Politecnico di Milano

Politecnico di Milano (Polimi) is Italy's leading technical university and one of Europe's most respected schools of engineering and architecture. Founded back in 1863, over a century and a half it has grown into a major research centre with around 49,000 students from all over the world.

The university specializes in three broad areas - engineering, architecture and design - and ranks among the world's best in nearly all of them. Learning is built around practice and real projects: students work on tasks together with companies while still studying, so a Polimi degree is highly valued by employers.

One year after graduating from a master's program, 97% of graduates are employed, and most work strictly in their field - one of the best rates in Italy. The university partners with major companies (Ferrari, Pirelli, IBM among them) and takes part in European research projects, while the strongest students have access to the interdisciplinary Alta Scuola Politecnica program.

Politecnico di Milano consistently stays in the world's top hundred and ranks first in Italy among technical universities.

• 98th in the world - QS World University Rankings 2026 (1st in Italy and Southern Europe)
• 21st in the world in Engineering & Technology - QS by Subject 2026
• 6th in the world in Art & Design - QS by Subject 2026
• 7th in the world in Architecture - QS by Subject 2026
• 201-250th in the world - Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026
• 65th in the world in Engineering - THE by Subject 2026

Politecnico di Milano has a whole network of campuses across Lombardy and neighbouring regions, so students study closer to their future field of practice. The main campuses are in Milan: the historic Leonardo (the oldest campus, home to the rectorate and the architecture and engineering departments) and the modern Bovisa, which grew up on former industrial land and is full of labs and start-ups.

Additional campuses are located in Como, Cremona, Lecco, Mantua and Piacenza - each with its own specialization, from sound engineering and agritech to architecture, urban planning and sustainable construction.

Students have access to their own wind tunnel, a crash-test centre for the automotive industry, the PoliFAB micro- and nanotechnology centre, the PoliFactory digital-manufacturing idea lab, and one of Italy's largest technical libraries in the Città Studi district.

Studies are organized through four schools that coordinate bachelor's (3 years) and master's (2 years) programs. Some programs are taught in English.

School of Architecture, Urban Planning and Construction Engineering

Trains architects, urban planners and designers - from the scale of a building to the urban and landscape level. Fields: architectural design, urban planning, building engineering; at master's level - architecture, landscape architecture, sustainable architecture, built-environment management and others.

School of Design

One of Europe's best-known design schools. Bachelor's: industrial design, communication design, fashion design, interior design. Master's adds digital and interaction design, product and service design, yacht design and others.

School of Civil, Environmental and Land Planning Engineering

Combines fundamental science with engineering and ecology: civil engineering, protection from natural hazards, geoinformatics, environmental protection and land management.

School of Industrial and Information Engineering

The largest school: from aerospace, biomedical and chemical engineering to computing, energy, mechanical engineering, materials science and nanotechnology, management engineering and telecommunications.

An important point for applicants from Russia, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries: you cannot enrol at Polimi straight after the 11th grade. First you need to complete one year of university at home or take a Foundation program in Italy - this is a requirement of the Italian education system, common to almost all local universities.

Some programs require an entrance test. Language requirements: IELTS from 5.5 for English-taught programs, or a CILS B2 certificate for Italian-taught programs.

• International passport
• Secondary school certificate
• Transcript of grades for the last 3 years of school
• Language certificate: CILS B2 (Italian) or IELTS 5.5 (English)
• Entrance test results - for certain programs

Documents usually need to be translated and certified. The exact set depends on the program - we'll help you gather and prepare everything correctly.

Tuition at Politecnico di Milano for international students starts at roughly $4,600 per year (the exact amount depends on the program and family income - in Italy, tuition at public universities is calculated individually). Living in student residences is approximately from $2,960 per year.

Polimi offers internal merit-based scholarships and financial support that can significantly reduce the cost. In a consultation we'll tell you which discounts and scholarships you can realistically qualify for with your profile, and help you submit your application.

Prices are approximate (converted from roubles at ≈80 ₽/$). You see tuition, required extras and scholarship options before the application.

The university provides places in nine residences in Milan, Como, Lecco and Cremona. The Milan residences are part of the urban fabric - the campuses are easy to reach on foot or by transport; the Lecco residence is right on the campus grounds.

Various options are available: single and double rooms with shared or private bathrooms, apartments with their own kitchen, and studio flats. All rooms are furnished; common areas include study rooms, TV lounges, recreation rooms, music and game rooms, and gyms. You can cook in shared kitchens or eat in the campus canteens and cafés.