University of Siena

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.

About the University of Siena

Wikipedia traces the University of Siena to the Studium Senese of 1240, when the city’s podestà decreed a tax on citizens renting rooms to students to pay teachers’ salaries. The article calls it Italy’s first publicly funded university.^[1] Since 2012 it has fourteen departments grouped in four areas: Biomedical and Medical Sciences; Economics, Law and Political Sciences; Experimental Sciences; and Literature, History, Philosophy and the Arts.^[1]

The rectorate is at via Banchi di Sotto 55 in Siena.^[7] The university’s cost-of-living page notes that the historic centre is largely pedestrianised and that many university buildings can be reached on foot.^[3]

How is the University of Siena ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the University of Siena is 572nd in the world. The Italian national press report we read gives that position without a national rank or a change from the year before.^[2]

The edition before that, QS 2026, places Siena at 607th according to Wikipedia, so the university appears to have moved up, but we could not read a QS table to confirm the change.^[1] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the University of Siena?

The international application portal lists pre-university (foundation) courses, bachelor’s degrees, single-cycle master’s degrees, master’s degrees and postgraduate diplomas.^[9] Entry requirements by course type: a foundation course needs 11 years of schooling plus a high-school diploma; a three-year bachelor’s needs 12 years of schooling plus a diploma; a two-year master’s needs a bachelor’s degree that gives access to a master’s; single-cycle programmes (5 or 6 years) follow the bachelor’s rule.^[10]

Some programmes have restricted access and are regulated by their own call (“bando”) with different selection and deadlines.^[11] Some also require the CISIA CEnT test, for which Siena runs a test service for its applicants.^[9] Programme pages on apply.unisi.it show the teaching language and any language requirement.^[6]

How much does the University of Siena cost?

Siena publishes a fee regulation every year and offers an online fee simulator. We could not open the English regulation or the simulator, so we have no table of fees by country group or course.^[12][8]

What the university’s pages say:

• The fee for first-cycle, second-cycle and single-cycle degrees is paid in one to four instalments. For international students, the amount is based on the country of origin and the course chosen.^[12]
• A department page adds that the amount depends on family income as declared in the ISEE and on merit, measured by credits earned by 10 August each year.^[7]
• Students whose family lives abroad cannot submit the ordinary ISEE for the right to study. They can ask for a reduction of the contribution based on an equalised ISEE (“ISEE parificato”), prepared by an authorised tax assistance centre.^[12]
• The university’s cost-of-living page lists tuition of about €556 to €2,626 a year in a reference budget, which it describes as indicative and does not date.^[3]

Costs beyond tuition

The same page puts the reference annual total at about €9,636 to €21,666 including tuition: accommodation €3,000 to €9,600, food €2,880 to €4,320, health cover €700 and a residence permit about €100. The ranges are indicative only.^[3] The application fee is paid for each of up to three applications, is non-refundable, and its amount is shown on the portal.^[8] For living costs in Italy, see our Italy guide and the Study in Italy guide.

How do you apply to the University of Siena?

International applicants apply through apply.unisi.it. The portal says admissions for 2026/27 are closed and the next intake opens in November 2026.^[9]

1. Application: you submit up to three applications, pay a non-refundable fee for each, and press “Submit”. Paying alone does not submit it.^[8]
2. Evaluation: a committee looks at your academic background, language level and prerequisites. In most cases it decides on documents alone, without a test or interview.^[11]
3. Admission letter: if approved you receive an Admission Letter. Final enrolment still depends on an administrative check of your original documents.^[10]
4. Non-EU students living outside Italy: after admission, you pre-enrol on Universitaly, download the summary of pre-enrolment and book a visa appointment at the Italian embassy or consulate you chose. Visa issuance is the embassy’s decision, and obtaining the visa can take up to three months.^[4]
5. Enrolment: you pay the first instalment of the fees to complete enrolment.^[8]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by category and programme.

Which language level do you need?

Italian-taught programmes: level B2 of the CEFR (the European scale from A1 to C2; B2 is upper-intermediate). All candidates without Italian citizenship must pass an online Italian test before applying for the visa, unless they hold a CLIQ-system certificate at B2 or higher, an entry qualification from an Italian state or state-recognised school abroad, or a diploma in Italian language and culture from the Universities for Foreigners of Perugia or Siena.^[5]

English-taught programmes: at least B2 in English, shown by a recognised certificate. Citizens of listed English-speaking countries, and applicants whose entry qualification was taught entirely in English, can be exempt at the committee’s discretion. If you have B2 but no certificate, Siena offers a courtesy online interview for €30, with limited availability.^[6] For Italian-taught programmes, A2 in English is enough.^[6]

Requirements can differ by programme; check the “Entry qualification” or “Language requirements” section of your programme page on apply.unisi.it.^[6]

More about studying in Italy

• Italy: best universities
• Study in Italy: complete guide
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

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