Enrolments for the 2024/2025 Academic Year: the Figures for the University of Bologna

 The University of Bologna continues to stand out as a highly attractive, open, inclusive, and internationally competitive public university. The enrolment figures for the 2024/2025 academic year show an increase compared to last year, with particularly significant growth in international students and second-cycle degree programmes. This result is all the more remarkable considering the rising cost of living, which is progressively limiting student mobility across Italy, and the ongoing demographic decline, which is reducing the pool of potential first-year students.

“These figures reflect an institution that, thanks to its credibility, innovative drive, and the constant commitment of its faculty and staff, successfully combines high-quality education with the right to study. This is the university we strive to be: increasingly excellent in its academic offer and services, and ever more open and inclusive in welcoming students,” says Rector Giovanni Molari. "Some numbers are particularly reassuring: the sharp rise in enrolments in second-cycle degree programmes confirms that, despite overall unfavourable conditions for student mobility across regions, the University of Bologna remains a key point of reference even for those who completed their first-cycle degree elsewhere. The University’s growing international appeal, which is already a distinctive strength at the national level, reinforces our reputation in Europe and beyond, encouraging us to further pursue internationalisation as a strategic priority. More broadly, the increase in applications and total enrolments validates our decision to accept only in-person TOLC tests for admission to restricted-access programmes. Choosing otherwise might have been easier and even more profitable, but for us, it was a matter of integrity and fairness. The figures show that students and their families understood and appreciated this approach. We will continue on this path with determination.”

Specifically, 26,748 new students have enrolled at the University of Bologna for the 2024/2025 academic year, compared to 25,937 at the same point last year. Additionally, around 1,000 international students are still finalising their enrolment. In total, the University will once again surpass 90,000 enrolled students.

Enrolments in second-cycle degree programmes have risen by 7.8%, exceeding 9,600. This confirms the University’s strong appeal, with 50% of new second-cycle students having completed their first-cycle degree at another university. First-cycle and single-cycle degree programme enrolments have also seen a slight increase (+0.7%).

Looking at enrolments across the University’s campuses, Bologna has grown by 3%, Cesena by 3%, Ravenna by 12%, and Rimini by 4%. Forlì has seen a slight decrease (-2%), a marginal fluctuation considering its size (it remains the largest campus in Romagna) and the substantial growth recorded last year (+16%).

As seen in previous years, the number of new students coming from southern Italian regions has declined (-8.7%), likely due to rising living costs, particularly housing expenses, in major university cities in northern Italy. This is corroborated by the overall increase in enrolments at universities in southern Italy. At the same time, the number of new students from Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna region has risen, reflecting similar dynamics.

The University of Bologna continues to lead in attracting international students, with a 23.1% increase (compared to +11% last year). Notable growth has been recorded from China (+27%), Turkey (+43%), Russia (+8%), Pakistan (+172.2%), and Turkey (+43.1%), as well as from European countries, including Germany (+50%), Belgium (+253%), Spain (+143%), and Romania (+24%).

The number of valid applications has also increased—around 55,000, up by 1.6% compared to last year—along with the number of candidates sitting admission tests, which has risen by 2% (almost 44,000 in absolute numbers).

Another significant indicator is the number of students enrolling in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) degree programmes, which has grown by 4% this year.

Beyond overall enrolment trends, the number of graduates has also increased, exceeding 20,000 in 2024 (+4%), while the student dropout rate has decreased by 1%.

The University of Bologna boasts a higher proportion of students completing their degrees on time than the national average (78% vs. 77.4%). Moreover, 60.5% of graduates come from families without a higher education background (first-generation graduates), highlighting the University’s continued role as a driver of social mobility within the public higher education system.

In terms of student financial support—a longstanding priority for our University—the percentage of students granted full exemption from tuition fees remains significant, covering 24,305 students. While this is slightly lower than last year (over 26,000), it is primarily due to a slight nationwide increase in family ISEE thresholds, a decline in out-of-region students, and the extensive access of international students to the fixed tuition contribution scheme introduced in 2022 for those from low-income and developing countries or non-OECD nations.

Finally, the University’s commitment to student accommodation is evident in the expansion of available housing: compared to last year, an additional 116 beds have been made available through ER.GO, bringing the total to over 2,300 places.