Education, Higher Italy

Higher education in Italy is mainly provided by a large and international network of public and state affiliated universities. State-run universities of Italy are under the supervision of the Italian Ministry of Education. There is also a number of private universities and state-run post-secondary educational centers providing a vocational instruction. Italian universities are among the oldest universities in the world. In particular the University of Bologna (founded in 1088, the oldest university in the world), the University of Padua, founded in 1222, and the University of Naples, founded in 1224, are among the most ancient state universities in Europe. Most universities in Italy are state-supported. 35 Italian universities were ranked among the world's top 500 in 2025. The highest-ranked three were the University of Bologna (130), the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (137), and Sapienza University of Rome (170). An OECD report found that 31% of Italians aged 25–34 in 2023 had a university degree, lower than the average for OECD countries of 48%. The report said that the university sector in Italy is underfunded, that not all Italian universities are selective, and that students are more likely than in other OECD countries to complete their degree late or drop out. In 2023, 385,952 students graduated, of whom 57.3% were women.