The Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS) in Pisa is a state institute of higher education with a special status, founded in 1810 by a decree of Napoleon, and attended by about 600 undergraduate and PhD students.[1][2][3] Admission is only by a competitive examination: the call for 2026/27 offered 60 places in the first year of the first-level undergraduate course and 22 in the second level.[4]
Attendance at the SNS is free of charge. Admitted students live in the SNS colleges and eat at the canteen at no cost, and receive an annual grant of €500 to €5,000 based on their university ISEE (the Italian family income and assets indicator), which includes reimbursement of the university fees they pay to the University of Pisa or Florence.[4] We could not confirm an overall QS World University Rankings 2027 position for the SNS.
Key facts
| Official name | Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS, “la Normale”) |
| Location | Pisa, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa; the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences is in Florence[4] |
| Type | State university institute of higher education and research with a special status[2] |
| Founded | 18 October 1810, by a decree of Napoleon establishing an “academic residence” in Pisa[1] |
| Students | About 600 undergraduate and PhD students[3] |
| Faculties | Humanities; Sciences; Political and Social Sciences (second level only, in Florence)[5] |
| Places, call 2026/27 | 60 in the first year of the first-level undergraduate course and 22 in the first year of the second level[4] |
| Admission | Competitive examination (two written and two oral tests); school or university grades are not taken into account[5] |
| Tuition and housing | Attendance is free of charge; college accommodation and canteen are free for undergraduates[4] |
| Annual grant, 2026/27 | €500 to €5,000 by university ISEE, including reimbursement of university fees paid to Pisa or Florence[4] |
| Study plan | Students enrol at the University of Pisa or Florence at the same time and follow both programmes[5] |
| PhD | Scholarship, accommodation support and free meals; no registration fees; open to non-Italian students[6] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | Not confirmed[7] |
| Official website | sns.it |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About the Scuola Normale Superiore
On 18 October 1810 Napoleon signed a decree establishing an “academic residence” for university students in Pisa, from which the Normale grew.[1] After a closure it reopened in 1843 and moved to its present site, the Palazzo della Carovana in Piazza dei Cavalieri.[1] The school describes itself as a university institute of higher education, research and high-level training with a special status. Three former students, Giosuè Carducci, Enrico Fermi and Carlo Rubbia, won Nobel Prizes, and Alessio Figalli won the Fields Medal.[2]
The Normale teaches the humanities, mathematics, and the natural and social sciences.[2] It has nine historic buildings in Pisa and one in Florence.[8] English Wikipedia reports about 600 undergraduate and PhD students, of whom about 290 are undergraduates, and that the school has been federated with the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies since 2018.[3]
How is the Scuola Normale Superiore ranked?
We could not confirm a position for the Scuola Normale Superiore in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026. QS blocks automated access to its own site, and the Italian press reports we read (which list the Italian universities by position) do not name the SNS.[7] We prefer to give no position rather than an unconfirmed one.
The school’s own pages state its standing in qualitative terms: its prestige in research and education “is recognised at an international level”.[2] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at the Scuola Normale Superiore?
The undergraduate course is open through the competition to three faculties:[5]
- Humanities: first-level or second-level course, after a three-year degree for the second level.
- Sciences: first-level or second-level course, with a separate group for the master’s in Materials and Nanotechnology at the University of Pisa.[4]
- Political and Social Sciences: only the second level, in Florence.
Winners enrol at the University of Pisa (Humanities and Sciences) or the University of Florence (Political and Social Sciences) and follow its degree course while attending the Normale’s courses.[5] One of the master’s degrees paired with the Political and Social Sciences course, RISE (International relations and European studies) at the University of Florence, can be attended entirely in English.[4]
The SNS also runs PhD programmes; its call for 2026/27 is the 42nd cycle.[6] English Wikipedia says it was the first Italian institution to create a PhD programme, in 1927.[3]
How much does the Scuola Normale Superiore cost in 2026/27?
