NABA Milan: Fine Arts Academy and QS ranking
NABA, the largest private fine arts academy in Italy, welcomes around 5,500 students across Milan and Rome. Italy's top fine arts academy worldwide according to the QS World University Rankings Art & Design 2026, ranking 41st globally.
About NABA
NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, is the largest private fine arts academy in Italy, headquartered in Milan's Navigli district, in a campus shared with Domus Academy, with a second campus in Rome's Ostiense district. Founded in 1980, NABA was the first private academy recognized by the Ministry of Education, then the Ministry of Public Education, in 1981.
The school welcomes around 5,500 students and offers academic diplomas equivalent to first- and second-level degrees in Design, Fashion Design, Graphic and Communication Design, Multimedia Arts, Set Design and Visual Arts, as well as PhDs and special programs. NABA is Italy's top fine arts academy worldwide according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject Art & Design, a position confirmed for the sixth consecutive year and, for the first time, in the global top 50 in the 2026 edition. Starting from the 2026/27 academic year, the network will expand with a new campus in London.
Main academic areas
First- and second-level academic diplomas, PhD and Special Programmes in Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Multimedia Arts, Set Design, Visual Arts
NABA statistics and indicators
Employability: aggregate figure not published centrally, but the strong list of recruiting companies suggests high employability. Courses available in both Italian and English; English-taught courses require IELTS 5.0/TOEFL 59.
NABA's history
Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti was founded in Milan in 1980 on the initiative of Ausonio Zappa, with initial involvement from Guido Ballo and Tito Varisco, with the explicit goal of challenging the rigidity of Italian academic tradition and introducing visions and languages closer to contemporary artistic practices and creative professions. In 1981 NABA became the first private academy in Italy to obtain legal recognition from the Ministry of Public Education. In 1995 the Mayor of Milan Marco Formentini awarded the academy a civic merit certificate.
In 2002 NABA joined the Bastogi Group, integrating Futurarium, a postgraduate aesthetics school founded by Alessandro Guerriero. In 2004 the school moved to its current location on Via Carlo Darwin, in the Navigli area. In 2009 NABA joined Laureate Education, an international network of over 54 accredited institutions. In 2019 the Rome campus was inaugurated in the Garbatella district. In 2025 the opening of a new campus in London was announced, planned for the 2026/27 academic year, marking a new phase of international expansion for the Milan academy.
What people say online about NABA
Available sources, via portals like Pava Education, highlight the academy's long history and growing international recognition.
Inclusion among the 30 best schools in the world for architecture, fashion and design, a significant external recognition.
Growing position in the Art & Design ranking (41st globally in 2026, first among Italian fine arts academies), confirming a steady reputational improvement trend.
- Status as the largest legally recognized private academy in Italy, founded in 1980
- Extensive list of recruiting companies, from luxury (Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, Max Mara) to technology (HP, 3M) to advertising (Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett)
- Italy's top fine arts academy worldwide in the QS World University Rankings Art & Design, 6th consecutive year ranked
- Part of the international Laureate Education network since 2009
- Planned opening of a new London campus for the 2026/27 academic year
- No aggregate figure published centrally on graduate employment rate
- No serious systematic criticism in the public sources reviewed
FAQ — NABA
NABA represents the reference model among Italian private fine arts academies: its growing rise in the QS rankings, combined with a professional network spanning from luxury to technology, positions it as a privileged access point to international creative professions.
