The establishment that we call University today began to evolve in Bologna in the late 11th century, when masters of grammar, rhetoric and logic began to devote themselves to law.
The Studium in Bologna is the first home of free teaching, independent from ecclesiastic schools. Irnerio’s law school marks the birth of Western universities.
The numerous, highly diversified courses listed in the University of Bologna’s programme catalogue – including first and second cycle degree programmes and specialist postgraduate studies – guarantee the personal and professional development of students. The value and quality of the courses offered is borne out by the increased number of enrolments in recent years.
Medicine and philosophy, hard sciences and mathematics, engineering and economics are the major subjects of a university that becomes an undisputed international authority in all fields of knowledge.
Research and training centers:
Internships and Job Placement
In Piazza Maggiore opposite the basilica of San Petronio, Bologna Welcome now contains a university information desk for the city: a point where one can find out about the University of Bologna, past and present, museums and venues.
The university residences, information services and all the housing opportunities for students away from home.
The Library System is the coordinated set of libraries and facilities that provide bibliographic and documentary services to the University. It comprises 27 libraries with a total inventory of 4 million volumes and 9,400 journal subscriptions, with over 5,000 workstations for study and research. It also provides access to 666 data banks, 48,656 online periodicals, and 179,058 e-books.
1,100 wi-fi access points, 2 server farms with more than 250 virtual servers.
The Italian national health system is called "Servizio Sanitario Nazionale" (SSN), and is divided into local Healthcare Boards ("Aziende Unità Sanitarie Locali - AUSL").
Non EU Students may apply for voluntary registration with the National Health Service and with a General Practitioner, by paying an annual lump sum fee.The University of Bologna has a Multicampus structure, ensuring the opportunity to learn and promoting stable research activities throughout the region, aiming to improve the operations and quality of life for the university community.
Centers and systems:
Exhibitions, concerts, Master lessons, conferences, art, music, cinema, dance and theatre shows, poetic initiatives and popular science: Alma Mater Studiorum presents to all the students useful links to live the city at its best.
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By TopUniversities
Climbed 15 places compared to 2026
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 133 | 138 | 123 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 9 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 130 | 141 | 150 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | 201 | 201 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Times Higher Education
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 146 | 130 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
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At the University of Bologna, the Master�s in Science of Climate feels like learning to decode the Earth�s signals. It�s not just about weather or data�it�s about understanding the bigger system behind a changing planet. The program is deeply rooted in science, with a strong focus on data, research, and critical thinking. It asks you to be patient, precise, and curious�because climate isn�t something you just observe, it�s something you interpret. What stands out is the perspective it builds. You start seeing climate not as headlines but as interconnected systems that need careful understanding. Studying in Bologna adds depth to that experience�a city where tradition meets forward-thinking ideas. It�s not always easy, and at times it can feel heavily theoretical. But if you engage with it, you leave with something powerful�the ability to understand, question, and explain the science behind climate change
I like my study path in the complex, but the buildings need some work done, in some rooms there Is mold and are very cold. On top of that in my course there should be more coordination between courses and a better lecture timing. Some professors are very good, and passionate but others aren't.
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
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