Attendance at the SNS is free of charge, and undergraduates must live in the SNS colleges, which are free of charge.[4] Admitted students also get free board at the canteen from 1 October to 30 September, an all-inclusive scholarship set each year, and a total or partial reimbursement of the fees paid to the University of Pisa or Florence.[4] The 2026/27 grant by university ISEE:
| University ISEE | Yearly grant |
|---|---|
| Up to €40,000 | €5,000 |
| €40,001 to €45,000 | €4,500 |
| €45,001 to €50,000 | €4,000 |
| €50,001 to €55,000 | €3,500 |
| €55,001 to €60,000 | €3,000 |
| €60,001 to €65,000 | €2,000 |
| €65,001 to €70,000 | €1,000 |
| Above €70,000 or no ISEE | €500 |
The scholarship lasts five years for the first-level course and two years for the second level. To stay in the course, students must pass exams with at least 24 out of 30 and keep an average of at least 27 out of 30.[4] Second-level students in Pisa who are not given a place in a residence are guaranteed other lodging or paid an accommodation grant of €460 a month for 2026/27.[4]
We did not find in the call how the ISEE is obtained for students whose family lives abroad; ask the school. Visa applicants should also know that the minimum means of subsistence the school quotes for a visa is €458 a month (€5,954 for the academic year), and that non-EU students pay a yearly health-service registration of €700, which the SNS reimburses.[9]
For living costs in Pisa and Florence, see our Italy guide and the Study in Italy guide.
How do you apply to the Scuola Normale Superiore?
The competition runs once a year and is open to applicants of any nationality. It has two written and two oral tests at both levels; admission depends only on the test results.[5][4] The call is published every spring and applications are submitted online, in Italian or English.[5][4]
- First level: a qualification that gives access to Italian universities obtained not before 2024/25 (or due by 30 September 2026), and no previous enrolment in a three-year course of the listed classes. Sciences applicants take the TOLC test first; non-Italian applicants with a foreign qualification who choose English for their tests are exempt from it.[4]
- Second level: a three-year degree or an equivalent foreign degree, with the first qualification giving access to a master’s obtained not before 1 November 2024 (or due by 31 December 2026), and no earlier enrolment in the listed master’s classes.[5][4]
- Non-EU applicants: must submit a pre-enrolment application at the University of Pisa or Florence to their Italian consulate, by the ministry’s deadline.[4]
- PhD: a separate call with its own online procedure; all programmes are open to non-Italian students and one place per programme is reserved for graduates of foreign universities.[6]
We give no deadlines because they change every year. Read the current call on the SNS admissions page before you plan.
Which language level do you need?
The call asks for “a sufficient knowledge of Italian” to follow the courses, with no certificate level named, and the commissions may check it during the oral test.[4] The tests can be taken in Italian or English; Humanities candidates may also choose French.[4] Certificates issued abroad do not need an Italian translation if they are in French, English, Spanish or German.[4]
The Normale also teaches foreign-language courses at levels comparable to B2 and C1 for students of its humanities faculty.[10]
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Scuola Normale Superiore free?
Attendance is free of charge, college accommodation and the canteen are free, and admitted undergraduates receive a grant of €500 to €5,000 depending on ISEE, including a reimbursement of the fees paid to the University of Pisa or Florence.[4]
How do I get into the Scuola Normale Superiore?
Can international students apply to the Scuola Normale Superiore?
Do I need to speak Italian?
The call requires a sufficient knowledge of Italian, but tests can be taken in English (or French for Humanities).[4]
More about studying in Italy
- Italy: best universities
- Study in Italy: complete guide
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Italy
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- Sapienza University of Rome
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
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- University of Padua
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Sources
[1] Scuola Normale Superiore: History (page without a date)
[2] Scuola Normale Superiore: The Normale introduces itself (page without a date)
[3] Wikipedia: Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (student numbers, federation with Sant’Anna, PhD history; secondary source)
[4] Scuola Normale Superiore: Call for admission to the undergraduate course, a.y. 2026/2027 (PDF) (call of June 2026 (corrected version); the PDF has no printed publication date)
[5] Scuola Normale Superiore: Admission to the undergraduate course (page without a date; refers to the call for 2026/27)
[6] Scuola Normale Superiore: PhD admission competition 2026/2027 (page without a date; 42nd cycle)
[7] Borsa&Finanza: QS 2027 ranking, Italian universities (QS publishes the ranking at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access) (article of 21 Jun 2026; does not name the Scuola Normale Superiore)
[8] Scuola Normale Superiore: The sites (page without a date)
[9] Scuola Normale Superiore: Visa and residence permit (page without a date)
[10] Scuola Normale Superiore: Foreign languages (page without a date)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.