Medicine, Law, Sciences, Humanities, Economics, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine
The University of Turin was founded as a studium in 1404 under Prince Ludovico of Savoy-Acaia, and a bull of Pope Benedict XIII in the autumn of 1404 marked its formal start. Later papal and imperial confirmations followed, by Emperor Sigmund in 1412, by John XXIII in 1413 and by Martin V around 1419. It moved to Chieri between 1427 and 1434, to Savigliano in 1434, and returned to Turin in 1436.
The university closed in 1536 during the French occupation and was re-established in Turin in 1566. The reforms of Victor Amadeus II gave it a modern structure, and in 1720 it moved to its premises on Via Po. Today its buildings are spread across the city, and its headquarters is in the centre of Turin.
In February 2022 the university had 81,200 students, among them 78,900 in undergraduate and combined courses, 1,200 postgraduates and 1,100 doctoral students. It had 2,152 academic staff and 1,879 administrative staff. Its structure has 55 departments, grouped historically in 13 faculties.
Three Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine are linked to the university: Salvador Luria in 1969, Renato Dulbecco in 1975 and Rita Levi-Montalcini in 1986. All three were trained under Giuseppe Levi in the 1930s and later emigrated to the United States.
Its alumni include two presidents of Italy, Luigi Einaudi and Giuseppe Saragat, the prime ministers Giovanni Giolitti and Luigi Federico Menabrea, the philosopher Antonio Gramsci, the politician Palmiro Togliatti, the chemist and writer Primo Levi, the writers Cesare Pavese and Italo Calvino, the intellectual Piero Gobetti and Gianni Agnelli, former head of FIAT. Tuition depends on family income. Check the current tariff. Teaching is mainly in Italian, with some programmes in English.
The University Museum was created in 1739 under Charles Emmanuel III, and the collections include the Museum of Pathological Anatomy, gathered from 1818, and a botanical garden. Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture are at Grugliasco, and the Palazzina Luigi Einaudi houses the teaching of Law and Political Science. Notable academics include Cesare Lombroso, Giulio Bizzozero, who described blood platelets, Giuseppe Peano, Umberto Eco and Norberto Bobbio.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Finance, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Microbiology and Genetics, Physics, Statistics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
13 faculties historically, 55 departments, and links with the city of Turin and the Piedmont region.
Research:
Medicine, biology, mathematics and natural sciences, humanities, law, economics, agriculture and veterinary medicine.
Famous Alumnis:
Rita Levi-Montalcini, Renato Dulbecco, Salvador Luria, Primo Levi, Italo Calvino, Luigi Einaudi
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4031
Current students***:
81200
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Founded in 1404, one of the oldest universities in Italy, three Nobel laureates trained under Giuseppe Levi, central Turin location, very wide range of studies.
Cons
Very large and crowded, buildings spread across the city, courses mainly in Italian.
Best For
Students who want a very large and historic Italian university in Turin, with a wide choice of degrees.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
University of Milan takes a similar route through agriculture, microbiology and genetics and chemistry, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers food science as well.
In terms of fields, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart is the nearest neighbour, with finance, agriculture and statistics again at the core; it is private, whereas this institution is public, and also offers mba programmes.
The comparison with Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on agriculture, microbiology and genetics and chemistry, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers astroscience and marine science as well.
Where this institution leans on agriculture, microbiology and genetics and chemistry, Università degli Studi di Padova does the same, and it is slightly smaller, at about 65,000 students against roughly 81,200 here, and is also a public institution.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of agriculture, microbiology and genetics and chemistry can consider Università degli Studi di Bologna, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Vienna, in Austria, takes a similar route through finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
For a study option in Spain with a comparable spread of finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry, University of Valencia is the reference point: it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
For finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry outside the home country, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in Germany is a natural reference; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and is smaller, enrolling about 36,569 students against roughly 81,200 here.
The closest overseas parallel on finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry is Complutense University of Madrid, located in Spain; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and has almost the same size, at about 86,159 students.
Université Paris Cité, in France, takes a similar route through microbiology and genetics, chemistry and statistics; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is slightly smaller, at about 64,100 students against roughly 81,200 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 the University of Turin?
In the centre of Turin, Piedmont, Italy.
When was it founded?
In 1404, under Prince Ludovico of Savoy-Acaia, with a bull of Pope Benedict XIII.
When did it move to Via Po?
In 1720, after the reforms of Victor Amadeus II.
When was it re-established after the French occupation?
In 1566, after closing in 1536.
How many students does it have?
81,200 in February 2022.
How many departments does it have?
Fifty-five.
Which Nobel laureates trained under Giuseppe Levi?
Salvador Luria, Renato Dulbecco and Rita Levi-Montalcini.
Which writers studied there?
Primo Levi, Cesare Pavese and Italo Calvino.
Which Italian presidents studied there?
Luigi Einaudi and Giuseppe Saragat.
What does it cost?
Tuition depends on family income. Check the current tariff.
Biology, Chemistry, Innovation, Physics, Research and 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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