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Politecnico di Milano

Politecnico di Milano

Quick facts

City
Milan
Country
Italy
Type
Public
Founded
1863
Students
49,395
International students
20 %
National ranking
#1
International ranking
#87
Tuition (local students)
€3,883
Guide score
7.9/10

Official website: www.polimi.it

Overview

Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi) is Italy's largest technical university, focused on engineering, architecture and design. Founded in 1863, it is 87th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (tied) and first in Italy in that table; CENSIS 2026/2027 also ranks it first among Italian politecnici. As of March 2026 it enrolled 49,395 students, including 9,940 internationals (about 20%). The main Leonardo campus sits in Città Studi; Bovisa hosts design and several engineering departments, with further campuses outside Milan.

Milan's mix of industry, design and finance feeds internships and first jobs. QS subject tables for 2026 placed PoliMi 6th worldwide in Architecture and 7th in Art and Design.

Academic programs

Teaching is organised around Engineering, Architecture and Design, from bachelor's (laurea) through master's (laurea magistrale) to PhD. A large share of master's programmes is taught in English. Standout fields include Architecture, Design, Management Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science Engineering. Assessment is exam- and project-heavy, with industry briefs in many courses. Annual fees are income-based: a first instalment of €880.04 for 2026/27, then a second instalment of €0–3,003 for a standard 46–74 ECTS plan (published ceiling about €3,883 before stamp duty and regional tax). Low-ISEE students can pay much less. Some reserved non-EU master's students with a foreign bachelor's pay the maximum; bachelor's internationals generally follow the ISEE/equivalent scale, so there is no single published international bachelor's rate.

Campus life

Leonardo campus is busy, with student bars around Lambrate, study spaces and mense meals for a few euros. Associations run cultural events, hackathons and Polimi Open Air concerts. Off campus, La Scala, Fondazione Prada, Navigli aperitivo and Porta Nuova nightlife are the usual Milan circuit.

Exchange programs

PoliMi reports around 800 active international agreements, including more than 400 Erasmus+ partnerships, plus T.I.M.E., CLUSTER and double-degree routes. Exchange students can take English-taught courses at master's level. Destinations depend on school and programme — use the official partner-university map. Incoming students are nominated by their home university.

Admissions

Bachelor's engineering admission uses the TOL online test (maths, logic, verbal) and ranking-based enrolment phases; for 2026/27 early enrolment ran 4 May–11 June. PoliMi does not publish an overall acceptance rate. Master's applications from holders of a foreign degree typically open in October, with an early-bird cut-off around 1 December and a standard close at the end of January for a September start (29 January 2026 for 2026/27). A second-semester Engineering call, when offered, has run in May–June (18 May–18 June 2026 for February 2027). Check Apply@Polimi for the 2027/28 calendar. English-taught master's programmes require an accepted English certificate; Italian-taught programmes need Italian.

Student housing

Residenze Polimi halls in Milan (Leonardo da Vinci, Einstein, Pareto and others) charge full-rate annual fees of about €4,625–7,070 for 2026/27 (roughly €420–640/month over 11 months, utilities included), plus a €500 deposit. DSU-eligible students can pay less. Places are limited. Most students rent privately in Città Studi, Lambrate or Bovisa, where a room in a shared flat is often €500–750/month. Apply for halls as soon as booking opens, and budget extra if you land on the private market.

Career services

PoliMi reports that 99% of Italian 2024 master's graduates were employed one year on, and 94% in a role consistent with their degree. Career Day and school-level employer links cover energy, aerospace, automotive, design and consulting (ENI, Leonardo, Ferrari and others). The alumni network is strong in Italian industry and increasingly international.

Academic programs

Application deadlines

Exchange

Around 800 active international agreements, including more than 400 Erasmus+ partnerships, plus T.I.M.E., CLUSTER and double degrees. Incoming exchange students can take English-taught masters-level courses. Apply through the home university and the PoliMi partner map.

Universities in Milan

Next steps

Sources