Founded in 1859, Politecnico di Torino is one of Italy’s oldest technical universities, offering education and research in engineering, architecture, and industrial design.
The Politecnico di Torino is one of the oldest technical universities in Italy. It started in 1859 as the Scuola di Applicazione per gli Ingegneri, and it became the Politecnico in 1906. It has about 38,000 students and 2,000 staff, and around 20 percent of students come from abroad. The main building stands on Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, near the Porta Susa station, with an additional site in the Mirafiori area.
Turin has been a capital of the Italian automotive and aerospace industries for more than a century, and the Politecnico has trained generations of engineers for Fiat, Alenia and their suppliers. This connection is still visible, since the university works with Stellantis, Leonardo and many smaller firms on research and teaching. The Politecnico also teaches architecture, and its graduates have shaped design in the city.
The university is organised in departments of engineering, architecture and design. Automotive engineering, aerospace, mechatronics, energy, electronics, computer science, civil engineering and architecture are the best-known fields. Research includes electric mobility, additive manufacturing, space systems, telecommunications and urban planning. Its incubator I3P is among the oldest and most active university incubators in Italy and has helped to create many start-ups.
Italian public universities charge fees that depend on family income, with special rules for students from outside the EU. Amounts range from a few hundred euros to a few thousand a year. Check the current tariff. Admission uses an entrance test, and international students apply through a separate procedure. Bachelor’s programmes are in Italian or English, and most master’s programmes are in English.
Turin is cheaper than Milan, with arcaded streets, museums and the Alps in view. The metro and trams connect the university with the centre, and ski resorts are within about an hour of the city.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Software Engineering, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
CESAER, CLUSTER, ENAEE. Strong ties with the automotive industry (e.g., Stellantis) and aerospace sector.
Research:
Sustainable mobility, Additive manufacturing, AI and data science, Space exploration, Renewable energy systems.
Famous Alumnis:
John Elkann, Sergio Marchionne (honorary degree)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2000
Current students***:
38000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
150000
Pros
Strong reputation in automotive and aerospace engineering, good industry connections, historical campus.
Cons
Bureaucracy can be challenging, some facilities may be older, city of Turin is less internationally known than Milan or Rome.
Best For
Excellence in automotive, aerospace, and industrial engineering.
Politecnico di Milano takes a similar route through aerospace, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics, and it is also a public institution and also offers graduate certificate programmes.
In terms of fields, Università di Pisa is the nearest neighbour, with aerospace, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics again at the core; it is slightly larger, at about 50,000 students against roughly 38,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza follows much the same lines as this institution, with aerospace, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics as common ground, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers astroscience and bioinformatics as well.
Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II works in much the same fields, chiefly aerospace, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Another national school that puts aerospace, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics at the centre is Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata", and it has almost the same size, at about 35,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
UTokyo in Japan shares the aerospace, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics orientation of this school, and it is slightly smaller, at about 28,000 students against roughly 38,000 here, and is also a public institution.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on aerospace, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics is Harbin Institute of Technology in China, and it has almost the same size, at about 35,000 students, and is also a public institution.
For a study option in Germany with a comparable spread of aerospace, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics, Technische Universität München is the reference point: it is slightly larger, at about 48,000 students against roughly 38,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Beyond national borders, Xi'an Jiaotong University stands out as a comparable school for aerospace, nanotechnologies and fluid dynamics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Technische Universiteit Eindhoven in the Netherlands shares the nanotechnologies, fluid dynamics and industrial design orientation of this school, and it covers bioinformatics and optics as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 14,000 students against roughly 38,000 here.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Politecnico di Torino?
The main building is on Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24 in Turin, Piedmont, Italy.
When was it founded?
In 1859 as an engineering school, and it became the Politecnico in 1906.
How large is it?
About 38,000 students and 2,000 staff, with around 20 percent of students from abroad.
What does it teach?
Engineering, architecture and design.
Which industries does it serve?
Automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy and construction.
What is I3P?
The university incubator, one of the oldest and most active in Italy.
How do you apply?
Admission uses an entrance test, and international students apply through a separate procedure.
What does it cost to study there?
Fees depend on family income, with special rules for students from outside the EU. Check the current tariff.
In which language are courses taught?
Italian or English at bachelor level, and mostly English at master's level.
Is Turin cheaper than Milan?
Yes, the cost of living is generally lower.
Additive Manufacturing, Aerospace, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automotive, Engineering, Industrial Design, Renewable Energy, Space Exploration, Sustainable Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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