Founded in 1343, the University of Pisa is one of Italy’s most prestigious universities, with a strong emphasis on research in science and engineering, and close ties with Scuola Normale Superiore and Sant’Anna.
The Università di Pisa was founded in 1343 by a bull of Pope Clement VI, although teaching in the city is older. It has about 50,000 students and 3,000 staff, and around one student in ten comes from abroad. The buildings are spread across the old town, near the Arno and the Leaning Tower, and the university makes up a large share of the city’s population. The historic seat on the Lungarno Pacinotti stands on the river.
Galileo Galilei, who was born in Pisa in 1564, studied medicine here and later taught mathematics at the university. Enrico Fermi studied at the nearby Scuola Normale, as did Carlo Rubbia, and the university has a long tradition in physics. In 1986 Pisa was the site of Italy’s first connection to the internet, made at a national research centre in the city, and the university’s computer science department is one of the best in Italy.
The university is organised in departments covering the humanities, law, economics, engineering, medicine, sciences, mathematics, agriculture and veterinary medicine. Computer science, mathematics, physics and engineering are the best-known fields. The Botanical Garden, founded in 1544, is one of the oldest university gardens in the world, and the natural history museum in Calci holds an important collection.
Pisa is also home to the Scuola Normale Superiore and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, two elite institutions that cooperate with the university. Italian public universities charge fees that depend on family income, with special rules for students from outside the EU. 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.
Pisa is a small, student-oriented city where most places can be reached by bicycle. Rents are lower than in Milan or Rome, and the Tuscan coast and Florence are close.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, 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, 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:
Coimbra Group, EUniWell. Collaborations with CNR (National Research Council) and other research institutions in Pisa.
Research:
Robotics and automation, High-energy physics, ICT and AI, Marine biology, Neuroscience.
Famous Alumnis:
Galileo Galilei (attended and taught), Enrico Fermi (studied at SNS, closely linked), Carlo Rubbia
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3000
Current students***:
50000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
300000
Pros
Strong research environment, particularly in computer science and engineering, located in a famous historic city.
Cons
Bureaucratic processes can be slow, competition for resources, Pisa is a relatively small city.
Best For
Leading research university in computer science, engineering, and physics.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of astroscience, marine science and aerospace can consider Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, and it covers agriculture and industrial design as well, and is larger, enrolling about 80,000 students against roughly 50,000 here.
Where this university leans on astroscience, aerospace and food science, Università degli Studi di Bologna does the same, and it is larger, enrolling about 90,000 students against roughly 50,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Also strong in astroscience, aerospace and food science, Università degli Studi di Padova makes a sensible second look at home; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Università degli Studi di Firenze is the closest domestic counterpart for astroscience, aerospace and food science; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers agriculture and optics as well.
Also strong in astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza makes a sensible second look at home; it is larger, enrolling about 120,000 students against roughly 50,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Zhejiang University in China pursues a similar profile in astroscience, marine science and aerospace, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
The closest overseas parallel on astroscience, marine science and aerospace is Osaka University, located in Japan; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Universität Hamburg brings a Germany setting to the same core fields, astroscience, marine science and aerospace, and it is slightly smaller, at about 43,000 students against roughly 50,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Université de Strasbourg (France) works on the same fields as this university, chiefly astroscience, food science and bioinformatics; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers optics as well.
Université Paris-Saclay brings a France setting to the same core fields, astroscience, aerospace and food science, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers transportations and optics 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 University of Pisa?
The historic seat is at Lungarno Pacinotti 43 in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy.
When was it founded?
In 1343, by a bull of Pope Clement VI.
How large is it?
About 50,000 students and 3,000 staff.
Who is linked to it?
Galileo Galilei, who was born in Pisa, studied medicine there and later taught mathematics.
What is it best known for?
Computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering and medicine.
What happened in Pisa in 1986?
Italy's first connection to the internet was made at a national research centre in the city.
What is the Botanical Garden?
A garden founded in 1544 that is one of the oldest university gardens in the world.
Which elite schools are in Pisa?
The Scuola Normale Superiore and the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna.
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?
Mostly Italian at bachelor level, with several master's programmes in English.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Engineering, Robotics, 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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