Master’s in Italy for Indian Students: An Honest Guide

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The short answer: a master’s in Italy can be a strong, affordable choice for Indian students in the right field, but three things decide whether it works for you. Your Indian degree has to meet the university’s entry rules, and some leading universities do not accept a three-year degree. Fees depend on each university’s rules for non-EU students, not on a single national price. And the application windows open in the autumn, a full year before you start.

This guide covers what we check with students before recommending an Italian master’s.

Is a master’s in Italy a good choice for Indian students?

Italy tends to suit students who:

• want a master’s in a field where Italy is strong, such as engineering, architecture, design, economics and management, or the sciences;
• plan to build a career in Europe, or are comfortable with a European degree when they return to India;
• can meet early deadlines and manage a process with several separate steps.

It is a weaker fit for students who:

• plan to work in the US, Canada or Australia, where most Italian universities are less well known;
• want to switch fields completely, because many programmes check your previous subjects closely;
• are counting on a scholarship being certain. None is.

Laurea magistrale or “Master”: know which one you are applying for

In Italy, the word “master” covers two different things.

• Laurea magistrale is the two-year, 120-credit master’s degree. It is the equivalent of an MS or MA, it comes under the national admission and visa procedures, and it is what most Indian students mean by a master’s in Italy.
• Master universitario (first or second level) is a postgraduate course, usually one year and often more expensive. It is not the same qualification as a laurea magistrale.

If you need a master’s degree that will be recognised as one, for a job, a PhD or a return to India, apply for a laurea magistrale. The rest of this guide is about that route.

Is my Indian bachelor’s degree accepted?

It depends on the university, and this is where many Indian applicants are caught out.

Three-year degrees. Some universities accept a qualification that would give you access to a master’s in your home country, which a three-year Indian degree usually does. The University of Bologna’s admission call for 2026/27, for example, is framed that way. Others are stricter. Politecnico di Milano asks Indian applicants for at least a four-year bachelor’s degree, such as a B.Tech, B.E., B.Des or B.Arch. It will consider a three-year B.Sc. only if it is an Honours programme.

Marks. Some universities publish a minimum. Politecnico di Milano asks Indian applicants for at least 70 out of 100, and says its requirements are strict with no exceptions. Others assess each application as a whole.

Previous subjects. This matters most for students changing fields. Master’s programmes usually require a set number of credits in subjects related to the programme. A design graduate applying for business analytics, for example, may not meet the curricular requirements even with good marks. Check the programme’s admission call before you shortlist it, not after.

English requirements, and whether MOI works

English-taught master’s programmes usually ask for English at B2 level. The University of Bologna asks for a certificate from its accepted list, which each programme publishes. Politecnico di Milano accepts a document certified by your university confirming your bachelor’s was taught in English, in place of a test certificate.

So a Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter works at some universities and not others. The programme’s admission call decides. The consulate may also ask for evidence of your language level for the visa. If you do need a test, our IELTS and Duolingo programmes run online.

Do you need GRE or GMAT?

Most public universities do not ask for either. Private universities can be different. Bocconi, for example, requires a GMAT or GRE score for its MSc programmes, with a published minimum. If a programme you want asks for one, see our GRE and GMAT preparation.

When to apply for 2027/28

Italian universities admit international students in rounds, and the first rounds open early:

• The University of Padua opens its first call for 2027/28 on 15 September 2026, with a deadline of 15 November 2026.
• The University of Bologna’s first intake for 2026/27 was for non-EU applicants only, running from late November 2025 to mid-January 2026, with further rounds to April. Its international programmes closed to non-EU applicants living abroad in early July. Expect a similar pattern for 2027/28.

Places for non-EU students living abroad are limited on many programmes, and scholarship consideration is often tied to the early rounds. For a September 2027 start, the practical sequence is:

1. Autumn 2026 to spring 2027: apply to universities in the early rounds.
2. After admission: complete Universitaly pre-enrolment. The university must validate it before you can apply for a visa.
3. June to September 2027: apply for your regional DSU grant, with family documents already translated and apostilled.
4. By 31 October 2027 at the latest: lodge your visa application. This is the national final date for laurea magistrale enrolment, and universities may set earlier dates.

What will a master’s in Italy cost?

There is no single figure, because universities set fees for non-EU students in different ways. Among the leading public universities there are three models:

Model	Example	How it works
Income-assessed	Politecnico di Milano	Fees are calculated from your family’s income and property abroad, through the ISEEU parificato issued by an affiliated CAF.
Choice of flat fee or income assessment	University of Bologna	Citizens of countries outside the OECD, which includes India, whose family income and assets are only outside Italy can choose a reduced flat fee. For a master’s in 2026/27 that was €1,200 a year plus €157.04, with no financial documents needed. Alternatively, they can submit foreign income documents to be assessed.
Fixed fee	University of Padua	Since 2023/24, non-EU students whose family lives outside Italy pay a fixed fee that is not recalculated on income: €2,790 for humanities and €2,990 for science programmes, plus regional tax and stamp duty.

Private universities such as Bocconi set their own, much higher, fees.

Even where tuition is fixed, the family’s economic assessment still matters for regional DSU grants, which can cover housing, meals and a cash award. At Padua, for example, non-EU students apply for regional grants with an ISEE parificato. For how that works, with a worked example for an Indian family, read Can You Study in Italy for Free?

Living costs vary more than fees do. The universities’ own estimates for a room run from about €300 a month in Padua to €700 in Milan, before food, transport and utilities.

Scholarships for master’s students

Scholarship	What it offers	Things to know
Invest Your Talent in Italy (IYT)	For 2026/27, €10,800 plus a tuition exemption (the regional tax and stamp duty still apply). Includes a compulsory internship at an Italian company.	Master’s level only, in engineering and advanced technologies, architecture and design, and economics and management. India is eligible. The 2026/27 call required applicants born on or after 1 January 2000 and English at B2, and closed on 11 May 2026. Renewal depends on earning credits. It cannot be combined with other Italian public funding, including DSU.
Italian Government (MAECI) scholarships	A grant, insurance and a possible fee exemption, depending on the university.	The 2026/27 call closed on 26 March 2026. Amounts and age limits are set in each year’s call.
Regional DSU grants	For 2026/27, a minimum of €7,171.11 for students living away from home, partly paid as housing and meals.	Income-based, with early deadlines, and renewed each year only if you earn enough credits.
University scholarships	Merit awards set by each university.	Often tied to applying in the early rounds.

Because IYT and DSU cannot be combined, choose which to pursue based on your family’s likely ISEE and your academic profile.

Where Indian students often look

For reference, the leading public universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027:

University	QS 2027
Politecnico di Milano	87
Sapienza University of Rome	111
University of Bologna	123
University of Padua	204
Politecnico di Torino	206
University of Milan	270
University of Pisa	341

A ranking is one input, not the answer. The programme, its entry requirements and its fee model matter more to your outcome.

Working during and after your master’s

A study residence permit currently allows part-time work of up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. After graduation, eligible graduates may apply for a job-search residence permit of 9 to 12 months, and a study permit can be converted into a work permit if the legal requirements are met. None of this is automatic.

Be realistic about language. Many roles in Italy, including in engineering and business, expect working Italian. Politecnico di Milano, for example, asks students on its English-taught master’s programmes to reach B1 Italian before graduating. Starting Italian early improves both your job search and your daily life.

Is an Italian master’s recognised in India?

The Association of Indian Universities grants equivalence to degrees from universities recognised in their own country, studied full-time and on campus for the prescribed duration. A laurea magistrale from an Italian public university meets those conditions. AIU does not grant equivalence for online or distance study, or for programmes completed in less than the prescribed duration.

How we help

We are an independent, commission-free advisory. We do not take money from universities, so our job is to find the programmes where your degree, marks and budget actually fit, and to tell you when Italy is not the right choice. We have helped hundreds of students plan their studies abroad. For an Italian master’s, that covers:

• checking your degree and subjects against each programme’s entry requirements before you apply;
• building a shortlist that accounts for each university’s fee model;
• planning early-round applications, scholarships and DSU;
• Universitaly pre-enrolment and visa preparation.

The final decisions on admission, scholarships and the visa rest with the universities and the consulate, and nobody can guarantee them.

Frequently asked questions

Planning a master’s in Italy for 2027? Our chat support team is available 24/7. Message us on WhatsApp or send us an enquiry.

Related reading: Study in Italy for Indian students · Can You Study in Italy for Free? · Study in Italy After 12th