The University of Pavia is one of the world’s oldest academic institutions: its foundations existed as early as the 9th Century as an institution mainly devoted to the study of Law, with King Lotharius appointing Pavia as Northern Italy’s main education site in 825. Officially established as a Universitas Studiorum in 1361, it remained the only university in Lombardy until the 20th Century.
Today over 26,400 students, from both Italy and overseas, study at our university.
2 Bachelor degree program are taught in English:
11 two-year Master degree programs are totally taught in English:
Unipv is a multidisciplinary University and research activities range from Human and Social sciences, Natural sciences and Engineering, to Life sciences.
In 2018 Italian Ministry of Education selected 5 departments (Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Medicine and Humanities) as excellent, awarding them with extra funds for research projects.
Research in Pavia is unique thanks to other research centers, such as the Center for Health Technologies (CHT), the European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering (EUCENTRE) and the National Center for Oncological Radiotherapy (CNAO).
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 24 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 306 | 340 | 364 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By TopUniversities
Climbed 28 places compared to 2026
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 440 | 423 | 395 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 401 | 401 | 401 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Times Higher Education
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 301 | 351 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
A welcome office and student service offices are open for any support from Monday until Friday for students both in the city center campus and in the scientific pole. Unipv also offers ONLINE SERVICES:
At the website studentionline.unipv.it, students can check their UNIPV account and access the various files related to their university career. Registration for exam sessions through the UNIPV account is compulsory. From the UNIPV account students can also print self-certificates regarding enrolment, career, exams passed and so on.
Just like Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, Pavia has a college residence system, unique in Italy, dating back to the 16th century.
Each of Pavia’s 20 residences that in total host approximately 2000 students, has its own particular history and opportunities to offer, including access to many study abroad programs and sport activities.
College life aims to create an open community where academic achievements, traditional events, parties and sporting rivalries all play a role. Students living in residences can engage in different sport activities, learn different languages and, above all, build their first professional network.
The University offers 35 libraries run by different faculties and departments. All material owned by the academic libraries is listed in the On-line Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) so students can locate their required books.
At the University of Pavia the development of new methodologies and technologies for innovation and digital learning is a crucial topic. Unipv provides for students and professors digital platforms for sharing multimedia learning materials. Unipv is also actively developing e-learning tools.
University staff both academic and administrative can take advantage of virtual rooms for online meetings.International students at the University of Pavia are strongly recommended to get a health insurance covering the length of their studies. Moreover, in order to apply to a permit to stay, students coming from non-EU countries must have a Health Insurance for the entire duration of their stay in Italy.
The University has two main campuses: Humanities and Social sciences in the city center, the scientific campus in the western part of Pavia, near the main hospital.
Pavia is located in northern Italy with 70,000 permanent residents and over 26,000 students. It is located just 30 km south of Milan, connected by regional and suburban trains every 10 minutes.
From Pavia, it is also easy to reach the Swiss border; the lakes of Como and Garda, among others; as well as Genoa and the Ligurian coast.
Its fascination remains intact with the centre’s maze of narrow streets, ancient churches and elegant buildings, all bordered by the River Ticino.The University Sports Centre (CUS) promotes sport to students enrolled in the university by offering a wide range of courses and organizing championships. Sport in Pavia means:
A number of student associations organize both cultural, sports and social activities open to all students. Learn more at: www.unipv.eu/site/home/naviga-per/studenti/acersat.html In particular, STEP Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Pavia is a volunteering association supporting international students arriving in Pavia.
Based on 100 reviews
The members of the university are very helpful, and the materials for studying are up to date.
It was a great experience as an international student to study abroad
The University of Pavia offers solid academic quality with professors who are generally prepared and approachable. The atmosphere is serious but not overwhelming, which makes studying more manageable. Pavia itself is a big plus: a small, beautiful city full of students, so it’s easy to make friends and enjoy university life without the chaos of bigger cities. Overall, a great choice if you want good education and a nice, balanced student experience.
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
How would you rate your overall study experience?
How helpful were your teachers?
How diverse was the atmosphere at your university?
How simple was it to apply to your programme?
How was your everyday life?
Did the university provide support for your career development?
Wishlist