Address: Corso Umberto I 40, 80138 Napoli, Campania, Italy
Engineering, Computer Science, Physics
Founded in 1224 by Emperor Frederick II, it is the world’s oldest state-supported institution of higher education and research. It has large engineering and science faculties.
The Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II was founded in 1224 by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. It is the oldest public university in the world and the oldest secular one founded by a state without church involvement. It has about 80,000 students and 5,000 staff. The historic seat is on Corso Umberto I in the old port district of Naples, and further sites stand at Monte Sant’Angelo, Agnano, Portici and Via Pansini.
The emperor created the school to train lawyers and officials for his kingdom of Sicily, without depending on the church or on Bologna. Thomas Aquinas studied here as a young man, and Giambattista Vico taught rhetoric in the eighteenth century. Giorgio Napolitano, later President of the Italian Republic, studied law at Federico II, and the university has long supplied judges, lawyers and doctors to southern Italy.
It is a comprehensive university with schools for agriculture, architecture, biotechnology, economics, engineering, law, medicine, pharmacy, political science and sciences. The agricultural school at Portici, in a former royal palace, is among the oldest of its kind in Italy. The Apple Developer Academy, set up at San Giovanni a Teduccio, trained app developers in Europe from 2016, and the university works with the company on teaching and entrepreneurship.
Italian public universities charge fees that depend on family income, with special rules for students from outside the EU. Amounts are among the lowest in Italy for southern universities, and many students receive regional scholarships. Check the current tariff. Many courses are open, but medicine and some other degrees use tests and limited places. Bachelor’s programmes are mostly in Italian, and several master’s programmes are in English.
Naples is a large, crowded and lively city with a low cost of living. Students enjoy the sea, Vesuvius and the archaeological sites nearby.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of EUA, UNIMED. Various international collaborations.
Also strong in astroscience, aerospace and agriculture, Università degli Studi di Padova makes a sensible second look at home; it is slightly smaller, at about 65,000 students against roughly 80,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Università degli Studi di Bologna is the closest domestic counterpart for astroscience, aerospace and agriculture; it is slightly larger, at about 90,000 students against roughly 80,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Also strong in astroscience, agriculture and food science, Università degli Studi di Catania makes a sensible second look at home; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is smaller, enrolling about 40,000 students against roughly 80,000 here.
Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza follows much the same lines as this institution, with astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics as common ground, and it covers optics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 120,000 students against roughly 80,000 here.
Among national alternatives, Università di Pisa stands out for its focus on astroscience, marine science and aerospace, and it is smaller, enrolling about 50,000 students against roughly 80,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Université de Lille in France is the nearest foreign match on astroscience, aerospace and food science; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Aix-Marseille Université in France pursues a similar profile in astroscience, marine science and aerospace, and it has almost the same size, at about 78,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Zhejiang University offers an international parallel to this institution, with astroscience, marine science and aerospace as common ground; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers transportations and optics as well.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Technische Universität München in Germany, where aerospace, food science and bioinformatics also form the core, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Universiteit Gent offers an international parallel to this institution, with marine science, aerospace and agriculture as common ground; it is smaller, enrolling about 49,000 students against roughly 80,000 here, and is also a public institution.
*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 Federico II?
The historic seat is on Corso Umberto I 40 in Naples, Italy. Further sites are at Monte Sant'Angelo, Agnano, Portici and Via Pansini.
When was it founded?
In 1224, by Emperor Frederick II.
Why is it special?
It is the oldest public university in the world and was founded by a state rather than by the church.
How large is it?
About 80,000 students and 5,000 staff.
Who studied or taught there?
Thomas Aquinas studied there, Giambattista Vico taught rhetoric, and Giorgio Napolitano studied law.
What is the Apple Developer Academy?
A programme at San Giovanni a Teduccio that trains app developers, set up with Apple.
What does it study?
Law, medicine, engineering, agriculture, architecture, economics, sciences and biotechnology.
What does it cost to study there?
Fees depend on family income, and many students receive regional scholarships. Special rules apply to students from outside the EU. Check the current tariff.
In which language are courses taught?
Mostly Italian at bachelor level, with several master's programmes in English.
Is Naples affordable?
Yes. The cost of living is lower than in northern Italian cities.
Aerospace, Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Innovation, Materials, Physics, Product 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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