay on, you renew it starting 2 months before its expiry date.

Costs, kit and documents

You collect the application kit at any post office with a "Sportello Amico" desk, and SAOS helps you complete it free of charge. The kit must include 1 revenue stamp for € 16.00, a photocopy of your passport (main page and all pages with stamps or visas), an accommodation certificate, and an insurance policy valid in Italy for the whole stay covering illness and accidents, or voluntary registration with the National Health Service. At the police headquarters appointment you bring documents including 4 passport-sized photographs.

Universitaly pre-enrolment for Medicine

For Medicine and Surgery, University of Padova reminds non-EU citizens residing outside Italy that they must also pre-enrol at the Italian Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence through the Universitaly portal, as the non-EU applicants chapter describes.

EU citizens and short stays

Whether you have EU or non-EU citizenship, University of Padova says you can stay in Italy for less than 90 days for reasons including study.

University of Padova suits you if you have a minimum 12-year school record, English at B2 or above and want an English-taught bachelor's at a fee of from 0 to approximately 3,000 euros per year by household income, or a fixed € 2790 or € 2990 for non-EU students whose household lives abroad, under the 2026-2027 student fees page, the latest published. The first call for Academic Year 2027/2028 closes on 15 November 2026.

A good fit if

• You want a bachelor's taught in English in Animal Care, Psychology, Information Engineering, Italian Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Biology of Human and Environmental Health, Earth and Climate Dynamics, or Economics, Governance and Decision-Making, or one of the programmes University of Padova marks "new programme 2027/2028 - to be approved", such as Management, Finance and Business Analytics.
• You hold a foreign school qualification and can show English equivalent to at least B2, which University of Padova requires of every such applicant to an English-taught degree, regardless of citizenship or residence.
• You are ready to sit the CEnT-S, the CISIA test valid for Animal Care, Information Engineering, Biology of Human and Environmental Health, Earth and Climate Dynamics, and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making.
• You want to compete for 100 full fee waivers or up to 76 scholarships for international students on English-taught degrees, with no separate scholarship application.

Look elsewhere if

Look elsewhere if you need a guaranteed place. On University of Padova's restricted-access courses you must sit an admission test and reach a high enough position in the ranking, and Medicine and Surgery in English admits through the national IMAT, with registration based on places available, your ranking and the minimum score. University of Padova does not list the SAT or ACT as an entry route for its English-taught bachelor's, which use the CEnT-S or the test set out in each call, and if your subject is not on the English list, check the Italian language requirement for Italian-taught programmes in the language chapter.

Next steps for Academic Year 2027/2028

Because University of Padova reserves its International Excellence Scholarships mainly for candidates from the first call, applying before 15 November 2026 keeps you in the main scholarship round. Courses at University of Padova start at the end of September/beginning of October, and direct enrolment in the second semester is not available, so a missed intake means waiting a year.

Official pages of University of Padova (Università degli Studi di Padova), UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

University · Padua · Admission of international students - How to apply · Study in English - How to apply · Student fees · Cost of living in Padua · Language requirement for admission to degree programmes · CEnT-S: the new unified CISIA entry test for English-taught bachelor's programmes · Admission tests - Bachelor's degrees and single-cycle master's degrees · Costs and financial aid · Bachelor's, Master's degree and Single-cycle Master's degree programme in English · Ranking · Why choose Padua · International Courses · PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE · TECHNIQUES AND METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE · INFORMATION ENGINEERING · ANIMAL CARE · BIOLOGY OF HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH · ECONOMICS, GOVERNANCE AND DECISION-MAKING · EARTH AND CLIMATE DYNAMICS · ITALIAN MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE STUDIES · Admission notices - Foreign qualifications · Animal Care · Admissions Results · Study in Italian - how to apply · Full fee waivers for international students · English-taught degree programmes of the School of Psychology · https://www.unipd.it/en/ammissioni-ing-triennali-programmato · Semestre aperto · https://www.unipd.it/en/ammissioni-sc-triennali-programmato · Corso di laurea magistrale a ciclo unico in lingua inglese Medicine and Surgery · The new intake for Academic Year 2027/2028 is now open! · Specific entry requirements for qualifications awarded by non-Italian education systems · Apply online! · How to apply with a foreign qualification · What documents are required for your application? · Foundation Year · Foundation Year - Tuition fees · MEDICINE AND SURGERY · MEDICINE AND SURGERY – MEDTECH · MEDICINA E CHIRURGIA · Corsi di laurea magistrale a ciclo unico in Medicina e chirurgia e Odontoiatria e Protesi dentaria · Biology of Human and Environmental Health · The university system · Multi-site campus · Find programmes · Treviso · Vicenza · Bachelor's and Single-cycle Master's degree programme · High employability rate · On the road to work · Padua International Excellence Scholarship Programme · Scholarships awarded by Departments · Regional scholarships · Galilean School of Higher Studies, call for international students · Scholarships from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation MAECI · Application for concessions and ISEE · Scholarships and benefits for international students · Accommodation for students · Campus life · Housing for international students and staff · Welcome for international students · Scholarships and tuition fees · Study · Stays longer than 90 days · Procedures for staying in Italy

Photos: Palazzo del Bo, Padova: photo Simonosa, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Cittadella dello studente, Psicologia, designed by Gino Valle, Padova: photo Pivari.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Seat of the Scuola Galileiana di Studi Superiori, Unipd, Padova: photo Sgss studenti, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons