Address: Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Toscana, Italy
Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry
Founded in 1810 by Napoleonic decree, the Scuola Normale Superiore is an elite public higher learning institution with a highly selective admission process, focusing on humanities and sciences at the highest level.
The Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa is one of the most selective higher education institutions in Italy. It was founded in 1810 by a decree of Napoleon, modelled on the École normale supérieure in Paris. It has only about 600 students and 200 staff, and it recruits through a demanding competition. The seat is the Palazzo della Carovana on the Piazza dei Cavalieri in Pisa, a building reworked by Giorgio Vasari in the sixteenth century.
Students at the Normale are enrolled at the school and also at the University of Pisa, and they follow both curricula. The ordinary course lasts three years and leads to the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree and a further two years of advanced studies. The doctoral programme, which was once called the perfezionamento, is open to international candidates. All selected students receive free tuition, lodging and meals, which makes it one of the few Italian institutions with a residential college system.
The Normale trains researchers in humanities, sciences, political and social sciences. Enrico Fermi studied here, as did Carlo Rubbia, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1984, and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, later President of the Republic. The poet Giosuè Carducci, a Nobel laureate in literature, studied here in the nineteenth century. The school has a branch in Florence, with a focus on humanities and political science.
The entrance competition tests knowledge in written and oral exams, and applicants must also meet requirements from the University of Pisa. International candidates can apply, and the exams are held in Italian, so a command of the language is essential. Scholarships and housing remove most financial burdens for admitted students. Check the current call for applications.
The small size means close contact between professors and students. Pisa is a quiet, affordable city, where the school occupies several historic palaces next to the Leaning Tower.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Nanotechnologies, Physics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of the Pisa university system with UniPi and Sant’Anna. Highly prestigious.
Research:
Theoretical physics, Pure mathematics, Molecular biology, Nanoscience, Cognitive neuroscience.
Famous Alumnis:
Enrico Fermi, Carlo Rubbia, Giosuè Carducci, Giovanni Gentile
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
200
Current students***:
600
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
5000
Pros
Extremely high academic standards, excellent research opportunities, full financial support for students, prestigious alumni.
Cons
Very small and highly selective, intense academic pressure, limited range of disciplines (no engineering).
Best For
Elite institution for advanced studies and research in fundamental sciences and humanities.
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa follows much the same lines as this school, with nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics as common ground, and it covers aerospace and agriculture as well, and is larger, enrolling about 1,000 students against roughly 600 here.
Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati takes a similar route through nanotechnologies, physics and mathematics, and it does not run the bachelor's programmes found here and covers astroscience and bioinformatics as well.
On content, University of Turin and this institution are close, as both teach chemistry, physics and mathematics; it is far larger, with about 81,200 students against roughly 600 here, and is also a public institution.
University of Milan overlaps with this school on chemistry, physics and mathematics, so the two are easy to compare, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers agriculture and food science as well.
The comparison with Università di Pisa is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics, and it covers astroscience and marine science as well, and is far larger, with about 50,000 students against roughly 600 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon in France pursues a similar profile in nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics, and it covers astroscience and bioinformatics as well, and is far larger, with about 2,300 students against roughly 600 here.
For a study option in Ukraine with a comparable spread of nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv is the reference point: it covers ecology and sustainability and software engineering as well, and is far larger, with about 26,000 students against roughly 600 here.
For chemistry, physics and mathematics outside the home country, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati in India is a natural reference; it covers geotechnics and data analytics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 1,000 students against roughly 600 here.
Ivan Franko National University of Lviv offers an international parallel to this institution, with nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics as common ground; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers ecology and sustainability and software engineering as well.
École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay (France) works on the same fields as this institution, chiefly nanotechnologies, chemistry and physics; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers aerospace and bioinformatics as well.
*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 the Scuola Normale Superiore?
At Piazza dei Cavalieri 7 in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy.
When was it founded?
In 1810, by a decree of Napoleon.
How large is it?
About 600 students and 200 staff.
What was it modelled on?
The École normale supérieure in Paris.
How do you get in?
Through a demanding competition with written and oral exams. Check the current call for applications.
Do students also attend the University of Pisa?
Yes. They are enrolled at both institutions and follow both curricula.
Is it free?
Selected students receive free tuition, lodging and meals.
Who studied there?
Enrico Fermi, Carlo Rubbia and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, among others.
Can foreign students apply?
Yes, but the exams are in Italian, so a command of the language is essential.
Which fields does it cover?
Humanities, sciences, and political and social sciences.
*: 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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